Today @ APSU - University News

APSU math students and faculty perform well at annual conference

boothcw — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:09:03 +0000

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Five Austin Peay State University faculty members and four students presented at the Middle Tennessee Mathematics’ Teachers annual conference on Feb. 3-4 at Ravenwood High School in Brentwood. More than 240 in-service and pre-service teachers attended the two-day event.

Ashley Whitehead presented “Problem Solving and Modeling with Fractions.” She also presented “Student Teaching: the good, the bad, and the ugly” with Dr. Ann Assad, APSU associate professor of mathematics. Additionally, Assad presented “Early Experiences in Problem Solving through Connections.”

Dr. Matt Jones, associate professor of mathematics, and Dr. Andy Wilson, professor of mathematics, presented “SOARing with Mathematics” with student Katie Mattingly. Dr. Jackie Vogel, professor of mathematics, presented “A Grab Bag of Manipulatives” with students Gena Carter, Meaghan Sikes and Josh Bunger.

“I really enjoyed this conference and would love to go back,” Sikes said.

An additional 17 students attended the conference as part of a Student Academic Success Initiative grant, along with about 15 students from Residency I. The students gained valuable experience from this event.

“This was definitely a learning experience for me,” Mattingly said. “I feel like I have grown as a speaker and a teacher candidate.”

For more information, contact the APSU Department of Mathematics and Statistics at 221-7833.

Award-winning CBS News correspondent and author to speak Feb. 20 at APSU

shembergerm — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:47:13 +0000

On Aug. 25, 2006, NBC Executive Producer Jeff Fagan poked his head into the dressing room at CBS studios.

“Good luck, you’ve come a long way to get here. You’ve earned it,” he said to Byron Pitts.

Pitts was about to make his first on-camera studio open for the CBS News Broadcast “60 Minutes.” Pitts thought to himself, “if only Fagan knew.” His mind flashed back to elementary school, when a therapist informed his mother, “I’m sorry, Mrs. Pitts, your son cannot read.

Known for his thought-provoking coverage and his commitment to exceptional storytelling, Byron Pitts is a multiple Emmy Award-winning journalist. As chief national correspondent for “CBS Evening News” with Katie Couric, Pitts was an embedded reporter covering the Iraq War and was recognized for his work under fire. Pitts was also CBS’ lead correspondent at ground zero immediately following the Sept. 11 attacks and won an Emmy for his coverage. A news veteran with over 20 years of experience, other major stories include the war in Afghanistan, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the military buildup in Kuwait and the refugee crisis in Kosovo, to name but a few. Pitts realized a lifelong goal when he was named a contributing correspondent to CBS’ “60 Minutes” in 2009.

Pitts will share how his faith saw him through his many struggles and how a few key people “stepped out on nothing” to help him change his life at 7 p.m., Monday, Feb. 20 in the Clement Auditorium on campus at Austin Peay State University. His talk is free and open to the public. His memoir, “Step Out On Nothing: How Family and Faith Helped Me Conquer Life’s Challenges,” released in 2009, will be available for sale, and he will conduct a book signing following his talk. His memoir was praised by “60 Minutes” Correspondent Lesly Stahl as “truly moving.” Katie Couric also praised Pitts’ work, saying, “No wonder he is such an inspired storyteller—his own story is inspiring.”

Pitts’ many achievements are all the more extraordinary when he tells of the many obstacles he faced as a child.

Raised by a single mother in a working class neighborhood in Baltimore, Pitts was illiterate until the age of 12 and had a persistent stutter. Capitalizing on his desire to play football, his mother mandated he receive Bs or above in school in order to play. With that focus, Pitts learned to read and went on to attend Ohio Wesleyan University. With the help of his roommate and a college professor, Pitts found the support and encouragement necessary to pursue a career in broadcast journalism, a field that demands excellence in writing and speaking. By staying focused, setting simple and achievable goals and finding strength in faith, Pitts overcame his powerful odds and his disability. He graduated in 1982 with a B.A. in journalism and speech communication.

Pitts has won several prestigious awards including a national Emmy Award for his coverage of the Chicago train wreck of 1999, a National Association of Black Journalists Award and second national Emmy Award for individual reporting of Sept. 11. He is also the recipient of four Associated Press awards and six regional Emmy Awards.

Pitts lives with his wife in Upper Montclair, N.J.

For more information about Pitt’s speaking event, call the APSU Office of Student Affairs at 931-221-7341.

APSU receives $1.78M grant to build safe rooms in new student residence halls

shembergerm — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:26:35 +0000

Austin Peay State University has received a grant of more than $1.78 million to build safe rooms in the basements of the new residence halls now under construction on Drane Street.

