NACOGDOCHES, Texas-The Stephen F. Austin State University Mast Arboretum will host the Les Reeves Garden Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Sunday, March 15, in Room 110 of the SFA Agriculture Building on Wilson Drive.

Dr. Todd Lasseigne, director of the Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden, will be the featured speaker. Lasseigne has been instrumental in developing a water-wise and eco-friendly botanical garden in Kennerville, NC. He will discuss the development of the garden, as well as new plants in the gardening world.

NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS - The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art has announced that Griffith Gallery will close Friday, March 13, for the university's spring break and reopen Tuesday, March 23.

"SFA Graduate Student Show," which is currently on exhibit in Griffith Gallery, runs through Wednesday, April 8. Regular gallery hours are 12:30 to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. The gallery is located in the Griffith Fine Arts Building, Room 208.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas-The Stephen F. Austin State University Department of English will host writers Jonis Agee and Brent Spencer as part of the department's spring reading series.

Agee is the author of several books, including five novels and five collections of short fiction. Her fiction works have received critical acclaim, and three of her books-"Strange Angels," "Bend This Heart" and "Sweet Eyes"-were named Notable Books of the Year by The New York Times. Her most recent novel "The River Wife" was selected by USA Today as one of the "Hot Summer Reads of 2007."

Mary McCleary

Mary McCleary, professor emeritus of the School of Art, will deliver the address "Things Seen, Things Not Seen" at the upcoming Stephen F. Austin State University Regents Lecture.

The talk, which will focus on how history, literature and science are reflected in McCleary's collages, will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, at the Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House, located at 329 E. Main St.

The Texas Folklore Society will celebrate 100 years of collecting, preserving and sharing folklore at its annual meeting April 9-11 at Hotel Fredonia in Nacogdoches.

The 93rd annual meeting of the society will include a "hootenanny," guided bus tour of Nacogdoches, banquet, business meeting, presentations by folklorists and special events commemorating the 100th anniversary.

NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS - Four students from the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music will be the featured soloists during the SFA Symphony Orchestra's annual Concerto/Aria Winners concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 12, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

Each fall, SFA music students enter the School of Music's annual competition, and the finalists have the unique opportunity of performing with a full orchestra, explained Gene H. Moon, director of orchestral activities at SFA and the Symphony Orchestra's director.

Doris and Jack Ledbetter, seated, with Doris and Dr. Andrew Parr

Doris and Jack Ledbetter, seated, recently hosted a fund-raiser in their home that brought in over $9,000 in scholarship funds for Stephen F. Austin State University piano students. Pictured with the Ledbetters are Linda and Dr. Andrew Parr, two of the SFA piano faculty performers. Other faculty performers were Dr. Mario Ajero, Mary Cooper, James Faucett, Dr. Gene Moon, Dr.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas-The Texas Education Agency and Texas GEAR UP program have named Stephen F. Austin State University's e-mentoring program a Texas GEAR UP Promising Practice, so that it may serve as an example for up-and-coming programs statewide.

Secondary education majors at SFA participate in the e-mentoring program, which pairs the future educators with high school students in rural East Texas who may not realize college is an option for them.

NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS - Area 6- to 12-year-olds may register for an art class offered by the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 7, at The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House, 329 E. Main Street in downtown Nacogdoches, as part of the Creative Art Saturday program.

Participants will create nature photo prints under the supervision of Dr. Marsha Blount, SFA assistant professor of art; Matthew Sutherlin, SFA instructor of art; and SFA art education majors.