Stephen F. Austin State University

Carl J. Pfaffenberg, Ph.D.
Professor
cpfaff@sfasu.edu
(936)468-2130

Dr. Pfaffenberg received his MBA in International Marketing from Michigan State University in 1971. He spent the next 23 years in the hotel industry gaining experience in food and beverage, sales and marketing, general management, and multi-unit management. He accepted a position as a temporary faculty member at Central Missouri State University in their Hotel and Restaurant Management program in 1994. At the end of one year he decided that university teaching was an avenue worth pursuit.

The University of Tennessee accepted his candidacy for their Ph. D. program in Human Ecology. He was conferred in December of 1997. His dissertation was on marketing differences among patrons of Indian and riverboat casinos. His first year teaching was with the University of Hawaii, Manoa in their Travel Industry Management program. He rejoined the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in the Fall of 1998 in the Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism program.

He joined the faculty at Stephen F. Austin State University in 2004 for many reasons. His children (read grandchildren) are in Dallas and very close relatives live in the Houston area. Finally, the Shreveport area provides an outlet for follow-up research related to his dissertation. He was awarded tenure and promoted to Associate Professor in April of 2008.

Since moving to Nacogdoches, he has developed an additional research track related to the impact of alcohol consumption on post secondary students. He is also faculty advisor to the Driving Jacks, a safe ride program on campus.

Sheryl Wittenbach Ph.D

• Hospitality Administration

• Food service management
• Hospitality Administration
• Lodging
• Tourism

• Doctor of Philosophy, Kansas State University
• Master of Science, Texas Woman's University
• Bachelor of Science, Texas Tech University

Mrs. Chay Runnels
Instructor / Program Coordinator
runnelsc@sfasu.edu
(936)468-2060

Area of Specialization

• Travel and Tourism
• Meeting Planning
• Customer Service

Areas of Expertise

• Heritage Tourism Development
• Special Event Planning
• Tourism Marketing and Visitor Evaluation
• Customer Service in the Hospitality Industries

Mrs. Runnels is completing her Ph. D in Resource Interpretation in the Arthur Temple College of Forestry of Agriculture at Stephen F. Austin State University.

She holds a Bachelor's degree in American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin, a Master Science in Architectural Studies degree in Historic Preservation from the University of Texas at Austin, and is a certified Texas Friendly Program Trainer through the Texas AgriLife Extension.

Mrs. Runnels is an active member in the Texas Travel and Tourism Industry Association and works with tourism related organizations to assist in training employees for customer service around the state. Mrs. Runnels has presented at state and national conferences regarding heritage tourism and historic preservation.

Before coming to Stephen F. Austin, she served for five years as the Texas Forest Trail Regional Coordinator. During her tenure with the Texas Forest Trail, the organization was awarded the President’s Preserve America Award for Heritage Tourism.