Family Issues Summit To be Held at SFA Early Childhood Research Center - March 9, 2010

The second annual Family Issues Summit will be held on March 26 at the Stephen F. Austin State University Early Childhood Research Center. The summit is sponsored by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service Family and Consumer Sciences Agents from District V. This year the summit will partner with the SFASU Elementary Education Department and School of Human Sciences to offer relevant topics related to family issues in our community. This conference will provide clock hours for participants. This event is appropriate for volunteers, professionals, students and community residents working with families.

Sessions offered for the summit include:

Dancing Babies: Dr. Caroyn Abel, Professor and Dr. Jannah Nerren, Assistant Professor, SFASU, Department of Elementary Education, Guarding Against Identify Theft, Barbara McGinity, LMSW, Program Director, The Better Business Bureau Education Foundation,

The 4 R's of Managing Money and Using Credit, Phyllis Gilbert, M.S. M.Ed., SFASU, Professor Human Sciences, The Consumer Cash Crunch, Bill Langley, Regional Director of Education, Consumer Credit Counseling, The Value of Volunteers, Dr. Susan Ballabina, Texas AgriLife Extension, Regional Program Director , Communication at the End of Life, Jessica Henderson, LBSW - Hospice of East Texas, Talking with Your Doctor, Dr. Andy Crocker, Gerontology Health Specialist, Texas AgriLife Extension, Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Linda Few James, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council, Nutritious Nibbles, Beth Lloyd, RD/LD WIC Program Manager and Mandy Watson Nutr, CLC - WIC, , Dinner Tonight - Cassandra Coleman, Kari Aycock and Claudann Jones, Texas AgriLife Extension Service, CEA-FCS Agents and A Healthy Life Starts at Home, Kinnie M. Parker, MPH, CHES. There will also be a tour of the new Early Childhood Research Center available to participants at the summit.

Instrumental in the planning and implementation of this summit are Dr. Janice Pattillo and Dr. Elizabeth Vaughan with the Elementary Education Department and Dr. Lynda Martin, Director of the School of Human Sciences for SFASU. The summit promises to offer a variety of topics for everyone participating.

The registration deadline is March 19. Fees for the summit are $15.00 for students, and regular registration is $30.00. This includes access to the sessions, exhibits and lunch. For more information contact Claudann M. Jones at the Shelby County Extension Office at 598-7744 or 3223, email at cmjones@ag.tamu.edu

SFA Horticulture Professor to Deliver 2010 Regents Lecture - March 3, 2009

NACOGDOCHES, Texas -- The upcoming Stephen F. Austin State University Regents Lecture will compare SFA’s role in educating and nurturing students to the process of horticulture.

Dr. David L. Creech, former Regents Professor and SFA professor emeritus of horticulture, will deliver the address, “Is SFA more than just another pretty face?”

“If you think about it, we’re all here to educate, entertain and enlighten,” Creech said. “There’s not a lot of difference between planting a seed in a pot and planting an idea in a student’s head. Both involve watering, fertilizing, pruning and training—it’s all about nurturing.”

The lecture will be held at 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 9, in the Nelson Rusche College of Business Lecture Hall, located in SFA’s McGee Business Building , Room 133. Refreshments will be served following the lecture. There is no admission charge.

Creech earned a Ph.D. in horticulture from Texas A&M University in College Station . He holds a B.S. in horticulture from Texas A&M and an M.S. in horticulture from Colorado State University .

Creech joined the faculty in SFA’s Department of Agriculture in 1978 and attained the rank of professor in 1986. He earned the Regents Professor designation from SFA in 2002-2003.

He traces the 30-year history of SFA Gardens from a small spot on the south side of the Agriculture Building to the SFA Mast Arboretum, the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden, the Pineywoods Native Plant Center and now SFA’s new Recreational Trail and Gardens on University Drive .

“But when it comes right down to it,” he said, “I suspect the most important part of SFA Gardens is the environmental education program—especially the part directed at about 12,000 children each year.”

Creech said connecting kids to the natural world is no easy chore these days. “But when it’s done in the right setting with the right people and good programming, it works,” he said.

Creech admits to being a compulsive plant hunter, especially when it comes to trees. “Plant hunters are never far from snips, labels and a poly bag for cuttings and seed,” he said.

This is the fifth in a series of lectures delivered by SFA Regents Professors. The series is sponsored by the SFA Office of the Provost and the University Lecture Series Committee.

Stephen F. Austin State University has been named to the 2009 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement.