Of the total funds awarded, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) contributed more than $1.5 million, supported with an additional $250,000 from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA). APSU matched an additional $250,000 toward the $2 million project.

The total grant is believed to be the largest single award the University ever has received.

The safe rooms are designed to protect students from the threats of inclement weather, such as strong winds and tornados.

"Emergency preparedness is more important than ever," said Jim Bassham, director of TEMA. "APSU is taking the lead in making its campus safer and we hope more organizations follow its example."

Al Westerman, director of facilities planning and projects at APSU, said each of the three safe rooms will hold a maximum of 1,400 students.

“These safe rooms will provide greater safety for our students when we are faced with tornados and high winds,” he said.

The safe rooms will be built to FEMA standards and to withstand winds up to 250 mph, according to the award letter from the TEMA. - Dr. Melony Shemberger

Veteran admissions employee tapped as APSU's new director

shembergerm — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:25:11 +0000

Since May 1996, Amy Deaton has seen a countless number of students enter the admissions office at Austin Peay State University.

She started working at APSU almost 16 years ago as an admissions counselor, and today, she is now the University’s director of admissions.

Deaton, of Clarksville, was named to her new post recently by APSU officials. Serving as interim director since August 2011, she said she is eager to help continue the enrollment growth seen in recent years at The Peay.

“I am looking forward to the opportunity to continue to lead the Office of Admissions in recruiting and admitting quality students to Austin Peay State University,” Deaton said. “My goal for the Office of Admissions is to use technology to create a high-touch environment of customer service that enables students to reach their educational goals. It is a very exciting time at Austin Peay and I look forward to promoting our wonderful programs and contribute to the growth of this University.”

After working as an admissions counselor for two years, Deaton was hired as the admissions manager at APSU. Then for the next eight years, from 2000-08, she became assistant director. Until mid-2011, she was the associate director before assuming interim director duties.

A native of Calvert City, Ky., Deaton earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from Kentucky Wesleyan College in Owensboro and a Master of Science in health services administration from APSU. -- Dr. Melony Shemberger

APSU employees note their accomplishments, service

shembergerm — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:23:51 +0000

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

Dr. Mike Gotcher, chair of the APSU Department of Communication, Dr. Anna Filippo, assistant professor of communication, Tracy Nichols, communication instructor, and Dr. Melony Shemberger, assistant director of communication in the APSU Public Relations Office, judged various individual events and debate rounds at the Northeast High School Speech and Debate Tournament held Feb. 4 at the school in Clarksville.

Dr. Perry Scanlan, director of the medical technology program, and Blanca Martinez received an Omicron Sigma (Outstanding Service) Recognition from the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS) for their contributions to Region III, which consists of the Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Scanlan is president-elect of ASCLS-TN, and Martinez is the Region III student forum chair. Only 15 people are nominated from each region.

Dr. Gregg Steinberg, professor of health and human performance, was interviewed by several news organizations for sports stories leading up to the Super Bowl held Feb. 5. He was featured in the Kansas City (Mo.) Star and on WSMV Channel 4 News in Nashville.

Former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins to Read at APSU

boothcw — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:43:27 +0000

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – If one were to rank the country’s top poets, Billy Collins would likely top most lists. Aside from being both critically acclaimed and commercially popular, he is frequently heard on National Public Radio, and his appointment in 2001 as the Poet Laureate of the United States has afforded him a certain name recognition uncommon for most lyricists.

But attempting to rank poets and poetry in this way is a bit unseemly, so one is forced to judge the man on his work. That’s where Collins stands out, using a light touch to suddenly transform a humorous piece into something serious.

“Luring his readers into the poem with humor,” a New York Times, review proclaimed, “Mr. Collins leads them unwittingly into deeper, more serious places, a kind of journey from the familiar to quirky to unexpected territory, sometimes tender, often profound.”

At 7:30 p.m. on March 16, Collins will visit Austin Peay State University for a free reading in the Music/Mass Communication Building’s Concert Hall. The event is sponsored by the APSU Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts.

Collins is the author of nine collections of poetry, and his work has appeared in such esteemed literary publications as The New Yorker, The Paris Review and The American Scholar. He is a Guggenheim fellow, a New York Foundation for the Arts fellow, a National Endowment for the Arts fellow, a New York Public Library “Literary Lion” and recipient of the Oscar Blumenthal Prize, the Bess Hokin Prize, the Frederick Bock Prize and the Levinson Prize. In January 2004, he was named New York State Poet Laureate, and 10 months later, he was selected as the inaugural recipient of the Poetry Foundation’s Mark Twain Award for Humor in Poetry.

