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This Week's Calendar

QPR (Suicide
Intervention Training)
Tuesday, May 4
1 to 3 p.m.
Rusk Building, Room 333

"Evening of German Music"
Tuesday, May 4
6 p.m.
Cole Concert Hall
Wright Music Building

Certified Online Instructor Commencement
Thursday, May 6
1:45 to 3 p.m.
Wyatt Room of Steen Library

Reception and presentation by
SFA’s award-winning student Advertising Team
Thursday, May 6
5:30 p.m.
The Cole Art Center @
The Old Opera House

Mentor Ring
Big Dip Ceremony
Friday, May 7
Noon until 1:30 p.m.
Grand Ballroom, BPSC

Lumberjack Baseball at
UT Arlington
Friday, May 7
6:30 p.m. AWAY

Free one-night screening of "American Teen"
Friday, May 7
7 p.m.
Ledbetter Gallery
The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House
329 E. Main St.

Joseph Haydn’s The Creation
Friday, May 7
7:30 p.m.
W.M. Turner Auditorium

Ladyjack Softball vs.
Texas State
Saturday, May 8
1 & 3 p.m. HOME

Lumberjack Baseball at
UT Arlington
Saturday, May 8
2 p.m. AWAY

Ladyjack Softball vs.
Texas State
Sunday, May 9
Noon at HOME

Lumberjack Baseball at
UT Arlington
Sunday, May 9
1 p.m. AWAY

SFA to host Lone Star Regional Native Plant Conference

The Stephen F. Austin State University Pineywoods Native Plant Center will host the fifth Lone Star Regional Native Plant Conference June 2 to 5 on the SFA campus in Nacogdoches.

Naturalists, horticulturists, nurserymen, landscapers and gardeners are invited to hear educational lectures on several topics ranging from green roofs to landscape design and native azaleas. Conference attendees also will have the opportunity to experience local flora through a choice of guided tours and field trips, as well as educational workshops ranging from white-tailed deer research to floral arranging.

The cost of the three-day conference is $300 before May 17 and $350 after that date. All meals are included, and single day options are available. On-campus housing options are available for $25 per night. More

SFA Computer Science to host summer camps, teacher workshops

The Department of Computer Science at Stephen F. Austin State University will host a series of summer youth camps and professional development workshops for teachers designed to enhance their technology skills.

The Computer Science Summer Program will consist of four-day camps designed to provide fifth through ninth grade students with a broad exposure to a variety of computing topics through the use of robotics and 3D animation for storytelling. The four camp sessions will run from June 14 to July 15. Robotics sessions are limited to 20 students. All other sessions are limited to 25 participants. The cost is $225 and covers the participant's lunches, insurance, project materials and activities. Reservations made before May 15 will receive a $35 discount.

The 2010 Summer Teacher Workshop Programs include a variety of basic computing topics such as spreadsheets, presentations and Web page design, plus topics in robotics and storytelling using virtual worlds. Hands-on activities are designed to enhance the workshop experience, and educators will leave the workshop with skills and ideas to enhance their classroom experience. More

News and Announcements

Human Resources has received an ERS UPDATE express with important information regarding your SFA health insurance for the coming year. View ERS' article "Changes on the Horizon for State Employee and Retiree Health Benefits” to learn more. Please take a few minutes to read this important information.

ERS will be also be holding nine feedback sessions across the state to share the results from the recent survey and changes that the ERS Board of Trustees will consider at its May 25 board meeting. If you are unable to attend a session, you will be able to see the material on possible health insurance cost changes on the ERS Web site beginning Thursday, May 6.

Certified Online Instructor Commencement, hosted by the Office of Instructional Technology, will be from 1:45 to 3 p.m. Thursday, May 6, in the Wyatt Room of Steen Library. Please mark your calendars to attend this year’s commencement honoring faculty and staff who have completed requirements to become Certified Online Instructors. Guest speaker Dr. Jamie Weaver, School of Music, will share the importance of creating accessible online courses. Weaver will point out perspectives of instructors who develop and deliver online courses, as well as, students who access all of their course materials and engage in interaction online. For the first time, this commencement will be streamed live over the Internet. Please note, the link won’t be live until the day and time of the event. http://144.96.222.56/ramgen/broadcast/bb_comm.rv

The deadline for Service Learning Grant applications has been extended to 5 p.m. Friday, May 7. The Office of Student Affairs offers Service Learning Grants each semester to faculty and staff who are interested in implementing a service learning element to their class. Grants are limited to $500 or less, and approximately five to seven are awarded each semester, depending on available funding. Download an application now. For more information, contact Jamie Bouldin at jfbouldin@sfasu.edu or (936) 468-1088.

ITS/Networking Department and Columbia Regional Geospatial Service Center are hosting three Cyber Security Training Events which are funded by Department of Homeland Security and developed by the Center of Information Assurance and Security. The events are free, but registration is required by Tuesday, June 1. Visit www.sfasu.edu/itsecurity for more details. Essentials of Community Cyber Security: Tuesday, June 15, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Promoting Community Cyber Security: Wednesday, June 16, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Voice & Data Security: Tuesday, June 15, to Friday, June 18, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Applications for the 2010 Lumberjack Leadership Academy are online and ready for students! The Lumberjack Leadership Academy (LLA) is a year-long leadership development program that integrates service learning and leadership development strategies to assist students in developing the skills necessary to lead effectively. There is no cost to participate in this program. Applications for the 2010-2011 LLA will be available online and are due by Friday, May 14. Students must be nominated by a staff member to apply; no letter of recommendation is necessary, as we will contact the staff member by phone to discuss your candidacy for the program. Download the 2010-2011 LLA Application.

Download the
Fine Arts
May Calendar

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Visit the College of
Fine Arts Web site

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To purchase tickets,
please visit our
online ticket box office
or call (936) 468-6407

Friday, May 7

Free one-night screening of
"American Teen"
7 p.m. in the Ledbetter Gallery of The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House, 329 E. Main St.

Nanette Burstein’s touching and hilarious Sundance hit follows the lives of four teenagers—a jock, the popular girls, the artsy girl and the geek—through their senior year of high school in a small Indiana town. We see the insecurities, cliques, jealousies, first loves and heartbreaks, and the struggle to make profound decisions about the future. The film is rated PG-13.

Who Knew?

When the $1.5 billion Hubble Space Telescope's antenna was damaged during launching, NASA scientists on Earth relied on a model built from Tinkertoys and a lamp cord to figure out how to fix it.

While searching for a way to store hydrogen and other gases needed for his chemistry experiments, London professor Michael Faraday invented the first rubber balloon in 1824.

Excerpt from "I Never Knew That!"

SFA Today is published by the Office of Public Affairs Monday through Friday (except for holidays). Items must be received by noon prior to the day of desired inclusion. To submit items to SFA Today, use the online form or e-mail sfatoday@sfasu.edu. The announcement should apply to a significant number of faculty and/or staff members.