Today @ APSU - University News

APSU Child Learning Center earns three stars from the state

boothcw — Fri, 25 May 2012 20:16:23 +0000

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The Austin Peay State University Child Learning Center has earned another accolade, receiving three stars in its yearly state assessment. That’s the highest score a licensed child care facility can earn.

The CLC, located in the Sexton Building on Eighth Street, serves children from 2 ½ to 5 years of age. It also offers evening care to children up to 12 years of age for APSU students attending night classes.

Officials with the state judged the center in seven categories, including director qualifications, professional development, developmental learning, parent/family involvement, ratio and group size, staff compensation and program assessment. The CLC earned three stars in all seven categories.

Earlier this year, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam also designated the CLC as a Gold Sneaker Facility. The state’s Gold Sneaker Initiative was developed to enhance policies related to health and wellness within licensed child care facilities across Tennessee. The main criteria for the award include providing healthy food options, physical activities and keeping children away from tobacco smoke.

“We want to make sure children aren’t obese.” Connie Sanders, director of CLC, said earlier this year. “We’re also fighting children’s diabetes and lung disease.”

For more information on the center or its three-star designation, contact Sanders at 221-6234.

APSU's Degree Compass internationally recognized

shembergerm — Thu, 24 May 2012 14:01:36 +0000

APSU’s innovation for student success, Degree Compass (interface seen on a smartphone), won a bronze distinction recently from the IMS Global Learning Consortium in Toronto, Canada, during its worldwide annual competition. APSU was the only American institution to receive an award at the conference. (Photo illustration by Beth Liggett, APSU photographer)

Austin Peay State University is harnessing “the Netflix effect” to new heights.

More than a year ago, APSU launched Degree Compass, a course recommendation system to help students stay on track toward graduation by. It was dubbed “the Netflix effect” because it provides students with personalized recommendations based on their academic transcript, similar to the way Netflix makes movie suggestions to customers.

The effort quickly garnered statewide and national attention, becoming the centerpiece last summer for a $1 million Complete College America grant awarded to Tennessee with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Degree Compass also was featured by Educause in a new e-book, titled “Game Changers,” released this month about how colleges and universities are finding innovative ways to reach more learners effectively and with greater impact.

Now, Degree Compass is internationally known.

On May 18, APSU received a Learning Impact 2012 bronze award from the IMS Global Learning Consortium in Toronto, Canada, during its worldwide annual competition.

APSU was among 26 finalists invited from around the world to participate in the exhibit. Nominated by Sungard Higher Education, APSU was the only American university to receive an award designation at the conference.

Learning Impact is an annual awards program and conference that focuses on improving the impact of technology in helping to address significant educational challenges. The awards are unique in that they recognize the use of technology in context. Nominations include not only the technology, but also the results achieved by an educational institution to improve learning.

There were two categories of awards, one for established technology projects and the other for research and development projects. Degree Compass is an established project developed by Dr. Tristan Denley, provost and vice president of academic affairs at APSU.

The success and popularity of Degree Compass continue to grow. It is being implemented this summer at the University of Memphis, Nashville State Community College and Volunteer State Community College as part of the $1 million grant.

Degree Compass is only part of an institution-wide commitment to student success at APSU. Modeled on two successful Tennessee Completion Academies that were based on Complete College America's national academies, APSU recently held the first College Completion Academy on a university campus. The event brought noted experts in higher education to campus to work with more than 100 faculty and staff who focused on the next ideas to impact student success at APSU.

For more information, call the APSU Office of Academic Affairs, 931-221-7676. - Dr. Melony Shemberger

APSU Public Relations wins 5 awards at 2012 TCPRA

shembergerm — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:55:28 +0000

The Office of Public Relations and Marketing at Austin Peay State University won five awards during the Tennessee College Public Relations Association spring conference and awards contest held May 17-18 at Middle Tennessee State University.

TCPRA – an alliance of communicators across the state representing public and private colleges and universities, technical schools, technology centers and community colleges – awarded gold, silver and bronze distinctions in various writing, design, publication and photography categories. More than 150 entries were received for the contest period between April 1, 2011, and March 31, 2012.

The University’s PR office captured the following awards:

Silver in the College/Alumni Magazine – Printed category for the Fall 2011 issue of Austin Peay alumni magazine.

Silver, Video Advertisement/PSA Series category for the “Opportunities” campaign.

Bronze, Postcard/Invitation category for Candlelight Ball invitations.

Bronze, Specialty Item category for the University’s military coin.

Bronze, Photography category for photos associated with an alumni magazine story, titled “The Mabry Legacy.”

Those attending the conference were Bill Persinger, executive director of Public Relations and Marketing; Dr. Melony Shemberger, assistant director of communication; Michele Tyndall, manager of printing services and projects; and Charles Booth, staff writer.

Original William Stafford poem discovered in APSU library

boothcw — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:22:59 +0000

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – On a Wednesday morning in April, Kentucky journalist and author Carol Niswonger was busy combing through the archives at Austin Peay State University’s Woodward Library, conducting research for her new book on Land Between The Lakes, when she discovered something a bit unusual. Tucked away in a thin, manila folder was a short, hand-written poem titled “The Land Between the Rivers.”

“When I started to read it, I said, ‘that’s it perfectly,’” Niswonger said. “The poem, it epitomized the feelings of that area. It had such an emotional attachment to the land and the surroundings. I thought the poet was someone who lived there.”

But Niswonger didn’t recognize the name signed at the bottom of the poem. Maybe it wasn’t by a local poet, she thought. So one afternoon, she decided to Google the name, “William Stafford.” That’s when she realized she might have discovered an original copy of a poem by one of the 20^th century’s great American poets.

“There it was – William Stafford, poet extraordinaire,” she said. “It just can’t be him, I thought. It didn’t have written down there, ‘I am a famous poet.’”

Stafford, who died in 1993, was the 20^th Poet Laureate of the United States and the author of 62 books of poetry. A non-profit organization, The Friends of William Stafford, maintains an extensive archive of the poet’s works and personal journals. Niwonger emailed the Oregon-based group a scanned copy of the poem, and Dennis Schmidling, the organization’s board chair, authenticated the handwriting as belonging to Stafford. The poem was also confirmed as being one of Stafford’s, published in the journal Plainsong, and in his collection, “An Oregon Message.”

“I was awe struck,” Scott Shumate, APSU digital services assistant, said. “It’s probably the biggest thing we’ve found. There’s so much here. The only time I get to look at a lot of it is when someone comes in to do research.”

Shumate works in the APSU archives room, which is tucked into a small office on the library’s second floor. Inside that room, file cabinets compete for space with crowded shelves of rare books, old newspapers and Austin Peay yearbooks dating back to the 1940s.

“I’ve had some fun surprises on the things I’ve found, but this takes the cake for sure,” Shumate said.

The poem was discovered among the papers of Dr. Joseph Henry, a former APSU professor who conducted extensive research on the Land Between The Lakes area. How exactly Stafford’s poem found its way into that collection is a bit of a mystery. What is known is that the poet visited APSU numerous times during the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. And the handwritten poem was on the back of a poster, advertising a reading by Stafford on March 27, 1981, at the APSU Wesley Foundation.

“We learned that he would leave behind as a thank you a poem, usually about the area, to the people who were putting him up,” Shumate said. “He signed this one, ‘March 26,’so he must have written it the night before the reading. He probably stayed somewhere here in town, and left this poster with the poem on the back.”

