Acclaimed actor and Texas native Dennis Quaid will bring star power and policy insight to Stephen F. Austin State University this spring as the speaker for the fifth installment of the Nelson Rusche Distinguished Lecture Series. Best known for iconic film roles in “The Rookie,” “The Parent Trap” 1998 remake and “A Dog’s Purpose,” Quaid will speak at 7:30 p.m. April 9, 2026, in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Grand Ballroom.
NACOGDOCHES, Texas –– Acclaimed actor and Texas native Dennis Quaid will bring star power and business policy insight to Stephen F. Austin State University this spring as the speaker for the fifth installment of the Nelson Rusche Distinguished Lecture Series. Best known for iconic film roles in “The Rookie,” “The Parent Trap” 1998 remake and “A Dog’s Purpose,” Quaid will speak at 7:30 p.m. April 9, 2026, in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Grand Ballroom.
Quaid will discuss his advocacy for Texas film and television industry incentives, offering firsthand insights into the intersection of entertainment and economic development. As part of the “
True to Texas: Let’s Bring Productions Home” campaign, Quaid joined fellow Texas stars Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Billy Bob Thornton and Renée Zellweger in championing Senate Bill 22 during the 89th Texas Legislature in spring 2025. The landmark bill, which took effect Sept. 1, dramatically increased funding for the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program, allocating $300 million every two years to attract major film and television productions to the Lone Star State.
“The film and television business generates significant revenue, and thanks to SB 22, Texas has a real opportunity to become the next Hollywood,” said Dr. Jason Reese, interim dean of SFA’s Nelson Rusche College of Business. “Dennis Quaid is the perfect Texan to discuss how our students can build successful careers in entrepreneurship, business and leadership in the film industry right here in East Texas.”
The bill also provides additional incentives to projects that partner with higher education institutions. This will be particularly important as SFA launches the
LED volume production studio in its new entrepreneurship building. Featuring technology to create realistic and immersive virtual environments for film, television and video production, the studio will be available for collaborative projects and entrepreneurial ventures across SFA’s areas of study as well as East Texas communities.
“SFA’s new LED volume studio will be a game-changer for East Texas, opening the door to cutting-edge virtual production capabilities that were once only available in major film hubs,” Reese said. “This facility will not only enhance hands-on learning across disciplines — from media and STEM to agriculture and aviation — but also create new opportunities for local businesses, entrepreneurs and creatives to collaborate, innovate and attract film and television projects to our region.”
Established in 2016 to honor the legacy of A. Nelson Rusche, who gifted $5 million to the Rusche College of Business, the Nelson Rusche Distinguished Lecture Series brings high-profile figures to SFA to inspire and inform. Past speakers include Candace Nelson, guest Shark for ABC’s “Shark Tank” and founder of Sprinkles Cupcakes and Pizzana, in 2024; Daymond John, “Shark Tank” star and FUBU founder, in 2021; Tony Hawk, skateboarding champ, in 2019; and Jeb Bush, former Florida governor and presidential candidate, in 2016.
Free tickets for the event will be available starting Jan. 2 at the Charles Bright Visitor Center downtown, and on campus at the Baker Pattillo Student Center Information Desk and the McGee Business Building, Room 137.
