Axe ’Em, Jacks!
University announces microcredential program for faculty, staff, students and alumni
A new partnership with Coursera, a global online learning platform, will give SFA students, employees and alumni the opportunity to earn more than 40 professional certifications and develop a competitive edge in their current and future careers.
Made possible by SFA's affiliation with The University of Texas System, the partnership gives Lumberjacks free access to Career Academy, which features more than 300 short courses taught by leading companies, including Google, IBM and Meta.
"This is an exciting opportunity for all members of the Lumberjack family to continue to sharpen their skills to meet the demands of regional and national economies," said Megan Weatherly, executive director of the Lumberjack Learning Commons at SFA. "Pairing a college degree with a certificate from one of these leading corporations will signal to others that Lumberjacks are both broadly educated and specifically skilled."
Alumni can contact the Alumni Association for more information.
Read the Dec. 15, 2023 news release.
SFA joins the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate to elevate doctoral education program
The Doctor of Education in educational leadership program offered through SFA's James I. Perkins College of Education has joined the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate, a consortium of over 125 colleges and schools of education that have committed to critically examine the doctoral degree in education.
“Through collaborative efforts, CPED member institutions work together to share best practices, engage in research and advocate for the transformation of doctoral education in the field of education," said Dr. Summer Pannell, associate professor and coordinator for SFA's educational leadership program."This will help us produce graduates who are well-prepared to address complex educational challenges and contribute to positive change in educational organizations and systems."
Read the Jan. 22, 2024 news release.
Lumberjack Nursing Guarantee offers promise of admission to SFA's DeWitt School of Nursing
Incoming first-year college students who want to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing will now find the admission process easier at SFA with the Lumberjack Nursing Guarantee.
Prospective students who are interested in nursing can earn guaranteed admission to the DeWitt School of Nursing based on their entry into SFA as a first-year student with excellent academic performance. These students will still be required to submit an application for admission to the nursing school, but their acceptance will be assured as long as they meet certain criteria.
“We chose to create the Lumberjack Nursing Guarantee because we want to support and motivate students who come to SFA wanting to pursue nursing as a degree," said Dr. Katy Trotty, assistant professor of nursing and BSN program coordinator."We believe in investing in students with exceptional academic performance, and we love the idea of taking out the uncertainty of being accepted into the program."
Read the Nov. 17, 2023 news release.
New dean of research and graduate studies named
SFA has named Dr. Forrest Lane, an educator with nearly 20 years in a variety of academic and administrative positions within higher education, dean of the Office of Research and Graduate Studies.
“I am genuinely excited about joining the SFA community," Lane said."SFA has been a significant resource to our state and region for 100 years. Since its founding as a normal college in 1923, it has become an institution with a deep legacy and rich tradition of supporting Texas. It is a privilege to be selected as dean of research and graduate studies, and it's important to me that I come into this role willing to listen and represent the needs of our students, faculty, staff and community partners. I look forward to supporting SFA's continued success."
Lane comes to SFA from Sam Houston State University, where he served as a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership as well as associate dean of graduate studies and research in the College of Education. At SHSU, he was an education faculty member since 2015 and held various administrative roles there since 2017, including program coordinator, assistant department chair and full-time chair.
He received a Bachelor of Science in political science from Texas A&M University in 2001, a Master of Education in higher education from University of North Texas in 2007 and a Doctor of Philosophy in educational research from UNT in 2011.
Read the Oct. 27, 2023 news release.
Founder of Sprinkles Cupcakes and bestselling author serves as speaker for SFA's Nelson Rusche Distinguished Lecture Series
Candace Nelson is a serial entrepreneur,"Shark Tank" guest shark, New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, and an expert in turning one's passion into a profitable business.
She also was the guest speaker for the fourth installment of SFA's Nelson Rusche Distinguished Lecture Series held March 26 in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Grand Ballroom on campus.
“The Nelson Rusche Distinguished Lecture Series was established to inspire our students to pursue their dreams by bringing highly accomplished business leaders to campus to engage in discussion as students plan their futures," said Dr. Tim Bisping, dean of the Nelson Rusche College of Business."Candace Nelson's story is one of perseverance applied to passion resulting in incredible success. We were so honored to have her here to speak with our students, sharing with them her invaluable insights and expertise."
Her book"Sweet Success: A Simple Recipe for Turning Your Passion Into Profit" published by HarperCollins Leadership in November 2022 hit No. 4 on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list, and her debut book"The Sprinkles Baking Book: 100 Secret Recipes from Candace's Kitchen" is a New York Times bestseller.
Read the Jan. 11, 2024 news release.
SFA dedicates new Centennial Ring Plaza during university's Centennial Celebration
Lumberjacks filled the corner of Alumni and Vista drives in September as employees and administrators dedicated the new Centennial Ring Plaza and its towering ring statue, adding another landmark to the picturesque campus.
Located across from the Austin Building, the plaza is a bricked area featuring a 9-foot-tall statue of the revered SFA ring. The ring is a representation of one of the crowning achievements students will experience during the graduation process and serves as a celebration of their educational journey at SFA.
“The SFA ring serves as a symbol to the world that you are a proud SFA alumnus," Erika Tolar '02, president of the SFA Alumni Association, said during the dedication ceremony."The ring sends a message to all who visit this beautiful campus how serious we are about student success while focusing on our Lumberjack legacy."
Read the Sept. 20, 2023 news release.
Entrepreneurship program, center named a top emerging entrepreneurship program in country
SFA's entrepreneurship academic program and Arnold Center for Entrepreneurship in the Rusche College of Business were collectively named one of the top three emerging entrepreneurship programs in the nation by the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
This award recognizes colleges and universities for their efforts developing nascent entrepreneurship programs that demonstrate outstanding progress toward becoming comprehensive, bold and innovative educational programs with early records of student impact.
“We introduced the entrepreneurship major in fall 2020 and opened the center in 2023, and it is amazing to see what ACE has accomplished in just a short amount of time and the impact that it is having not only for SFA students but also for the community," said Matthew Smilor, ACE director."This award validates a lot of work Rusche College of Business faculty, staff and students, as well as local community members, have done to build this hub for entrepreneurs in East Texas."
Read the Feb. 8, 2024 news release.
Chemistry faculty member receives patent for new type of antibiotic medication for resistant bacteria treatment
Dr. Matibur Zamadar, SFA associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, received a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for his second invention of a drug to treat bacteria that is resistant to most existing antibiotics that kills millions of people around the world with an invasive infection.
Zamadar created a drug to reduce antimicrobial resistance, which occurs when medication loses its ability to kill bacteria. This drug is effective at a relatively low single dose or reduced repeat doses. His invention treats cancer as well as bacterial infection complications of cancer treatment, especially when cancer cells are surgically removed.
"Pathogenic bacteria often develop resistance against conventional antibacterial agents, which lose efficacy over time," Zamadar said."By developing adaptive bacterial resistance, many bacteria become resistant to specific antibacterial structures. As bacteria become more resistant to antibacterial medications, dosages are increased until the highest doses become ineffective against the most resistant bacteria."