Dr. David Till, poet and emeritus professor of English at APSU, said Stafford had a close relationship with the University, and he usually delivered his readings to packed auditoriums of students and community members.

“He was early on one of the poets we brought to Austin Peay when Malcolm Glass and I started the visiting writers series,” Till said. “We liked him so well, and he liked us so well, we brought him back in the ‘70s, ‘80s and early ‘90s. He was not just a good poet, he was a great moral force.”

The “gift” Stafford left APSU after that 1981 reading is a powerful, three-stanza poem in which the narrator mourns the flooding of his land to create the LBL natural area. The second stanza of the work begins, “Here’s where the house would be if I/had a son, if we owned the land, if the lake/hadn’t come.”

Now that the poem has been authenticated, Shumate said the library’s first priority is to preserve it.

“It had been folded all these years, so we’re going to try and flatten out that fold,” he said. “We’re also going to take care of things to make sure it doesn’t deteriorate over time. We’d like to show it off, but we want to make sure it’s properly preserved at first.”

For more information on the poem, contact Shumate at shumates@apsu.edu.

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Photo cutline: An original, handwritten poem, “The Land Between the Rivers,” by the late poet William Stafford was recently discovered in the APSU Woodward Library. (Photo by Beth Liggett/APSU staff)

Austin Peay Center @ Fort Campbell offering M.A.T. for Fall I term

shembergerm — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:23:00 +0000

The Austin Peay Center @ Fort Campbell will offer courses for the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) degree for the Fall I term.

The M.A.T. provides opportunities for those who hold baccalaureate degrees to complete initial teacher licensure requirements and a master’s degree concurrently. The Fort Campbell Center program is available to individuals who wish to teach at the secondary level. Programs in elementary and special education are available at the downtown campus.

Eligibility requires an undergraduate major or the equivalent in the licensure field and admission to the APSU College of Graduate Studies with a grade-point average of 2.75 and completion of GRE requirements. The application for graduate school is available at http://www.apsu.edu/cogs. This degree program is not available to individuals who already hold a professional teaching license. However, anyone teaching on an alternative license in Tennessee may qualify for admission to the M.A.T. degree program.

The program is offered in a cohort format. The program consists of 10 courses with two courses offered each term for five terms. Coursework is provided in face-to-face and online formats. Field experiences in public schools are required as part of the required coursework. At the end of the program, participants must either complete student teaching or teach on an alternative license and pass all required licensure exams to earn their teaching license.

More information is available by contacting Dr. Barbara Peterson at 931-221-7696 or Dr. William Cox at 931-221-1412.

20 APSU faculty chosen as Summer Research Fellows

shembergerm — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:32:49 +0000

Twenty faculty members at Austin Peay State University have been chosen as awardees in the Summer Faculty Research Program (SRFP), an initiative to encourage the development of research/creative activity projects at the University. (Contributed photo)

Twenty faculty members at Austin Peay State University have been chosen as awardees in the 2012 Summer Faculty Research Program (SRFP), which encourages the development of research/creative activity projects at the University.

The SFRP awards up to $5,000 for selected proposals by tenured or tenure-track faculty to develop a research or creative activity project that should place them in a better position to seek external funding.

“By increasing the number of external grants, APSU will have more money to operate and reward faculty who continue engagement in scholarly activity,” said Dr. Dixie Dennis, associate provost of Grants and Sponsored Programs. “Specific to the teaching focus at APSU, results from research studies indicate that faculty who engage in research and creative activities are better teachers.”

Also hoped through the SFRP is that some of these faculty research and creative activity projects will involve undergraduate and graduate students.

“The benefit of more faculty being engaged in research attracts faculty to APSU who also enjoy being engaged in research,” Dennis said.

Faculty members selected as SRFP participants and the titles of their research are the following:

Foloshade Agusto, College of Science and Mathematics, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, “Theoretical Assessment of the Impact of Socioeconomic Conditions on Tuberculosis Transmission.”

Ayman Alzaatreh, College of Science and Mathematics, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, “Generalized Cauchy Distribution and Its Applications.”

Chris Burawa, College of Arts and Letters, Department of Art, “Democracy and Arts.”

Mercy Cannon, College of Arts and Letters, Department of Languages and Literature, “Civilization and Scandal: Takin’ Tea in the Early Eighteenth Century.”

Paul Collins, College of Arts and Letters, Department of Art, “Exhibition Development Through the Independent Curators International Curatorial Intensive Program.”

C.M. Gienger, College of Science and Mathematics, Department of Biology, “Thermal and Metabolic Responses to Climate Change in Vertebrate Ectotherms.”

Tatsushi Hirono, College of Behavioral and Health Sciences, Department of Social Work, “The Role of Religious Leaders in Natural Disaster Relief: A Comparative Analysis Between the Clergy of American Christian Churches and Japanese Buddhist Temples.”

Alex King, College of Science and Mathematics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, “Tomagraphic Image Reconstruction Using Random Polygons.”

Andriy Kovalskyy, College of Science and Mathematics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, “Structure and Photoinduced Effects in Spin-Coated Chalcogenide Glass Thin Films.”

Leong Lee, College of Science and Mathematics, Department of Computer Science and Information Technology, “Protein Secondary Structure Prediction Using BLAST and Exhaustive RT-RICO.”

Suta Lee, College of Arts and Letters, Department of Art, “Peripheral Vision.”

Sergei Markov, College of Science and Mathematics, Department of Biology, “The Novel Photobioreactor for Efficient Biodiesel Generation and CO2 Mitigation by Algae.”

Rodney Mills, College of Science and Mathematics, Department of Agriculture, “Development of a Sustainable Beef Cattle Production System.”

Kristofer Ray, College of Arts and Letters, Department of History and Philosophy, “Before the Volunteer State: New Thoughts on Early Tennessee History.”

Billy Renkl, College of Arts and Letters, Department of Art, “Approaching Thoreau, as He Returns From a Walk.”

Jordy Rocheleau, College of Arts and Letters, Department of History and Philosophy, “Justifying War in the 21^st Century: Principle and Pragmatics.”

Ann Silverberg, College of Arts and Letters, Department of Music, “The Guzheng in Contemporary China.”

Lindsay Szramek, College of Science and Mathematics, Department of Geosciences, “3-D and 2-D Vesicle Texture Ananysis of Mafic Pumice from the 1999 sub-Plinian Eruption of Shishaldin Volcano, Alaska.”

Antonio Thompson, College of Arts and Letters, Department of History and Philosophy, “Axis Prisoners of War Held in the United States and the Interpretations and Implications of the Geneva Convention.”

Jason Verber, College of Arts and Letters, Department of History and Philosophy, “Germans in the (Post)-Colonial World After 1945.”

The awardees will showcase their work to the community and University during the 2012-13 Provost Lecture Series, beginning this fall on campus.

For more information about APSU’s Summer Faculty Research Program, call Dr. Dixie Dennis at 931-221-7415 or email her at dennisdi@apsu.edu. - Dr. Melony Shemberger

APSU's Degree Compass noted as case study in new e-book

shembergerm — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:06:44 +0000

Austin Peay State University is featured in a new e-book about how colleges and universities are finding innovative ways to reach more learners effectively and with greater impact.

