NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Heather Samuelson and Haley Jameson, co-coordinators of Stephen F. Austin State University’s dance program, presented research at the Twelfth International Conference on the Arts in Society in Paris, France.

Samuelson’s poster presentation, “Expression of the Forbidden: Creating dance that explores eating disorders and self-mutilation,” is based on a dance she choreographed titled “M.E.,” which depicts eating disorders and self-mutilation.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Music Preparatory Division of the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music will offer harp lessons for the upcoming fall semester.

Award-winning harpist Emily Mitchell, artist in residence in the SFA School of Music, will teach the lessons for ages 8 through adult.

“When I perform, audience members will often say to me afterwards, ‘Oh, I always wanted to learn to play the harp!’ Well, here's your chance,” Mitchell said. “It's going to be fun, low pressure, with lots of camaraderie.”

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — With iPads raised to the sky, dozens of Lil’ STEM Jacks and their family members map the constellations using the Skyview app as night falls over the Stephen F. Austin State University Observatory.

As lines connect stars into shapes, animals, gods and goddesses on the iPad, viewers have a clearer picture of constellations millions of miles away. Suddenly, what looks like a shooting star whizzes by, and the crowd buzzes with excitement.

“It’s the International Space Station,” many shout as they lift their iPads to the stars to confirm.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Fourteen students from the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art traveled to Italy earlier this summer to study European art first hand and further develop the School of Art’s ongoing exchange program with the art school in Florence, Libera Accademia di Belle Arti (LABA).

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Music Preparatory Division of the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music will host an open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19, at the Music Prep House at 3028 Raguet St.

Music Prep offers private music lessons in piano, harp, violin, Suzuki violin, flute, cello, trumpet, trombone, voice, percussion and more.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host Permaculture Design 101 with Theron Beaudreau from 9 a.m. to noon Aug. 26 at the Brundrett Conservation Education Building, located at 2900 Raguet St.

Through this introduction to the sustainable gardening techniques of permaculture, participants will learn about holistic design strategies for East Texas that regenerate the land and surrounding ecosystems.  

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — For several years, Stephen F. Austin State University faculty members in the James I. Perkins College of Education, Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, and the Rusche College of Business have collaborated with Oglala Lakota College, a tribal college of Pine Ridge Reservation in Kyle, South Dakota, to develop resource interpretation and hospitality and tourism concentrations within the Lakota Studies degree.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Wading into Lanana Creek, three Nacogdoches High School seniors enrolled in Stephen F. Austin State University’s STEM Academy collect water samples to test the creek’s water quality. It’s 7:30 a.m., and immediately the students take note of the environment, jotting down the temperature, humidity and pointing out the creek’s shallowness.

After recording their initial observations, Brandon Smith, Marin Beal and Miranda Allbee take the water’s temperature and measure the depth and flow rate at different locations along the creek.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Tickets to attend the Nov. 16 and 17 performances of Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker at Stephen F. Austin State University are available for purchase by the general public beginning Monday, Aug. 14.

An Encore Event presented by the SFA College of Fine Arts, The Great Russian Nutcracker will be presented at 7:30 each night in W.M. Turner Auditorium in the Griffith Fine Arts Building.

Houston-area students pursuing a bachelor's degree in interior design have a more convenient option as a result of a new partnership between Houston Community College and Stephen F. Austin State University. The institutions have launched a program that will allow students to earn their SFA degree on the Houston Community College Central Campus.