Up to 20 freshman students at Stephen F. Austin State University with financial need will have the opportunity to receive a full scholarship, housing allowance and one-on-one tutoring through scholarships offered by one of the larger privately funded scholarship programs in the state.

The need-based scholarships will be awarded by the Smith-Hutson Scholarship program beginning in fall 2015 to students who demonstrate academic potential. The cumulative value of each scholarship is approximately $70,000.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts will present Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana performing at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11, in W.M. Turner Auditorium in the Griffith Fine Arts Building on the SFA campus as part of the 2014-2015 University Series, "Connect."

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - SFA Gardens at Stephen F. Austin State University will host the monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, in the Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St. in Nacogdoches.

Dr. Jared Barnes, assistant professor of horticulture in SFA's Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, will present "Headed Down South from the Land of the Pines: Reflections on the Plants, People, and Places of North Carolina."

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin State University Board of Regents approved faculty and staff changes during its quarterly meeting Tuesday.

Faculty appointments approved Tuesday included: Erica Dillard, lecturer of elementary education in the James I. Perkins College of Education; and Stephanie Perry, visiting lecturer of mathematics and statistics in the College of Sciences and Mathematics.

The Stephen F. Austin State University Board of Regents approved an investment of approximately $125,000 for the purchase of a molecular imaging system to support research in biology, chemistry, forestry and agriculture.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Tickets are still available for Thursday night's performance of the two-time Grammy award-winning Turtle Island Quartet with Nellie McKay at Stephen F. Austin State University.

The concert, which features the program "A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing," is part of the SFA College of Fine Arts' 2014-2015 University Series and is sponsored in part by Commercial Bank of Texas.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Due to a last-minute group cancellation, seats have opened up for the 12:30 p.m. Jan. 30 performance of "Junie B. Jones," a previously sold-out show in this year's Children's Performing Arts Series at Stephen F. Austin State University.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts and School of Music will present the Madera Wind Quintet, one of the state's premier woodwind ensembles, in concert at 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 8, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

The performance is part of the quintet's 2015 Southwest Tour and will feature the music of Texas composer Don Gillis from the ensemble's upcoming CD release "Five Piece Combo," along with new works for wind quintet from the group's earlier album, "Five at Play."

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts and School of Music will present Jennifer Dalmas and Kae Hosoda-Ayer performing a violin and piano recital at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 8, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

Dalmas, associate professor of violin and viola at SFA, and Hosoda-Ayer, assistant professor at Baylor University where she teaches collaborative piano, will perform sonatas for violin and piano by three distinctive composers, including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johannes Brahms and Maurice Ravel.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Officials with the 2015 Schmidbauer Young Artist Competition at Stephen F. Austin State University have announced last-minute additions in the contestant list for the upcoming event on Saturday due to a few contestants who had pulled out of the competition late. The outcome will not affect the schedule and will continue to showcase an afternoon of impressive performances, according to Dr. Gene Moon, director of orchestral studies at SFA and of the competition.