The e-book, titled “Game Changers: Education and Information Technologies,” includes a case study about Degree Compass, which was launched at APSU by Dr. Tristan Denley, provost and vice president of academic affairs.

“Game Changers,” published by Educause, is a collection of chapters and case studies contributed by college and university presidents, provosts, faculty and other stakeholders.

Under Denley’s leadership, APSU in 2011 created Degree Compass, a course recommendation tool provides each student with personalized recommendations based on their academic transcript. Since its debut this past spring at APSU, the tool has gained national attention in higher education circles because of its abilities to help students stay on track to graduation.

Degree Compass also was a centerpiece for a $1 million grant Tennessee received in late July 2011 from the Complete College America fund with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. APSU received half of the $1 million grant, which Denley is using to refine the innovation. He also is working with the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to develop the system so that it can be deployed statewide to help boost the state’s higher education graduation rates among community colleges and four-year institutions. -- Dr. Melony Shemberger

Chi Omega chapter donates painting to APSU in honor of 40 years on campus

boothcw — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:22:17 +0000

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – A new painting will soon hang in Harned Hall, on the Austin Peay State University campus. The artwork – a watercolor of the University’s quadrangle – was recently donated to the school by the artist, Lynne Waters Griffey, in recognition of the 40^th anniversary of the Sigma Kappa chapter of the Chi Omega Women’s Fraternity at APSU.

The print will hang with a plaque, acknowledging it as a gift from the chapter to the University.

“Isn’t this great,” Dr. Minoa Uffelman, APSU associate professor of history, said as she presented the artwork to APSU President Tim Hall. Uffelman joined the sorority in 1974.

“This is wonderful,” Hall said.

On April 28, the chapter hosted a brunch at First Baptist Church for all current members and alumnae to celebrate the anniversary. Griffey, a charter member, served as the chair, and she said more than 250 women attended the event.

Of the original 18 charter members, those who attended the reunion were Priscilla Garrett Story, Emma Gray Langford, Karen Smith Stine, Harriett Chester Blake, Wendy Dabbs Blake, Judy Anderson Donnelly, JoAnn Dick Davidson and Judith Hurst Sinks.

Attendees all received a print of a watercolor painting by Griffey. The original framed painting was auctioned off to begin a fund in memory of Sandra Stuard Hewlitt, a charter member who died in an accident a few years ago. Her daughter Leslie is also a legacy. The purpose of the fund is to help active members who are struggling financially.

“Philanthropy has always been important to Chi O and how fitting to remember a charter member by helping actives financially,” Griffey said.

In May 1972, the Sigma Tao Omega sorority was granted an official charter from Chi Omega, becoming the first national sorority on APSU’s campus. Since then, APSU’s Chi Omega chapter has raised nearly $50,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and has donated thousands of volunteer hours to local charities and organizations.

In the last four decades, nearly 800 college women have been initiated into the Sigma Kappa chapter of Chi Omega, and many have gone on to serve as local community leaders.

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Photo cutline: APSU associate professor of history Dr. Minoa Uffelman presents APSU President Tim Hall with a watercolor painting by local artist Lynne Waters Griffey, in recognition of the 40^th anniversary of the Sigma Kappa chapter of the Chi Omega Women’s Fraternity at APSU. (Photo by Beth Liggett/APSU staff).

APSU languages and literature department awards scholarships to top students

boothcw — Thu, 10 May 2012 13:46:32 +0000

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Several Austin Peay State University Department of Languages and Literature students were rewarded for their hard work recently when the department presented them with scholarships totaling more than $7,000 for the coming year.

Every spring, the languages and literature department awards the scholarships generously endowed by community members and alumni. Each scholarship has specific criteria for eligibility, set up by the individual who created the scholarship, and a committee within the department then combs through lists of students who meet those requirements.

The recipients of this year’s APSU languages and literature scholarships are

• Emily Pitts – The Pace Scholarship Honoring Charles Waters

• Emily Pitts – The J.D. Lester Writing Award

• Erica Tucker – The Judge William O. Beach Endowed Scholarship Fund

• Jessica Bender – The Claiborne-Woodward Scholarship in Languages and Literature

• Brian O’Hair – The J.T. and Kathleen K. Oxford Scholarship in Spanish

• Eric Ezzell – the Edelweiss Club of Clarksville German Scholarship

The following students also received Creative Writing scholarships: Josh Alexander, Serena Clement, Emily Pitts, Toby Adams, Andrew Sanders, Brittany Giles, Chase Davenport, Sara Key and Olivia Ware.

The awards will benefit the students financially, but they will also add a prestigious line item to their resumes.

For more information on these scholarships or how to endow a departmental scholarship, contact the Office of University Advancement at 221-7127 or advancement@apsu.edu.

APSU military history alum earns prestigious fellowship with U.S. Customs and Border Protection

boothcw — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:37:10 +0000

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Last year, Maj. Paul Witkowski of the United States Army was stationed on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border, trying to keep enemy combatants and supplies from passing through the region. It was a tricky assignment, given the province’s mountainous terrain and the absence of a fence or other obstruction between the two countries.

Later this summer, he’ll take what he learned in that war zone to Washington, D.C., where he’ll spend a year with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency as part of an Interagency Exchange Program fellowship. But there’s another item on Witkowski’s resume, in addition to his experience in Afghanistan, which he believes helped him earn the distinguished assignment – the Master of Arts degree in military history he earned from Austin Peay State University.

“I did the security studies concentration at Austin Peay, and I think that was definitely a feather in my cap for the application,” he said.

The APSU M.A. in military history offers an optional certificate in security studies, which requires students to take six graduate courses that have current military applications, Dr. Dewey Browder, chair of the APSU Department of History and Philosophy, said. Those classes include “The Cold War I: 1945-1960,” “The Cold War II: 1960-1991,” “The Battle for God: Jihad, Herem and Other Theologies of War and Peace,” “The Military in Nontraditional Roles,” “Special Operations Perspectives” and “Unconventional Warfare in History.”

“Dr. (Christos) Frentzos had great classes on the cold war,” Witkowski said. “Also, the unconventional warfare class was geared toward terrorism and national security, with a historical perspective.”

Witkowski will draw on the knowledge he gained from these classes during the next year at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency.

“I’m very excited about it,” he said. “I’ll look at synchronizing their assets a little better. I’ll be headquartered out of Washington, D.C., but by trade I’m an infantry officer, so hopefully I’ll get out in the field.”

The Interagency Fellowship Program is open to exceptional Army captains and majors, with the intent of increasing collaboration and interoperability between the military and government agencies.

For more information on the APSU M.A. in military history, with an optional security studies certificate, contact the APSU Department of History and Philosophy at 221-7919.

APSU annual awards program honors student leaders, faculty, staff, organizations

shembergerm — Tue, 08 May 2012 15:30:08 +0000

The Office of Student Affairs at Austin Peay State University honored leadership and service by individual students, student organizations, faculty and staff at its Student Organization and Leader Awards Program on April 11.

The purpose of the program is to recognize students, student organizations, faculty and staff who have made significant contributions throughout the year both on and off campus, Director for Student Affairs Programs Tammy Bryant said.