For more information on Collins or his upcoming reading, please contact the APSU Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts at 931-221-7876.

APSU music, theater and dance faculty collaborate on Stravinsky concert

boothcw — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:04:56 +0000

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The Russian composer Igor Stravinsky’s extraordinary musical/theatrical/dance work “The Soldier’s Tale” premièred at the end of World War I, during a time of moral and economic turmoil. Nearly 100 years later, with the world in a similar state, two Austin Peay State University creative arts departments are resurrecting the complex work for a rare, one night only collaborative performance.

“It’s based on a Russian folk tale about a soldier on leave who unknowingly makes a deal with the devil,” Dr. Gregory Wolynec, APSU associate professor of music, said. “It’s based on the basic moral that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.”

At 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 13, APSU’s Gateway Chamber Orchestra and its Area of Theatre and Dance will present the Stravinsky work in the Music/Mass Communication Building’s Concert Hall. The performance will feature a neoclassical score, spoken narration and modern dance.

“During graduate school, I had the opportunity to do the suite, and I’ve always wanted to do the full performance,” Wolynec said. “By being involved in the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, I got in touch with Marcus Hayes (associate professor of dance) and said this would be an interesting collaboration between our two departments.”

“Greg says Stravinsky, and I’m there,” Hayes added. “When you say Stravinsky to a dance person, they’re there. I was instantly interested in working with it. The more I get into it, I’m finding all these layers. It’s really beautiful.”

Stravinsky wrote the piece following a highly successful period in his career, when he composed masterworks such as “The Firebird” and “The Rite of Spring” ballets. With the war in Europe ending and money tight, he scaled back this new composition, opting to write it for a chamber group of seven instruments – clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, violin, bass and percussion.

“The music is very approachable but very different,” Wolynec said. “He took textures, which has to do with the way different layers of sound are put together, back to the time of Bach, Mozart and Haydn. He’s also starting to get fascinated with jazz.”

The Gateway Chamber Orchestra will be on the Concert Hall stage, performing in the midst of the dancing and acting. For Hayes, who is directing and choreographing the production, the work lends itself to showcasing these different artistic elements.

“The way that it’s written, it kind of oscillates between the acting and the dancing and the music,” he said. “There are times when the stage goes dark and we focus on the musicians and times when the musicians provide the tapestry for what’s happening.”

Tickets to this performance are $5 for adults, $3 for military and students and free for APSU faculty, staff and students.

For more information on “The Soldier’s Tale,” contact the APSU Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts at 221-7876.

APSU announces recipients of 2012 Candlelight Ball awards during luncheon

shembergerm — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:08:44 +0000

Austin Peay State University’s 28^th Annual Candlelight Ball is just around the corner, and to help announce the event, two individuals were honored and recognized during a luncheon held Feb. 2.

The Wendell H. Gilbert Award and the Spirit Award were presented to two individuals for their outstanding achievement, contribution or recognition they have brought to Austin Peay.

The Gilbert Award was presented to Fred Landiss, senior vice president and director of marketing and public relations at F&M Bank in Clarksville. Early in his career, he served as director of alumni and director of placement at APSU. He also has taught marketing classes as an adjunct faculty member at APSU from 2007-10. In addition, he has taught salesmanship at the Graduate School of Banking of the South at Louisiana State University and bank marketing classes for the American Institute of Banking. Landiss has had active leadership roles in organizations and activities that support art, cultural diversity, education, economic development and health care. He was the 2002 recipient of the prestigious Montgomery County Citizen of the Year award presented by the Montgomery County Chapter of the American Cancer Society, and he was named 2010 Clarksville Citizen of the Year for his volunteerism in the community.

The Spirit Award was given to Kyle Luther (’99), vice president of commercial banking at Planters Bank in Clarksville. He joined Planters Bank in March 2003 as a senior credit analyst, having previously worked at Old National Bank in Clarksville. He has held leadership positions in the APSU Govs Club, the Downtown Kiwanis of Clarksville and serves on the finance committee for United Way. Luther also is a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha Alumni Association and is a 2006 graduate of Leadership Clarksville. Currently, he is pursuing a master’s degree in banking at Louisiana State University, where he is scheduled to graduate in June 2012.