The Corporation for National and Community Service, which administers the annual Honor Roll award, recognized more than 700 colleges and universities for their impact on issues from poverty and homelessness to environmental justice. On campuses across the country, thousands of students joined their faculty to develop innovative programs and projects to meet local needs using the skills gained in their classrooms.

This is SFA's third straight year to be included in the Honor Roll. SFA students, faculty and staff completed 87,000 hours of community service last year, exceeding the university's goal of 85,000 hours in honor of its 85th anniversary. The SFA community took part in service events such as The BIG Event and staffing the Hurricane Ike shelter and taking part in cleanup efforts.

In addition, individual students as well as student organizations take part in service activities off campus, usually in partnership with one of the many non-profit agencies in Nacogdoches.

"At SFA, service to the community is not only an action we value but I believe it is part of our student culture," said Michael Preston, director of Student Affairs.

"Without any other motivation but a desire to help others, SFA students demonstrate what it means to be a Lumberjack. This honor is not only a reward for hard work but it is a manifestation of a service culture we have forged here at SFA."

College students make a significant contribution to the volunteer sector; in 2009, 3.16 million students performed more than 300 million hours of service, according to the Volunteering in America study released by the Corporation. Each year, the Corporation invests more than $150 million in fostering a culture of service on college campuses through grants awarded by its programs; the education awards that AmeriCorps members receive at the conclusion of their term of service to pay for college; and through support of training, research, recognition, and other initiatives to spur college service.

"This is a great honor for our campus community," said Jamie Bouldin, assistant director for Student Life and coordinator of the SFA Volunteer Program.

"Our students are so dedicated to giving back and getting involved in service activities. They really make it a priority to make a difference in the Nacogdoches community. This year, our students are continuing to volunteer in record numbers, and we expect our service hour total to be even higher than last year's."

The upcoming Stephen F. Austin State University Regents Lecture will feature Dr. David L. Creech, 2006-2007 Regents Professor and 2007-2008 SFA professor emeritus, will deliver the address, “Is SFA more than just another pretty face?”

The lecture will be held Tuesday March 9, 2010 in the College of Business Lecture Hall, Room 133, McGee Business Building, on the SFA campus. The lecture will begin at 5 p.m., and there will be refreshments served afterward. There is no admission charge.

“If you think about it, we’re all here to educate, entertain and enlighten – and there’s not a lot of difference between planting a seed in a pot and planting an idea in a student’s head. Both involve watering, fertilizing, pruning and training—it’s all about nurturing.”

Creech joined the faculty in SFA’s Department of Agriculture in 1978 and attained the rank of professor in 1986. He earned the Regents Professor designation from SFA in 2006 and Emeritus Professor designation in 2007. He earned a Ph.D. in horticulture from Texas A&M University in College Station, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in horticulture from Texas A&M University and a Master of Science degree in horticulture from Colorado State University.

“We should all be proud of the fact that SFA is moving to be all about green, and SFA Gardens wants to be part of that movement. We’re really talking plants, people and plans.”

He traces the 30-year history of SFA Gardens from a small spot on the south side of the Agriculture Building to the ten-acre SFA Mast Arboretum, the eight-acre Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden, the 42-acre Pineywoods Native Plant Center and now the brand new 68-acre SFA Recreational Trails and Gardens on University Drive. Where all that plant diversity comes from is part of the story.

“I admit to being a compulsive plant hunter, whether in our Pineywoods backyard or in some exotic land. Plant hunters are never far from pruning snips, labels and a poly bag for cuttings and seed. However, I do not subscribe to the belief that when 10 horticulturists gather in a room, you are looking at nine thieves. That’s an overstatement.”

“The plants and gardens here are great, but when it comes right down to it,” he said, “I suspect the most important part of SFA Gardens is the environmental education program—especially the part involving about 12,000 children each year. Connecting kids to the natural world is no easy chore these days. But when it’s done in the right setting with the right people and good programs are in place, it works,”

This is the fifth in a series of lectures delivered by SFA Regents Professors. The series is sponsored by the SFA Office of the Provost and the University Lecture Series Committee. For more information, call (936) 468-2605.

The Stephen F. Austin State University Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden will host the annual Nacogdoches Azalea Trail symposium on March 13 in Room 110 of the Agriculture Building on Wilson Drive.

Noted Texas A&M horticulturist Dr. William C. Welch will be the featured speaker. Welch will share his enthusiasm for camellias and other heirloom plants in his lecture, “A Passion for Camellias.”