“APSU student leaders and organizations have spent untold hours both on campus and in the community through their volunteerism, philanthropy, community service, educational programs and activities, social programs, and school pride and spirit while maintaining high academic standards,” Bryant said. “The contributions of faculty and staff are also an important part of this annual recognition event, and they directly contribute to the success and engagement of student leaders and organizations on campus and in the community at large.”

The program’s top individual honors included Mister Governor and Madam Governor, the Vice President’s Excellence in Leadership Award, and the Sorority Woman of the Year and Fraternity Man of the Year Awards.

Seniors Trenton Gaasch, of Peoria, Ill., and Catherine “Cady” Denton, of Newbern, Tenn., were named Mister and Madam Governor. The Mister Governor and Madam Governor Awards honor graduating students who have contributed to the University community through leadership, diversity and service and have participated in leadership roles on campus while maintaining high academic standards.

Kathryn White, of Pleasant View, Tenn., was awarded the Vice President’s Excellence in Leadership Award. This award recognizes an outstanding graduating student who has excelled scholastically, has a distinguished record of involvement on campus and has excelled in leadership.

Kelvin Rutledge, of Fort Campbell, Ky., and Cady Denton were named Fraternity Man of the Year and Sorority Woman of the Year in recognition of exceptional scholarship, involved and effective leadership, community service and honor to the Greek community. Denton is a member of Chi Omega Women’s Fraternity, and Rutledge is a member of Kappa Alpha Order.

Other students earning recognition for 2011-2012 included the following:

• Kelvin Rutledge, Meningall Governors Cup Senior Award

• Karalyn Black and Don McCasland, of Morristown, N.J., Governors Pride Senior Leadership Award
• Billie M. Myers, Charity Roberts, Trekenia Waters, of Birmingham, Ala., Valor Award

• Thomas Carvell, Adult Student Leader of the Year

• Jeff Evans, Robinson, Ill., Student Veteran of the Year

• Michael Rainier, Governors Rising Freshmen Leader

• Stephan Andrew Smith, Governors Rising Sophomore Leader

• Danielle Joslin, Bowling Green, Ky., Governors Rising Junior Leader

• Jamie Scott, Community Service Award

• Maranda Stokes, Petal, Miss., Governors Impact Award

• Bethany Smith, Governors Service Award

• Melissa Moore, Bartlett, Tenn., and Don McCasland, Volunteer of the Year Award

• Ashley Amos, Benton, Tenn., Civic Engagement Award

• Melissa Hughs, Distinguished Student Leader of the Year in Spiritual Development

• Kathryn White, Distinguished Student Leader of the Year in Peer Mentor and Education

• Dan B. Pak, Uijeongbu, South Korea, Distinguished Student Leader of the Year in Philanthropic/Community Service

• Chase Davenport, Humboldt, Tenn., Distinguished Student Leader of the Year in Celebration and Promotion of Diversity

• Cidnie Sydney-Brewington, Betty Joe Wallace Women’s Studies Activist Award

• Alejandro Herrera, St. Paul, Minn., Andrew L. “Drew” Simmons Intramural Leader of the Year

• Jessica Ryan, Newburgh, Ind., Athlete Leader of the Year – Lady Govs Softball

• Jonathan Clinard, Cleveland, Tenn., Athlete Leader of the Year – Govs Baseball

• Caitlin Nelms, Bolivar, Tenn., Office of Human Resources, and Robert Dawson, department of health and human performance, Student Employees of the Year

• Robin Sloan – Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society and Christopher Parchman - Pre-Professional Health Society, Student Organization Members of the Year

• Toby Adams, Silent Inspiration Award

• Benjamin Biesendorfer, Denver, Colo., Ashley Head, Myleah Gallagher, Dickson, and Taylor Renfroe, Buffalo, N.Y., Housing/Residence Life Program of the Year Award

• Lakesha Brisbane, Child Learning Center Parent Volunteer of the Year Award

• Chianne Smith and Derek Cooke, Lt. Torres Memorial Scholarship recipients, presented by Student Veterans Organization

Faculty and staff receiving honors for 2012 included the following:

• Student Organization Adviser of the Year, Dr. Minoa Uffelman, associate professor of history and adviser to Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society;

• Best New Student Organization Adviser, Dr. Karen Meisch, assistant professor of biology and adviser for the Pre-Professional Health Society;

• Exemplary Faculty Member of the Year, Dr. Antonio Thompson, assistant professor of history;

• Exemplary Staff Member of the Year, Debbie Shearon, College of Arts and Letters;

• Governors Impact Award, Dr. Dewey Browder, professor and chair, department of history and philosophy; and Marian Perron, Human Resources

Student organizations receiving honors for 2012 were the following:

• Gay-Straight Alliance, Student Organization of the Year

• Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, Greek Organization of the Year

• Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., Alpha Delta Pi Sorority, and Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, President’s Cup Award for Academic Excellence

• Alpha Sigma Alpha Sorority, Most Spirited Organization of the Year

• Pre-Professional Health Society, Rising Star Award

• Creative Writing Club, Governors Impact Award

• Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, Wyatt Award

• Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Outstanding Program of the Year Award, for Domestic Violence Awareness Campaign

• Chi Omega Women’s Fraternity, Outstanding Community Service Program Award, for Wings for Wishes to benefit Make a Wish Foundation

• Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, Outstanding Fundraiser of the Year Award, for Jump for St. Judes

• Student Veterans Organization, Thousand Points of Light Program Award, for USS Indianapolis Survivor Program

• Chi Omega Women’s Fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Co-Sponsored Program of the Year Award for Welcome Back Barbeque

Recognized for their service and contributions were Govs Programming Council:

Kara Black, president; Carla Mesarina, vice president; Christina Soto, public relations officer; Myleah Gallagher and Sarah Nagy, special events co-chairs; and DeAsia Jones, speakers and comedians chair.

The 2011-12 Student Government Association Executive Officers were recognized:

Trenton Gaasch, president; Catherine Denton, vice president; Jesse Brewer, secretary;

and Kathryn White, chief justice.The 2012-13 Student Government Association executive officers-elect received the oath of office from APSU President Tim Hall: Jesse Brewer, president; Michael Rainier, vice president; Kelsie Penick, secretary; Jawaun Rogers, chief justice.