Reservations for Candlelight Ball cost $150 per person or $2,500 to sponsor a table of 10. Call 221-7979 for ticket reservations. - Dr. Melony Shemberger

New APSU program brings arts and music activities to young children

boothcw — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:36:07 +0000

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – It isn’t unusual to find a preschool-age child singing aloud or coloring a picture he or she painted. That’s how young children have acted for centuries.

“In my opinion, children are innately musical and artistic at that age,” Eric Branscome, assistant professor and coordinator of music education at Austin Peay State University, said. “They love drawing, they love coloring, they love singing, they love painting.”

But with several preschools and child care centers doing away with music and arts programs, today’s youngsters aren’t getting much of an opportunity to delve into creative activities. A new APSU-sponsored program is looking to remedy this problem.

Beginning at 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 7, APSU faculty and students will host the Children’s Arts InterAction Program in the Children’s Library of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Public Library. The program, which is free and open to all pre-school and early elementary aged children, will continue on the first Tuesday of each month throughout the semester.

“The program is basically targeting younger children, preschool-aged children, early elementary school-age children,” Branscome said. “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 will all be focused around literacy concepts developed by the library staff.

In addition to providing a valuable service for the community, the Children’s Arts InterAction program will also help prepare APSU students for their future careers.

“One of the main reasons we wanted to start this, in addition to community outreach, was so that our students in music education and art education could get extra experience working with these young kids before they go out and do student teaching,” Branscome said.

The program will meet at 4:30 at the library on the following days:

• Feb. 7

• March 6

• April 10

• May 8

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.

Provost Lecture Series: Discussing biofuel research

shembergerm — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:10:32 +0000

The next Provost Lecture Series at Austin Peay State University will feature a biology professor whose latest research may have implications in the area of biofuel production.

Dr. Sergei Markov, associate professor in the APSU Department of Biology, will speak at 3 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 9 in the Morgan University Center, Room 303. The event is free and open to the public.

The title of his talk is “Conformational regulation of hydrogenase gene expression in algae.”

Markov will present will present data that had demonstrated the relationship between conformation of hydrogenase gene and its function in green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Hydrogenase gene in the oxygen-free environment activates algal production of hydrogen gas, which is one of the potential energy carriers of the future.

The research showed that a loop conformation exists in the hydrogenase gene when algal cells are exposed to oxygen and the hydrogenase gene is inactive. In contrast, under oxygen-free conditions, when hydrogenase gene is active, no loop conformation in the gene region is present.

The data obtained in this project may have various applications in the area of biofuel production from microscopic algae. Better understanding of the regulation of algal genes will help to optimize generation of algal biofuels and in particularly hydrogen.

Markov joined the biology faculty of APSU in 2006. He received his Ph.D. in microbiology from Lomonosov Moscow State University, where he started his research on biofuels. From 1991 until 1995, he worked in England at King's College London and Ecotec, Research and Consulting. Later, he was invited to the U.S. to join the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) of the U.S. Department of Energy in Golden, Colo., where he worked for several years.

His biofuel research is supported by several grants from the National Science Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency. He is author of more than 70 research publications on biofuels and a patent for hydrogen production by cyanobacteria.

As a result, his work has appeared in a dozen of publications on the Internet, including Science Daily, and on several foreign news websites.

Other sessions in the Provost Lecture Series also are planned for the academic year. All sessions are from 3-4:30 p.m. in the MUC, Room 303 (unless noted otherwise) and include the following:

Feb. 16: Cynthia Marsh, professor of art

Feb. 23: Dr. Christine Mathenge, associate professor of geology

March 1: Dr. Robert Shelton, associate professor of chemistry

March 15, MUC 307: Dr. Allyn Smith, associate professor of physics

March 22: Dr. Sharon Mabry, professor of music

March 29: Dr. Cameron Sutt, assistant professor of history

April 5: Mark DeYoung, assistant professor of art

April 12: Dr. Tim Winters, professor of English

April 19, MUC 103: Dr. Jeffrey Wood, professor of music

The Provost Lecture Series seeks to foster a spirit of intellectual and scholarly inquiry among faculty, staff and students. The program will be used as a platform for APSU faculty members who are recent recipients of provost summer grants, who have been awarded faculty development leaves and who have engaged in recent scholarly inquiry during sabbatical leaves.

APSU faculty members with recent research of acclaim also will be given a platform within this series. In addition, other faculty members of local or widespread renown will be invited to lecture within this series.

For more information about the Provost Lecture Series, call Dr. Brian Johnson, assistant vice president of academic affairs at APSU, at (931) 221-7992 or email him at johnsonb@apsu.edu. - Dr. Melony Shemberger

APSU Breast Cancer Awareness 5K planned

shembergerm — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:18:37 +0000

Austin Peay State University’s Wilbur N. Daniel African American Cultural Center, University Recreation and APSU Athletics will have the Breast Cancer Awareness 5K on Feb. 18, with all proceeds going to the Kay Yow Fund.