Welch is the author of “Perennial Garden Color,” “Antique Roses for the South,” “The Southern Heirloom Garden” and “The Bountiful Flower Garden.” “Southern Heirloom Gardening” by Welch and Greg Grant will be published by Texas A&M Press in the spring of 2011. Welch is a regular contributor to Neil Sperry’s Gardens and Southern Living magazine. His homes and gardens have been featured in books and articles throughout the South. He was recently presented the Great Gardeners Award by the American Horticulture Society.

In his lecture, Welch will present the many benefits of adding fall-blooming Camellia sasanqua and spring-blooming Camellia japonica to residential azalea gardens.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., and the first program begins at 9 a.m. Lunch is provided, followed by tips on pruning camellias, propagating azaleas and a guided tour of the azalea garden. The symposium is sponsored by SFA Gardens and the Texas Chapter of the Azalea Society of America. Admission is $30 for SFA Gardens members and $40 for non-members.
For more information and to register, contact the Nacogdoches Convention and Visitors Bureau at 888-OLDEST-TOWN, fax (936) 462-7688 or visit www.nacogdochesazaleas.com. For information on the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden, e-mail sfagardens@sfasu.edu or call Barbara Stump at (936) 468-4129.

SFA to host Two Different Texas A&M Horticulturiest - February 24, 2010

SFA Gardens Lecture Series to Feature Texas A&M Horticulturist

The SFA Gardens will host its monthly Les Reeves Garden Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 11th in room 110 of the Agriculture Building on Wilson Drive on the SFA campus. Dr. Mike Arnold, Texas A&M Horticulturist, will present Knowing the Flowers from the Weeds and Other Fun Things We Learn in Aggie Horticulture.

Dr. Arnold is a professor in the Department of Horticultural Sciences at Texas A&M University where he conducts research on

bridging the gap from the nursery producer to the landscape professional and home consumer of landscape plants. He has degrees in horticulture from Ohio State University and North Carolina State University. He helped develop the Texas A&M Nursery/Floral Crops Research and Education Facility and is the author of Landscape Plants for Texas and Adjacent States.

With the exception of Spring Break, The Les Reeves Garden Lecture Series is held the third Thursday of each month at the Stephen F. Austin State University Mast Arboretum in Nacogdoches, Texas.

For more information, contact Greg Grant at 936-468-1863 or grantdamon@sfasu.edu.

SFA to host Showcase Saturday Events for Prospective Students - February 2, 2010

Future college students will have the opportunity to experience a taste of campus life during a free, action-packed open-house event at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches on March 27.

Prospective students will get to visit with university faculty and staff, tour the campus and residence halls, and preview academic programs during the last two SFA Showcase Saturday events this academic year.

“There is no better time than Showcase Saturday to visit the beautiful SFA campus and experience first-hand what it’s like to be a Lumberjack,” said Monique Cossich, executive director of enrollment management.

“Guests are encouraged to visit one-on-one with our faculty to learn more about our quality, personalized academic programs, and our staff will be available to answer questions about everything from admission requirements to financial aid to residence life.”

SFA is a comprehensive, residential university located in the heart of Texas Forest Country in Nacogdoches . More than 12,800 students attend SFA, which is within a few hours’ drive of Texas ’ major metropolitan areas.

Showcase Saturday event registration will begin at noon on the first floor of the Baker Pattillo Student Center and will remain open until 1 p.m. Each person who registers will receive an information packet. The opening program begins at 1 p.m. and will provide an overview of the day’s events.

Guests will then be able to visit with representatives of the academic departments until 4 p.m. at the Academic and Student Services Fair in the Student Recreation Center . Student service department representatives also will be on hand to provide information on campus life.

An orientation information session will be held at 3 p.m. in the Student Center , Regents Suite B. Orientation representatives will be available to answer questions and accept reservations and payments. Payments also will be accepted during the Academic and Student Services Fair.

Campus and residence hall tours will begin at 1:45 p.m. and continue until 5 p.m. Campus tours will take students on a guided walk of the SFA campus, while the residence hall tour will showcase several halls on both the north and south ends of campus.

Admissions counselors will be available to discuss admission procedures and requirements in the Rusk Building , Room 206, from 1:45 to 5 p.m.

Financial aid information sessions will be held at 2, 2:45, 3:30 and 4:15 p.m. in the Nursing and Math Building , Room 101. Residence Life information sessions will be held at 2, 2:30, 3:30 and 4:15 p.m. in the Student Center movie theater.

Participating students will receive a free SFA T-shirt after turning in a completed evaluation form at the Baker Pattillo Student Center Plaza from 4 to 5 p.m. For more information about SFA’s Showcase Saturday, contact the SFA Office of Admissions at (936) 468-2504, or visit www.gosfa.com.