The extraordinary efforts of the 2011-12 Volunteer Note Takers were also recognized. These volunteer students provide countless hours assisting fellow students with class work and contribute to their success. Ethan Adams, Whitney Albright, Zakia Alcantra, Emma Alexander, Laporsche Anderson, Kira Bailey, Charee Bailey, Tia Baliff , Jacinda Barbee, Susannah Barry, Andrea Blalock, Angelia Basso, Courtney Bennitt, John Borck, Melanie Borst, Nichole Bressner, Grace Briggs, Sara Brogdon, Donald Buhl-Brown, Tondrell Burrow, Rebeccah Bush, Samantha Cartwright, Derek Cateriniccho, Veneacia Chaney, Amanda Cochrane, India Coney, Emily Crowl, Shanna Davis, Natalie Deidiker, Kiersten Downing, Pamela Dudley, Cynthia Elder, Jennifer Evans, Glen Farris, Myleah Gallagher, Tausha Glasscock, David Grason, Alberta Gutierrez, Jecika Hafley, Emily Hallman, Joseph Harms, Carla Jean Harrigan, Dalene Hart, Ashley Head, Donyell Hess, Cassandra Hicks, Benjamin Howell, Katelyn Hudson, Melissa Hughs, Caitlyn Hull, Jessica Imler, Erresha Jackson, Alicia Jackson, Arreona Jackson, Jordan James, Brittany Jeffers, Shanai Jett, Mallory Johnson, Rebecca Kadau, Crystal Keepes, Natalie Kela, Yuri Kim, Erica LaCour, Steven Lafferty, Christene Lambert, Amanda Lester, Maria Lopes, Clara Lynch, Candi Madar, Erin Mahoney, Hannah Mann, Charisse Marsh, Isabel Martinez, MaQueba Massey, Donald McCasland, Joanne McCasland, James McCoin, Ashley McDonough, Brittany McElrath, Tyler Meadows, Mark Messmer, Jamie Mills, Woodrique Moering, Sara Moini, Melissa Moore, Amy Monson, Chiriga Moore, Jennifer Morrison, Joseph Newbern, Jaemee Norman, Raven Orr, Dan Pak, Christina Parker, Corina Picchiottino, Terri Pope, Christiana Powell, Savannah Powers, Ricky Daniel Pratt, Rachael Pritchard, Kaitlyn Roberts, Haley Scott, Lisa Sims, Oleah Smith, Allan Sorenson, Kelli Speta, Shelly Starkey, Nicole Stewart, Alexis Templin, L’Oreal Terry, Bryan Tidwell, Sydney Valencia, Paige Vankooten, Bobbi Wall, Elizabeth Willard, Abigail Wilt, Jennifer Witkowski, Brittany Wester, Carol Wolf, and Amanda Wood.

The APSU students selected to be included with the 2012 Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities were recognized with certificates. These included LaMonica R. Arnold, Lewisburg, Nancy J. Bandel, Jesse A. Brewer, Mayra M. De Caba, Catherine F. Denton, Rachel L. Donaldson, Dickson, LaStacia D. Evans, Martin, Tennessee, Trenton J. Gaasch, Ashley P. Harris, Aubrey A. Harris, Alejandro Herrera, Stephanie R. Jessie, Andrew D. Kerr, Johnson City, June D. Knight, Kathryn L. Mattingly, Kaitlin M. Neely, Caitlin E. Nelms, Dan B. Pak, Kaci E. Robertson, Dickson, Kelvin E. Rutledge, Jessica M. Ryan, Jamie A. Scott, Sarah C. Simpson, Christina N. Soto, Kristina M. Stonerock, Adrienne H. Welchance, and Kathryn H. White.

Presenters for the evening included, among several others, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs Dr. Tristan Denley, vice president of Student Affairs Dr. Sherryl Byrd, vice president of Finance and Administration Mitch Robinson, associate vice president of Student Affairs and Dean of Students Gregory Singleton, associate provost and dean of the college of Graduate Studies Dr. Dixie Dennis, and Katie Kennedy, Miss Austin Peay. Presiding as host over the evening’s events was Joe Mills, assistant vice president of Student Affairs and director of Housing/Residence Life and Dining Services.

For additional information, please contact Tammy Bryant, director of Student Affairs Programs, 931-221-7341.

Clarksville Chamber presents APSU's Winters with Distinguished Community Service Award

boothcw — Tue, 08 May 2012 14:05:10 +0000

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – One gets the impression that Dr. Tim Winters, Austin Peay State University classics professor, doesn’t sleep much. A dedicated teacher, he’s won most of the University’s major faculty awards, such as the Socrates Award for Excellence in Teaching and the APSU National Alumni Association Distinguished Professor Award. Add that to grading papers, writing scholarly articles, mentoring students and teaching study abroad courses in Greece every summer, and it leaves little time for what most of us know as rest.

But in his few off hours, Winters isn’t sitting at home watching television or catching up on his sleep. He’s out in the community, keeping local streets safe as a reserve officer for the Clarksville Police Department or visiting hospitals and nursing homes as an ordained deacon with the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. His dedication in this area rivals his academic career, and it led the Clarksville Area Chamber of Commerce to present him recently with the 2012 Distinguished Community Service Award. The award is presented every spring to an APSU faculty member who demonstrates exemplary service to his or her community. Dr. Minoa Uffelman, APSU associate professor of history, nominated Winters for the award.

“Dr. Winters is a selfless individual who always seeks to improve the lives of those around him, whether those individuals are students or members of the local community,” Dr. Mickey Wadia, APSU professor of languages and literature, wrote in a memo supporting Uffelman’s nomination.

The memo went on for two pages listing Winters’ service to the community, such as going on four of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church’s medical missions to Haiti, helping to organize a telethon for that country after it was devastated by an earthquake in 2010, playing drums in a band that volunteers at benefit concerts for organizations such as Special Olympics and the Humane Society, helping rebuild the home of a local police officer’s widow for the ABC television show “Extreme Makeover” and working to preserve and restore the Nashville Parthenon at Centennial Park.

“He is a constant and positive force in the Clarksville community,” APSU President Tim Hall wrote in a letter to Steve Kemmer, chairman of the Clarksville Area Chamber of Commerce. Kemmer agreed, and on April 24, during the APSU Academic Honors and Awards Day Ceremony, he presented Winters with the community service award.

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APSU to offer evening child care for certain fall courses

shembergerm — Tue, 08 May 2012 13:31:08 +0000

Beginning this fall, Austin Peay State University will offer child care to students who enroll in select evening courses, enabling them to stay on track toward graduation.

“We have heard some students tell us that not having child care is a barrier or challenge that prevents them as parents to take evening classes,” Dr. Tristan Denley, provost and vice president of academic affairs, said.

By bundling core courses with evening child care at the APSU Child Learning Center on Eighth Street, APSU is providing more opportunities to help students complete their college education.

“The Child Learning Center is excited to be part of a new and much needed program to help student parents reach their goals,” said Connie Sanders, director of the center. “Our goal is to deliver quality care to children, so their parents can concentrate on their studies.”

Denley said not all students who are also parents can take classes during the day because of their jobs or family commitments.

“Many want to take classes in the evening, and now, we have a way that they can take their core classes and have child care services available while they do,” he said.

Registration for courses in the Fall 2012 semester is under way. When students enroll in certain core evening courses, an email will be sent to their APSU email account, informing them about the opportunity to sign up for child care.

The Child Learning Center, a top Gold Sneaker program in Tennessee, will be open for evening care from 4:30-9:30 p.m., Monday-Thursday. The center serves children ages 2½-12 years old. The center also is open during the day from 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Momday-Friday.

APSU will have a full range of onsite core course offerings in the evenings, allowing students to complete their first two years of college work, Denley said.

“We don’t believe any other university in the Tennessee Board of Regents is doing this,” he said.

Joe Mills, assistant vice president of Student Affairs and director of APSU Housing, said the addition of evening child care demonstrates the need for academics and student support services to work together.

“This is a great example of a collaboration of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs working together to reduce any barriers for student success,” he said.

For more information about the new child care services this fall, visit the Child Learning Center online at http://www.apsu.edu/clc or in person between 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday. - Dr. Melony Shemberger

APSU Governors annual Bass Tournament is May 12

shembergerm — Tue, 08 May 2012 13:27:12 +0000

The 18^th annual Austin Peay State University Governors Bass Tournament will be Saturday, May 12 at the Kentucky Lake at Paris Landing State Park.

The tournament will begin at 6 a.m. Boats will take off in order of postmark of entry.