The race entry fee is $10 for students and $12 for non-students. Registration will begin at 9 a.m. and the race will start at 10 a.m. at the Dunn Center. Registration forms are available for pickup at the Foy Center and the African American Cultural Center. Forms can also be printed at http://www.apsu.edu/recreation or http://www.apsu.edu/aacc. Donations will be collected at the Foy Center.

For more information, please contact Lauren Wilkinson at 221-7564 or wilkinsonl@apsu.edu.

APSU professor awarded $75K state grant to study health of Red River Watershed

boothcw — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:48:05 +0000

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – On a spring afternoon in 2010, Dr. Jeff Lebkuecher, professor of biology at Austin Peay State University, waded into a creek to collect algae floating in the water and growing on rocks.

The samples were placed in test tubes, and back in his lab inside the APSU Sundquist Science Complex, Lebkuecher noticed that the algae were thriving. This was not good news for the creek.

“A problem with pollution or excess nutrients (such as fertilizers) is they cause what we call algal blooms (rapid algae growth),” he said. “I found the water quality within the creeks is poor. The reasons for the poor water quality include excessive sediments from erosion and high concentrations of nutrients as a result of fertilizer use by local farms.”

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation recently awarded Lebkuecher a $78,000 contract to expand his study of the impacts of water pollution on algae and other microscopic organisms throughout the Red River Watershed. His work will help determine the health of local streams and the impacts of pollution on aquatic organisms.

“Algae are such accurate indicators of habitat impairment that the data can be used directly for watershed management decisions,” he said. “Some algae are indicators of heavy erosion. Some are indicators of high concentration of nutrients.”

The objectives of the state contract include developing standardized methods for state researchers to evaluate the impacts of pollution in Tennessee rivers and assessing the effects of water pollution in the Red River Watershed.

“The grant also includes a little bit of money for me to hire students,” Lebkuecher said. Those students, through hands on fieldwork, will gain experience in biological monitoring.

“Hopefully, using these standard protocols I’m writing now, the state will be able to hire Austin Peay graduates to continue the work,” he said. “I teach a phycology class, and a major goal of that course is to train students to do that type of work.”

The work conducted under this new state contract could provide the first step in cleaning and protecting local waterways. For more information on this research, contact Lebkuecher at lebkuecherj@apsu.edu.

Faculty, staff noted for several professional accomplishments

shembergerm — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:48:15 +0000

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

Rose Austin, bursar, received the PeayFormance Partner Award. The Enrollment Management and Academic Support presents this award quarterly to faculty, staff or administrators who work in partnership with EMAS staff to demonstrate excellent service.

Charles Booth, staff writer in the APSU Office of Public Relations and Marketing, will have his short story, “The Last Blood Maple,” published in a forth-coming edition of SLAB (Sound and Literary Art Book) magazine, produced by Slippery Rock University. His short story “Medjugorje” will also appear this spring in Booth: A Journal – a literary magazine named after the writer Booth Tarkington and published by Butler University.

Johnathan Button, financial aid assistant in the Office of Financial Aid and Veterans Affairs, received the PeayFormance Customer Service Award. The Enrollment Management and Academic Support presents this award quarterly to a professional or clerical staff member nominated by his or her peers as exemplifying service above and beyond the call of duty to APSU students, faculty and the general campus community.

Dr. Culley Carson-Grefe, professor of French and Spanish, attended the Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities from Jan. 10-13 in Honolulu. She chaired a session on second language studies and presented a paper, titled “Apples to Apples: Teaching Translation.” She also participated in a panel on “Promoting Innovation in World Language Instruction: Issues, Examples, Action.”

Dr. Carter Smith, assistant professor of criminal justice and homeland security, had a paper, “A Comprehensive Literature Review of Military-Trained Gang Members,” published in the Fall 2011 Journal of Gang Research and also is included in the National Criminal Justice Reference Service.

APSU announces new employee hires for January 2012

shembergerm — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:15:28 +0000

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

Matthew Burns, coordinator of the Community School of the Arts.

Amber Button, administrative assistant in the Office of Admissions.

Paul Derrick, assistant football coach.

Pattie Hancock, account clerk in Physical Plant.

Brittney Herron, account clerk in the Office of Student Financial Aid.

Jasmin Linares, veterans affairs counselor in the Office of Student Financial Aid and Veterans Affairs.