Cutline: Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches will host free Showcase Saturday events for prospective students on two upcoming Saturdays, Feb. 20 and March 27.

5th Lone Star Regional Native Plant Conference - January 26, 2010
Submitted by Greg Grant

The Stephen F. Austin State University Pineywoods Native Plant Center is once again proud to host the 5th Lone Star Regional Native Plant Conference June 2-5 in historic Nacogdoches, Texas. The conference will be held on the beautiful SFA campus which is home to the Mast Arboretum, the Ruby Mize Azalea Garden, as well as the 40-acre Pineywoods Native Plant Center .

Come join a unique blend of naturalists, horticulturists, nurserymen, landscapers, and gardeners to hear talks ranging from green roofs to landscape design and native azaleas. You will also have the opportunity to enjoy unique local flora from a choice of guided tours as well as educational workshops. Mark your calendar and check this website for upcoming details.
http://arboretum.sfasu.edu

5th Lone Star Regional Native Plant Conference
Nacogdoches, Texas-June 2-5, 2010
Conference Agenda:

Wednesday, June 2 - Registration
3:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Baker Patillo Student Center

Thursday, June 3 - Field Trips -
Matlock Hills and Colorow Creek , Nacogdoches Area, San Augustine County and Stewart Ranch, Tyler County, Ivy Payne Preserve, Jasper and Newton County

Friday, June 4 - Lectures
-Petals, Prickles and People: Finding Your Own Ecological Niche, Herbaceous Natives with Commercial Appeal, Green Roofs Using Native Plants, Plant Driven Design: Honoring Plants, Place and Spirit, Planting for the Birds, Using Citizen Science Data to Better Understand the Distribution of Some Key Invasive Species in Texas, Reintroduction of Cyprepedium kentuckiense into East Texas Forests, Watershed Protection

Saturday, June 5 - Workshops, Tours , Lectures
WORKSHOPS: Graminoid Identification, Propagation, Digital Photography, Floral Arranging
TOURS: Hillside Pitcher Plant Bogs, Naconiche Creek, Morning Bird Watching, White-tailed Deer Breeding and Research Center at Dogwood Farms
LECTURES: Diseases of Native Grasses, New Varieties of Old Standard Native Plants, Native Azalea Bogs of the Gulf Coast

Saturday Night Live! Dinner * Drama * Dancing -- Join us for a fun wrap-up party with Texas BBQ, a dynamic lecture by Barney Lipscomb, and then dance the night away with some good old fashioned rock and roll! Hosted by the SFA Pineywoods Native Plant Center, Stephen F Austin State University, Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture.

For more information contact Dawn Stover at 936-468-4404 or dparish@sfasu.edu

Registration begins February 1, 2010. For details visit: http://arboretum.sfasu.edu

Earn SBEC credit. May be suitable for Master Gardener and Texas Master Naturalist, CEUs!

The Stephen F. Austin State University Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden is once again proud to host the annual Nacogdoches Azalea Trail Symposium March 13 in Room 110 of the Agriculture Building on Wilson Drive on the SFA Campus in Nacogdoches , Texas . Noted Texas A&M horticulturist, Dr. William C. Welch, will be the featured speaker. Dr. Welch will share his enthusiasm for camellias and other heirloom plants in his lecture A Passion for Camellias.

Dr. Welch is the author of Perennial Garden Color, Antique Roses for the South, The Southern Heirloom Garden, and The Bountiful Flower Garden. Southern Heirloom Gardening by William Welch and Greg Grant will be published by Texas A&M Press in the spring of 2011. Bill Welch is a regular contributor to Neil Sperry’s Gardens and Southern Living magazine. His homes and gardens have been featured in books and articles throughout the South. He was recently presented the Great Gardeners Award by the American Horticulture Society.

In his lecture, Dr. Welch will present the many benefits of adding fall-blooming Camellia sasanqua and spring-blooming Camellia japonica to residential azalea gardens.

Registration begins at 8:30 am; the program is from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Lunch is provided, followed by tips on pruning camellias, propagating azaleas, and a guided tour of the SFA Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden by Barbara Stump and Dr. Welch. The symposium is sponsored by SFA Gardens and the Texas Chapter of the Azalea Society of America. Admission is $30 to SFA Gardens members and $40 to non-members.

For more information and to register, contact the Nacogdoches Convention and Visitors Bureau (888-OLDEST-TOWN, fax 936-462-7688) or online at www.nacogdochesazaleas.com. For information on the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden e-mail sfagardens@sfasu.edu or call Barbara Stump 936-468-4129.