Preregistrations continue to be accepted for the two-person buddy tournament, which will award cash prizes. The entry fee is $110 per two-person boat until noon, Friday, May 11. After that date, the registration fee will be $125.

The annual event benefits APSU Athletics.

For more information, call the APSU Governors Bass Tournament hotline, 931-221-7024 or 931-221-7127. If after hours, call 931-624-2909 or 931-436-1044. - Dr. Melony Shemberger

APSU psychology student to conduct neuroscience research at Vanderbilt this summer

boothcw — Mon, 07 May 2012 13:51:32 +0000

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – On a recent afternoon, Austin Peay State University psychology student Caitlin Nelms was in the library, checking her email, when she noticed a message sitting in her junk mail folder. It had been there a few days.

When she clicked on it, the message informed her that she was the sole recipient of a prestigious summer internship offered through the Middle Tennessee Chapter of the Society of Neuroscience’s and Vanderbilt University’s Summer Science Academy.

“I was in the library, so I was trying not to be loud, but I was really excited,” Nelms said.

The internship, known as the Summer Enrichment Research Program in Education and Neuroscience Training (SERPENT), will send Nelms to Vanderbilt for two months where she’ll work under a faculty mentor conducting groundbreaking neuroscience research. It’s a good fit for the APSU junior who, over the last year, has developed a fascination with that field.

“What really spiked my interest was learning about vision and auditory processing, that type thing, but I didn’t want to go into the medical side of it,” she said. “I wanted to do something different.”

Through neuroscience research, she’ll be able to investigate how individuals are consciously aware of what they’re seeing and what they’re hearing, and how they perceive those sensory responses.

“The researchers (at Vanderbilt) use different brain imaging techniques, so they see all the different connections,” she said. “They’re researching with animals and humans, with all different types of technology that we don’t have at Austin Peay. It’s very exciting.”

Nelms already has a bit of experience as a researcher in this field. For the last year, she has worked with Dr. Larry Lowrance, APSU professor of education, and Dr. Jeannine Hirtle, APSU associate professor of education, looking at the relationship of social media use to TCAP writing scores, English grades, school attendance and discipline referrals among high school juniors and seniors. Her contributions to this study have more than impressed Lowrance.

“Ms. Nelms is more than brilliant,” he said. “She has a mind that grasps concepts intuitively, studies them intensely and is flexible enough to change as new facts and circumstances come her way. She is creative in thought and practice and insightful like few others.”

His statements might sound exaggerated until you take a look at Nelms’s resume. She was the valedictorian of Bolivar Central High School in Bolivar, Tenn., is a member of the APSU President’s Emerging Leaders Program and its honors program, serves as vice president of the Chi Omega women’s fraternity and is a member of numerous honor societies, including Gamma Beta Phi community service honor society, the Psi Chi psychology honor society and Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and largest collegiate honor society.

Nelms will receive a stipend for her work this summer, and she is required to give a presentation on her research at Vanderbilt and APSU and create a pamphlet for fifth- and sixth-graders describing what she did. She will also add the experience to her growing resume, which will come in handy this fall when she begins applying for graduate programs.

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APSU students earn honorable mention at international math competition

boothcw — Thu, 03 May 2012 20:09:14 +0000

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Of the 3,697 teams that participated in the 28^th annual international Mathematical Contest in Modeling this February, only 9 percent came from colleges and universities in the United States. They represented schools a person might expect to see in such a contest, such as MIT and Virginia Tech.

But when the results of the competition were announced recently, an unexpected name appeared on the list of “Honorable Mention” recipients – Austin Peay State University.

The APSU Mathematical Modeling team, made up of students James York-Winegar, Mason Yost and Michael Walker, was honored with the distinction because of the solution the team submitted online to the contest’s complex modeling problem. Dr. Ramanjit Sahi, associate professor of mathematics at APSU, served as the sponsor and coach for the students.

The competition, which is open to teams of up to three undergraduate or high school students, is hosted every year by the Consortium for Mathematics and Its Applications, an award-winning non-profit organization whose mission is to improve mathematics education for students of all ages. Since 1980, COMAP has worked with teachers, students and business people to create learning environments where mathematics is used to investigate and model real issues in our world.

The problem the APSU team worked on for this year’s contest sounded deceptively simple at first. It asked, “How many more boat trips could be added to the Big Long River’s rafting season?” The team was given a plethora of information, such as the length of the river, how fast different rafts travel and how much contact park officials want boaters to have with each other.

The answer calculated by the APSU students led to them being recognized among teams from the most distinguished academic institutions in the world. For more information on the team, contact Dr. Sahi at sahir@apsu.edu.

APSU students spend week in London with new study abroad program

boothcw — Thu, 03 May 2012 13:30:15 +0000

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – When Travis Tanner, an Austin Peay State University freshman, read “Oliver Twist” for his world literature class earlier this semester, he had a little trouble visualizing the young orphan’s journey through London.

Part of the problem was that Tanner, a physics major, had never visited Europe. In fact, his only experience with international travel occurred a few years ago on a road trip to Canada. So the drab, Georgian-style buildings of Victorian England were a bit hard to imagine.

To remedy this problem, Tanner and his classmates boarded a plane earlier this spring and flew to London to see first-hand the settings they were reading about in class.

“‘Oliver Twist’ is very London-based, there’s a lot of moving about,” he said. “Being in London, it kind of gives you some perspective on where these things are happening, what’s going on.”

The trip was part of an innovative new study abroad program offered by APSU’s Office of International Education, taking students in Dr. Daniel Shea’s world literature class and Dr. Jennifer Snyder’s art appreciation class to London for only a week during the spring break holiday.

“This study-abroad model provides an affordable and convenient introduction to study abroad and exchange opportunities,” Tina Rousselot de St. Ceran, coordinator of international education at APSU, said. “Many of the student participants returned from the trip and immediately began working on applications for their next study abroad or exchange program.”

The two courses offering this imbedded travel component were typical, three-credit-hour classes that met twice a week on campus. The world literature students spent the semester reading works such as “The Canterbury Tales” and “Mrs. Dalloway,” while the art appreciation students studied paintings by Raphael and other noted artists on display in London museums.

“We did a lot of prep work,” Shea, an APSU associate professor of English, said about his World Literature class. “Before we left, we did a lot of mapping of our character’s journeys through London.”

Shea’s students went everywhere from Bath, a site important to “The Canterbury Tales,” to the building Charles Dickens lived in while he wrote “Oliver Twist.” Shea also took his students to places mentioned in Virginia Woolf’s “Mrs. Dalloway,” a book they didn’t read until they returned from the spring break trip.

“Now that they’ve been there, as they’re reading more literature based in London, they’re able to picture things much more vividly,” Shea said. “As we’ve been reading ‘Mrs. Dalloway,’ I’ve had them pick one character and plot on a map that character’s course through London. And I ask them, ‘what did we learn about the characters from where they went in London?’”

Snyder, an assistant professor of art at APSU, took her art appreciation students to the major galleries in London, such as such as the Tate Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. They also made a day trip to Stonehenge.

“The students were all well behaved and enthusiastic,” she said. “To do it again, I would spend more time in the British Museum. Everyone seemed disappointed in not seeing everything in the museum. We watched a video on it before we left, showing highlights of it. Several took notes and were able to see what they wanted to see.”