Lisa Parker, office supervisor in University Advancement.

Jarad Sneed, systems analyst in the Office of Information Technology.

Myra Soward, payroll operations specialist in Human Resources.

Laszlo Stojalowshky, assistant director of Student Counseling Services.

Lynette Taylor, director of Disability Services.

APSU recognized for alumni magazine, television commercial

boothcw — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:55:40 +0000

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The Office of Public Relations and Marketing at Austin Peay State University will be recognized in Atlanta in February by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) — Southeast District III for its “outstanding” alumni magazine and a new commercial it produced.

The University will receive an Award of Excellence distinction in the alumni magazine category for three issues – Fall 2010, Spring 2011 and Fall 2011 – of Austin Peay: The Magazine for Alumni and Friends of Austin Peay State University. Previous Award of Excellence winners in this category include Auburn University, Clemson University and the University of Virginia Alumni Association.

Judges from colleges and universities throughout the southeast praised the magazine for its “outstanding visuals, great use of color on pages, superb layout.” APSU assistant director of multimedia and web design Rollow Welch and APSU graphic designer Kim Balevre designed the magazines.

Bill Persinger, executive director of the APSU Office of Public Relations, served as editor of the three issues, and Dr. Melony Shemberger, assistant director of communication, was the assistant editor. Michele Tyndall oversaw production of the magazine, and APSU staff writer Charles Booth and APSU photographer Beth Liggett contributed stories and photos to the publication.

Entries winning Award of Excellence are finalists for the Grand Award in each category. The finalists will be recognized and the Grand Award winners will be announced at an awards event next month during the CASE III conference in Atlanta.

In addition, APSU will receive a Special Merit Award in the audiovisual: television category for its commercial “More than a Lecture.” Content for the commercial, which is available online at http://www.youtube.com/apsu1927, was provided by APSU director of marketing Dr. Terry Damron.
All award-winning entries will be on display during the conference. CASE District III advances and supports educational and professional institutions in the southeastern United States by enhancing the effectiveness of the alumni relations, fund raising, communications, marketing and other advancement professionals who serve them.

For more information about CASE III or to see other school award winners, visit http://www.casethree.org.

APSU to begin new Center for the Study of Military Life

shembergerm — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:33:43 +0000

The College of Behavioral and Health Sciences at Austin Peay State University announces the creation of the Center for the Study of Military Life.

The purpose of this center is to support research activities that seek to develop a more in-depth understanding of all aspects of military life as they impact individual service members, military families and communities and nation.

APSU is positioned to sponsor such a center. The University has a long-standing relationship with the U.S. Army through the military installation at Fort Campbell, Ky.

“We are the single largest provider of educational services on post, and many of our employees are retired military,” said Dr. David Denton, dean of the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences.

An event to announce the creation of the Center for the Study of Military Life at APSU will be held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 9 in the Morgan University Center Ballroom. The event is open to the public.

Dr. Tucker Brown, assistant professor of sociology who also serves as coordinator of the new center, said the focus of the Center for the Study of Military Life is research.

“We are now planning a Spring 2013 conference and soon will be issuing a call for papers for a new journal we will be launching,” Brown said.

The Feb. 9 announcement will feature keynote speaker Dr. Morten Ender, a well-known military researcher in the field of military sociology. Ender is professor of sociology and the sociology program director at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y.

A primary area of research interest for Ender focuses on the social psychology of soldiers, military spouses, cadets, military children and Iraqi adults and adolescents. His work has appeared in The American Sociologist, Sociological Focus, Teaching Sociology, Journal of Adolescence, Journal of Political and Military Sociology, and Armed Forces & Society.

Ender also is the lead principal investigator on the Bi-annual Attitudes Survey of Students (BASS)—a database of attitudinal data of military academy cadets, ROTC cadets and civilian college students.

He is the author of several books, including “Military Brats and Other Global Nomads: Growing Up in Organization Families” (Praeger, 2002) and “American Soldiers in Iraq: McSoldiers or Innovative Professionals?” (Routledge, 2009).

The Center for the Study of Military Life will be housed academically in the APSU Department of Sociology. For more information, contact Brown by email at brownt@apsu.edu or by telephone at 931-221-7725. - Dr. Melony Shemberger

Alumni to share experiences with students at Career Networking Event

shembergerm — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:19:30 +0000

Many successful alumni will return to Austin Peay State University in February to spend time with students about to enter the work force.

The 2012 Career Networking Event will be from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 29 in the Morgan University Center Ballroom.

