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A new partnership between Stephen F. Austin State University and the Lone Star College System will enable eligible students to enroll in SFA’s Bachelor of Science in spatial science program upon receiving an Associate of Applied Science in geographic information systems.
“Lone Star College has a strong Associate of Applied Science program in geographic information systems,” said Dr. Hans Williams, dean of SFA’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture. “After completing the degree at Lone Star, students can seamlessly transfer to SFA’s Bachelor of Science in spatial science program, further enhancing their technical and professional skills that lead to rewarding careers in geospatial analysis across many disciplines.”
LSC is the largest higher education institution in the Houston area and offers more than 170 programs of study.
SFA’s spatial science program offers two areas of specialization for those who plan to participate in the collaborative program — natural resources and land surveying. A third emphasis area, cultural resources, also will be available at a future date.
According to information provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistic, faster-than-average growth in the occupational group representing key spatial science careers will take place during the next decade.
“We are excited about this SFA partnership, which provides an opportunity for students to further their studies in preparation for specialized careers as foresters and surveying and mapping technicians, to name a few,” said Dr. Kelly Gernhart, dean of arts, humanities and social sciences at the Lone Star CyFair campus.
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 The Oklahoma State Park system encompasses diverse landscapes ranging from subterranean caverns to rolling mountains. However, of the more than 55,000 acres that comprise the state park system, some of the most spectacular, scenic vistas are not accessible to those with health or mobility limitations.
Stephen F. Austin State University graduate student Kyle Thoreson is hoping to remedy this utilizing the rapidly evolving technology of virtual reality.
Thoreson, pursuing a Master of Science in resource communications at SFA, serves as a park ranger at Osage Hills State Park, located within the Osage Nation Reservation in northeastern Oklahoma.
When contemplating topics for his final nonthesis project, Thoreson said he researched the growing popularity of 360 videos and how this technology can be utilized to share Oklahoma’s state parks with everyone.
“For example, to get to the best vantage point of the falls at Natural Falls State Park, you have to go down to the very bottom so you’re looking up at the falls,” Thoreson said. “We have sort of a skyway that goes out and gives you a view from part of the way down, but it’s just not the same as being below the falls.”
By capturing 360 video and audio from this position, Thoreson said people unable to make the hike down will still have the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the experience of the 77-foot waterfall.
Thoreson presented his idea to regional managers within the Oklahoma State Park system, and he is currently collecting 360 video at select parks.
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 The Stephen F. Austin State University student chapter of the Wildlife Society defeated universities from across the state to claim victory during the Quiz Bowl held during the Wildlife Society meeting in Montgomery.
“This statewide meeting provides the largest stage on which our students can showcase their knowledge,” said Dr. Daniel Scognamillo, SFA associate professor of wildlife and faculty advisor for the student chapter of the Wildlife Society. “The students seized the opportunity and put their chapter and the SFA forest wildlife management program in the spotlight by winning the Quiz Bowl.”
The Quiz Bowl is a friendly competition challenging participants representing student chapters from across the state with rounds of questions related to the broad range of wildlife biology, management and research.
“This win is a huge success for the chapter,” said Jake Hill, freshman forest wildlife management major. “We’re excited about preparing for next year and carrying on the winning tradition.”
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Stephen F. Austin State University’s spatial science program now offers a third discipline specialization track, which allows students to explore the broad range of geospatial applications within the field of liberal and applied arts.
“Spatial technologies and spatial analysis can be applied in many fields as long as there is spatial data,” said Dr. I-Kuai Hung, Lacy Hunt professor of geographic information systems and remote sensing for SFA’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture.
Spatial science majors pursuing the new cultural resources track select a minor from SFA’s College of Liberal and Applied Arts, allowing them to incorporate their knowledge of spatial science technologies in fields such as anthropology, criminal justice, political science and geography.
The program also offers emphasis areas in natural resources and land surveying. Because the field of spatial science is rapidly growing and utilized in a broad range of disciplines, the college of forestry recognized the need to broaden the program’s scope.
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 Stephen F. Austin State University’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture will host a public ceremony on the SFA campus to officially crown the latest addition to the Texas Big Tree Registry.
The ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. Friday, March 1, at the SFA Arboretum gazebo, located at 2031 Wilson Drive.
The tree, a chalk maple, was submitted to the Texas A&M Forest Service for consideration by Greg Grant, Smith County extension agent and former horticulturalist for SFA Gardens. The agency manages the statewide Texas Big Tree Registry and is responsible for confirming trees worthy of inclusion on the registry.
“Being home to a state-champion tree is a unique honor, yet it seems fitting for a university with trees in its DNA,” said Dr. Steve Westbrook, interim university president. “I think all Lumberjacks would agree that SFA wouldn’t be the same in any setting other than our beautiful, wooded campus.”
The Texas Big Tree Registry recognizes the largest known tree of each species growing in the state. Currently, there are 274 state champion trees — 75 of which hold the title of national champion for their species.
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 Stephen F. Austin State University’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture has entered into a partnership with Beihua University, located in China’s Jilin Province, assuring further opportunities for international research and collaboration across the disciplines of environmental science, forestry and spatial science.
“The relationship will be mutually beneficial through study abroad opportunities, graduate student exchanges, faculty interactions and research collaborations,” said Dr. Hans Williams, dean of SFA’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture.
This is the second relationship established with an institution of higher education in Jilin Province. In 2018, the college signed a cooperative agreement with Jilin Provincial Academy of Forestry Sciences with similar goals of student exchange and the advancement of forest science. Although separate entities, Beihua University and the Jilin Provincial Academy of Forestry Sciences also engage in collaborative research.
Dr. Yuhui Weng, assistant professor of forest biometrics at SFA, facilitated the establishment of both partnerships through his ongoing research with the institutions.
Read more ...
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