What was truly unique about the program was that many of the participants were either freshmen or sophomores, or nontraditional students with children at home. That meant several of them didn’t have either the experience or the time to take a long study abroad trip.

“It was compact, but I think it was the right length for our students, whether they had family or work obligations and needed to get back for that reason, or because it was their first time abroad,” Shea said. “For all of my students, it was their first time abroad. For more than one, it was their first time on an airplane. We’re really opening doors.”

The program cost was also low due to the short amount of time spent abroad, and students were able to use financial aid and apply for a Global Learning travel grant to cover 25 percent of the program cost.

“I always wanted to travel abroad, and this was really the most affordable way to go,” Tanner said.

“Due to the success of the model with students and faculty alike,” Rousselot de St. Ceran said, “APSU will expand the travel-imbedded course options across the general education core. It is our goal to send as many students abroad as possible and allow them to stay on track with their degree program requirements.”

For more information on these courses, contact the APSU Office of International Education at 221-6851.

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Photo cutline: Dr. Jennifer Snyder, APSU assistant professor of art, Tina Rousselot de St. Ceran, coordinator of International Education at APSU and Dr. Daniel Shea, associate professor of Languages and Literature, visit the Tower of London on a recent study abroad trip.

APSU history honor society publishes second issue of scholarly journal

boothcw — Wed, 02 May 2012 19:50:54 +0000

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – On Tuesday morning, members of Austin Peay State University’s Phi Alpha Theta (PAT) history honor society crowded into APSU President Tim Hall’s office to present him with a small, red booklet.

After flipping through a few pages, Hall looked around at the history students and faculty members surrounding him and said, “Congratulations to you all. This is fantastic. We’re so proud of what you’re doing.”

What exactly they did was to publish a second volume of Theta-Delta, a scholarly history journal featuring academic papers by APSU history students. It is one of the few undergraduate history journals in the state.

The idea of creating a scholarly publication began about two years ago when Dr. Minoa Uffelman, associate professor of history at APSU, saw a copy of Murray State University’s history journal. She then challenged her students to develop a similar publication, which they did by using scholarly magazines such as The Journal of Southern History as a model.

The first volume of Theta-Delta, edited by then-APSU student Jennifer Montgomery, appeared last spring and helped the University’s PAT organization win “Chapter of the Year” for an unprecedented third year in a row.

APSU graduate student and PAT president Deanna Carter served as editor-in-chief of the current issue, and after presenting President Hall with his copy on Tuesday, she was already looking ahead to volume three.

“Next year, we’re going to get our graduate students to write book reviews and Dr. Kevin Tanner (assistant professor of history) is going to work with them individually so they will be able to publish,” she said.

A limited number of printed versions of the journal were distributed during last week’s awards ceremony. The unveiling added to the excitement of that morning’s event, which saw the induction of new members into the local PAT chapter. Among those new members were Dr. Dixie Webb, APSU dean of the College of Arts and Letters, and Dr. Gregory Hammond, APSU assistant professor of history.

For more information on the magazine or PAT, contact Uffelman, the chapter’s adviser, at uffelmanm@apsu.edu.

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Photo cutline: APSU President Tim Hall congratulates members of the Theta-Delta History Journal’s Board of Editors on the publication of the second volume of that scholarly publication. (Photo by Beth Liggett/APSU staff).

APSU students part of new service learning program for international projects

shembergerm — Wed, 02 May 2012 16:32:26 +0000

The build team from the APSU Goes Global program stands on the foundation of the house that they helped to complete. (Contributed photo)

Austin Peay State University recently launched the inaugural APSU Goes Global program, an international service-learning opportunity now open to juniors in the President’s Emerging Leaders Program (PELP) and TRiO Student Support Services.

APSU Goes Global is led by Dr. Matthew Kenney, director of the President’s Emerging Leaders Program and associate professor of political science. This year’s destination was the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the southernmost island nation in the Caribbean located seven miles from the coast of Venezuela. Nineteen students and three faculty members from APSU participated in the project during spring break in early March.

Partnering with Habitat for Humanity Trinidad and Tobago, the students worked to complete the foundation of a house for Anita McPherson, a resident of KPland in Valencia, Sangre Grande, Trinidad, along with her daughter and five grandchildren. Currently, the McPherson family is living in a dilapidated house along with McPherson’s two sons.

The work that the students did included shoveling sand and gravel, carrying and stacking concrete blocks, and mixing and pouring concrete for the foundation of the house.

While working on the house was important, some of the most memorable work for the students was making connections with the local community. Mason Yost, physics major and member of PELP, commented on a connection he made with Daniel, a young boy from the community, who shared his desire to be a reporter.

“(Daniel) wants to be a reporter so that he can write down people’s stories,” Yost said. “Hopefully, we gave him some stories of his own that he can write down and tell his kids about.”

In addition, students made important contacts with members of the Habitat for Humanity Global Village team, as well as the Habitat for Humanity chapter at the University of the West Indies (UWI) St. Augustine Campus.

Molly Mitchell, PELP junior and education major, was encouraged by the visit to UWI. “It was nice to see people our own age that were doing the same thing that we’re doing, and it was great to see their involvement with Habitat for Humanity down there.”

The trip to Trinidad and Tobago affected the students’ desires to continue working with those in need. Aubrey Harris, a PELP junior and chemistry major, said the trip has helped to reinforce her decision to go to medical school.

Mitchell also said the trip helped to solidify her own career choice as a teacher, and that the experience she had in Trinidad would affect the way that she addresses diversity and need in her classroom. While in Trinidad, she and three other members of the build team were able to visit the classroom of one of the boys in the McPherson family to donate school supplies.

“Their enthusiasm struck me the most, just because they have so little as far as resources go in their classroom,” Mitchell said. “They seemed very inquisitive about us and they loved to learn.”

Students are also taking steps to revive the campus chapter of Habitat for Humanity. Kenney said he hopes to start further projects to build on the APSU Goes Global experience.

“There would be a continuity between doing that work here locally and then the international project junior year,” he said. “It would work together.”

Drew Kerr, a junior member of PELP and physics major, noted the importance of the program to both the President’s Emerging Leaders Program and APSU.

“I think this is an important feature of the PELP experience, and helping to reinforce and reemphasize our program’s mission and goals, and especially to tie into APSU Goes Global and this impact that Austin Peay wants to have internationally and on the service level,” he said.

Yost also commented on how the program was filling a specific need in both the leadership program and for the University at large, as well as the need for more practical experience outside the classroom.

“It’s hard a lot of the time to step out of your boundaries, and that’s how you really are going to test what you’ve done in class,” he said. “It’s hard to press those boundaries, but this is the perfect way.” - written by APSU student Mary Barczak

APSU employees announce their professional achievements

shembergerm — Tue, 01 May 2012 15:18:52 +0000

Several faculty and staff members at Austin Peay State University announce their recent professional and scholarly activities.

Dr. Dixie Dennis, associate provost of Grants and Sponsored Programs and dean of the College of Graduate Studies, co-authored an article, titled “The impact of organizational leadership ethical conduct on hospital employees' job satisfaction: A correlational study in Kuwait,” that was published in the most recent International Journal of Business, Humanities and Technology.