Through roundtable discussions, alumni will share their experiences, provide practical advice and a realistic picture of their respective fields to students. Students will have the opportunity to network and build relationships with alumni.

Students also will have an opportunity to win a free gift cards from the campus bookstore and Chartwells dining. Free food will be provided.

The event – sponsored by the APSU National Alumni Association, Office of New Student Programs, Career Services Center and Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society – is free and open to all APSU students.

For more information, call the Office of Alumni Relations, 931-221-7979 or email petersonn@apsu.edu. - Dr. Melony Shemberger

Provost Lecture Series: Exploring redband darter

shembergerm — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:10:58 +0000

The next Provost Lecture Series at Austin Peay State University will feature an Austin Peay State University professor and ichthyologist whose latest research focuses on the redband darter species.

Dr. Rebecca Johansen, assistant professor in the APSU Department of Biology and principal investigator in the Center of Excellence for Field Biology, will speak at 3 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 2 in the Morgan University Center, Room 303. The event is free and open to the public.

The title of her talk is “Phylogeography and conservation status of the rare Tennessee endemic, Redband Darter.”

Johansen will present results of research on the redband darter (Etheostoma luteovinctum), conducted in collaboration with her graduate student Matthew Wagner. The redband darter is endemic to Tennessee and has an interesting distribution, found only in headwater streams of the Caney Fork and Stones River systems of the Cumberland River Drainage and the Duck and Elk River systems of the Tennessee River Drainage.

The biology of the species, including its inability to complete its life cycle in larger rivers or to migrate over long distances, suggests past drainage patterns and/or headwater stream capture events may best explain the current distribution of the redband darter. The authors will discuss how recently gathered genetic data support this hypothesis. They will also highlight for the first time the presence of two distinct genetic lineages of redband darter and present data documenting continued declines in the population and range of the species. The implications of results for the long-term conservation of the species will be discussed.

Johansen joined the biology faculty of APSU in 2009. As an ichthyologist, her research encompasses a variety of topics, from ecology and biogeography to population genetics and conservation of freshwater fishes, but is primarily centered on the challenges of documenting and describing fish diversity.

Over the past five years, Johansen has presented more than 15 papers or posters of her research at international and regional scientific meetings and has been invited by several societies and universities to give seminars. Her research has been published in several international, peer-reviewed journals.

Since coming to APSU, she has continued her efforts to document and describe the diversity of North American freshwater fishes and has four graduate and several undergraduate students participating in her research program. She has published two manuscripts and has worked with colleagues and students to submit seven grant proposals, including one submitted to the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Johansen earned her B.S. and M.S. in biology from Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond in 1998 and 2001, respectively, and a Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology from Tulane University in New Orleans, La., in 2007. For both her thesis and dissertation research, she examined the patterns of evolution and species diversification in the Fantail Darter species complex, which has been termed the largest remaining taxonomic problem in North American freshwater fishes.

After completion of her Ph.D., Johansen was awarded a highly competitive postdoctoral associate position at the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida in Gainesville, where she worked with colleagues and students for two years to describe a new species of catfish and three new federally endangered species of small, stream fishes called darters. Her work on catfishes was part of a larger NSF-funded All Catfish Species Inventory Project designed to document and describe the global biodiversity of catfishes.

Other sessions in the Provost Lecture Series also are planned for the academic year. All sessions are from 3-4:30 p.m. in the MUC, Room 303 (unless noted otherwise) and include the following:

Feb. 9: Dr. Sergei Markov, associate professor of biology

Feb. 16: Cynthia Marsh, professor of art

Feb. 23: Dr. Christine Mathenge, associate professor of geology

March 1: Dr. Robert Shelton, associate professor of chemistry

March 15, MUC 307: Dr. Allyn Smith, associate professor of physics

March 22: Dr. Sharon Mabry, professor of music

March 29: Dr. Cameron Sutt, assistant professor of history

April 5: Mark DeYoung, assistant professor of art

April 12: Dr. Tim Winters, professor of English

April 19, MUC 103: Dr. Jeffrey Wood, professor of music

New APSU exhibit examines connection between text and textiles

boothcw — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:31:06 +0000

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Centuries ago, before the appearance of printed books, stories and personal histories were set down on meticulously hand-embroidered fabrics. It’s little wonder then that the word “text,” which originated around the 14^th century, was derived from the Latin word “textus,” which loosely means “to weave.”

The connection between the two words is the subject of a fascinating new art exhibit at Austin Peay State University’s Trahern Gallery – “Text and Textiles (A SAMPLER).”