Mark Gray, advising coordinator for the College of Science and Mathematics, and Kacie Hutson, advising coordinator at the Center for Teaching and Learning, presented twice at the National Academic Advisors Association Region 3 Conference on April 13 in Charlotte, N.C. A concurrent presentation, titled “Incorporating Academic Coaching and Guided Study Sessions: Creating a comprehensive academic success program,” focused on the data compiled from the Promoting Academic Student Success Program pilot study. Additionally, both Gray and Hutson presented a poster on the Advising Liaison Program for new at-risk students. They will be presenting the poster at the NACADA Annual Conference in October in Nashville.

Dr. Stephen Truhon, associate professor of psychology, has been appointed as a fellow in the 2012 Office of Naval Research-American Society Engineering Education Summer Faculty Research Program. During this 10-week program, he will conduct research with other researchers at Naval Personnel Research Studies and Technology in Millington, Tenn.

New employees hires for April 2012

shembergerm — Tue, 01 May 2012 15:16:49 +0000

Austin Peay State University officials announce the following recent personnel hirings and transfers:

Elizabeth Gonzalez, computer laboratory technician in the Office of Information Technology.

Daina Hunter, technical clerk in the Office of Student Financial Aid.

Kristi L. Moore, accounting clerk in accounting services.

Stephen Thompson, horticulture technician in the physical plant.

APSU geosciences student headed to Iowa this summer for coveted NSF program

boothcw — Tue, 01 May 2012 13:22:52 +0000

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Josh Day, an Austin Peay State University geosciences student, was determined to get an internship this summer. Throughout the year, he sent off dozens of applications, hoping to find something that would strengthen his knowledge and skills in the area of geographic information systems.

Then earlier this month, Day received a bit of good news. He was one of only a handful of college students nationwide chosen to participate in a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates program in hyperspectral imaging. That means he’ll be spending the summer working with satellites to develop three-dimensional images of different terrains on earth.

“I filled out so many applications, I didn’t realize when I got it which one it was,” Day said. “It’s awesome because it puts me in the forefront. I don’t like to be on the bench, so to speak. It gets me in the game and let’s me play with current, updated technology that a lot of people have no idea about.”

Day will leave on May 20 for the University of Northern Iowa, where he’ll spend eight weeks working under top researchers in this field. He’ll receive a stipend, as well as a room and a meal contract for his stay on campus.

“Josh is yet another example of the high caliber students we have here at APSU,” Dr. Christopher Gentry, APSU associate professor of geosciences and director of the Office of Undergraduate Research, said. “He has worked very hard for this opportunity.”

April turned out to be a good month for Day. As a member of the APSU cheerleading squad, he helped his team finish fifth in the National Cheerleaders Association Division I championships, held earlier this month in Daytona Beach, Fla.

For more information on Day or the REU program, contact Gentry at gentryc@apsu.edu.

APSU School of Nursing a partner with local center in diabetes management

shembergerm — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:53:51 +0000

With the help of a national competitive grant, the Austin Peay State University School of Nursing is partnering with the Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center to provide a diabetes management program for low-income adults.

APSU’s nursing students, as part of requirements in the Community Health course, will work with patients at Matthew Walker’s local health center on Dover Road. Specifically, they will be at the center twice a week, educating patients on disease management.

“This is a great example of APSU nursing providing care for the underserved population of Clarksville,” said Dr. Patty Orr, director of the nursing program at APSU. “They focus on people at risk for diabetes, teaching patients how to prevent it and ways to control it for those diagnosed with diabetes.”

The Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center recently was awarded a $165,000 grant from the AstraZeneca Health Care Foundation to support the center’s “Dial Down Diabetes” program. The APSU School of Nursing received a small portion of the grant money from AstraZeneca to support the center’s program of care interventions.

Dial Down Diabetes is targeted toward the African-American and Latino communities with a goal of developing a comprehensive community-based program for low-income adults with diagnosed diabetes, undiagnosed diabetes or prediabetes. The program is designed to enable patients to "dial down" the impact that diabetes has in their lives. The program currently has 200 patients in the program with a goal of 350.

"Supporting good health extends beyond an individual's visit to a doctor," said Jeff McKissack, Matthew Walker CEO. "The Dial Down Diabetes program enables us to provide an additional lifestyle support program for our diabetic and prediabetic patients here at the Center, as well as in between doctor visits."

In the program, participants will have a case manager assigned to them, as Matthew Walker research indicates systematic follow-up is key to managing diabetes. The program will feature healthy cooking classes, "scholarships" to local recreational center fitness classes and community-based fun walks.

“We are just thrilled that our students will be a part of this,” Orr said. “This is nursing education at its best.”

Matthew Walker was one of 19 nonprofit organizations from across the country to receive the AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation award for 2012, and one of only two to receive multiyear grant awards.

For more information, contact the APSU School of Nursing, 931-221-7710. - Dr. Melony Shemberger

APSU hosting arts and music program May 1 for local youngsters

boothcw — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 19:39:30 +0000

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – On Tuesdays throughout the spring, a group of eager youngsters and their parents have crowded into the Children’s Library of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Public Library for an afternoon of free creative arts activities.

They were taking advantage of the new Children’s Arts Interaction Program, hosted by Austin Peay State University music and art faculty members and students. The program, which is open to all preschool and early elementary aged children, comes to an end this Tuesday, May 1, at 4:30 p.m.

“I think it’s gone really well. We’ve filled the room all three times,” Dr. Eric Branscome, APSU assistant professor and coordinator of music education, said.

The program was developed earlier this year to help prepare APSU students as art and music educators and to provide local children with enrichment opportunities at a time when preschools and child care centers are doing away with music and arts programs.

“The program is basically targeting younger children, preschool-aged children, early elementary school-age children,” Branscome said in February. “It will have music, singing time, music activities. A lot of our student organizations will be going over to perform for the kids. And at the end of the time, the (APSU) art education students will lead a craft or related art activity for the kids.”

The activities are all focused around literacy concepts developed by the library staff.

Local children in this age-range are invited to attend the May 1 program. For more information on Children’s Arts Interaction, contact Branscome at branscomee@apsu.edu or Jennifer Snyder, APSU assistant professor of art education, at snyderj@apsu.edu.

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APSU director has book published on federal grant regulations

shembergerm — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:49:41 +0000

Andrew Shepard-Smith, director of Grants and Sponsored Research at Austin Peay State University, has had a book published, titled “Education Department General Administrative Regulations: A Condensed Guide for Program Managers and Project Directors.” The book was released in April 2012.

“The purpose of this publication is to provide a more manageable and easy-to-read grant handbook for U.S. Department of Education awardees,” Shepard-Smith said. “The full administrative regulations are very lengthy, making it awkward and time consuming to access information. This publication aims to make it easier for project directors to locate key information for their program.”

Title 34 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations is composed of 14 parts that govern the general operation and administration of grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Education. It is these parts that make up what is known as the Education Department General Administrative Regulations, or EDGAR.

Those purchasing the book will be able to access more quickly and easily federal regulations related to such topics as unauthorized grant activities, conflicts of interest, patents, copyrights, financial reporting, record retention and cost transfers. The book also contains sections titled Protection of Human Subjects, and Family Educational Rights and Privacy.

While the book may primarily be used by colleges and university project directors, many others will benefit from it, including hospitals, nonprofit organizations, faith-based organizations, states, local governments, libraries and researchers. Shepard-Smith plans to release a second edition when the federal regulations are updated—an edition that also will include an electronic version for portable devices.