The exhibition opens with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on Feb. 13. Curators Cynthia Marsh, APSU professor of art, and Paul Collins, Trahern Gallery director, intend to present works by contemporary artists that have referenced the historic and/or vernacular use of text and textiles into their creative practices.

“Many contemporary artists that use materials and techniques relating to historic fabric design, also use text as an important element in their work,” Marsh said. “Quilts, for example, have a long history of using text for various political or documentary purposes.”

The Text and Textiles exhibit runs through Feb. 29 and is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Collins at collinsp@apsu.edu.

APSU African American cultural center to host several Black History Month events

boothcw — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:29:04 +0000

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – February is now upon us, and the Austin Peay State University Wilbur N. Daniel African American Cultural Center has a busy month of events planned in recognition of the Black History Month.

The events include:

• Feb. 7 – National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. From 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the cultural center, in conjunction with Nashville CARES, will provide free HIV/AIDS testing to all APSU students. Free food and giveaways will be available to those who get tested.

• Feb. 9 – The Sankofa African American Museum on Wheels. From 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the museum will present writings, artwork and other artifacts of African American history in the Morgan University Center lobby. The traveling museum is co-sponsored by the APSU Office of Student Life and Leadership.

• Feb. 16 – Peay Soup Neo-Soul Edition in conjunction with Soul Lounge USA. The evening, from 6 to 8 p.m., will feature live soul music from R&B artists Jonathan Winstead and Reecy. The event will also feature an open-mic session, giving students the opportunity to express themselves through words, sounds and rhythm in the Clement Auditorium. Free to all current APSU students, faculty and staff with an APSU I.D. $5 to general public.

• Feb. 18 – Second Annual 5K Breast Cancer Awareness Fun/Walk. Working in conjunction with the Foy Fitness and Recreation Center, the cultural center is co-hosting this event to raise awareness about breast cancer in the community. The entry fee is $10 for students and $12 for non-students, with all proceeds going to the Kay Yow Fund. Registration is at 9 a.m. at the Foy. The race begins at 10 a.m. at the Dunn Center parking lot. For more information, contact Lauren Wilkinson at 221-7564 or wilkinsonl@apsu.edu.

• Feb. 22 – Hot Topic with the African American Studies Department: Hip-Hop, Is It Still Relevant? This discussion, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the center, will feature APSU assistant professor of African American studies Johnny Jones discussing the significance of hip-hop music and culture and why it should or should not remain relevant in society.

• Feb. 28 – “Who Will Lead the Next Social Movement” lecture. From 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., Student Publications will host a meet and greet with Jeff Johnson, an award-winning investigative journalist, social activist and political commentator, at The All State office (Morgan University Center room 111). Johnson will deliver a free lecture from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Clement Auditorium. He will draw from his celebrated conversations with marquee world figures in politics, business and entertainment, his grassroots work to inspire the next generation of leaders, his BET specials and his weekly commentaries on the nationally syndicated “Tom Joyner Morning Show,” in his discussion. The event is sponsored by Student Publications, Student Affairs Services and the African American Cultural Center. A book signing to follow from 7-8:30 p.m. at the cultural center.

For more information on these events, contact the center at 221-7120, or www.apsu.edu/aacc/calendar-events-0.

Vocal ensemble Amarcord returns to APSU for community concert

boothcw — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:29:10 +0000

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – One of the premier vocal ensembles in the world, Amarcord, is returning to Clarksville at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 17, for a Clarksville Community Concert Association performance at the Austin Peay State University Music/Mass Communication Building’s Concert Hall.

The ensemble, which last appeared locally in 2005, is known for its diverse repertoire of music, from medieval plainsong to madrigals and Renaissance masses to compositions and cycles of works of the European Romantic period and the 20^th century, all the way up to rock, pop, soul and jazz hits.

Amarcord’s concert programming is often strongly focused on a cappella works, but the ensemble also regularly performs with such noted artists and groups as the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, the Lautten Compagney, Cappella Sagittariana, the Leipzig String Quartet and the KlazzBrothers.

The group has won numerous awards at international competitions, including Tolosa in Spain, Tampere in Finland and Pohlheim in Germany, as well as the 1st Choir Olympiad in the Austrian city of Linz. In 2002, the ensemble won the German Music Competition, and in 2004, Amarcord became the first group of singers to be awarded the Ensemble Prize at the Mecklenburg-West Pomerania Festival.
Tickets to the Feb. 17 event, which is co-sponsored by the APSU Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, are $25 for adults and $5 for non-APSU students. Tickets can be purchased online at www.clarksvillemusic.org or by phone at 931-552-6093.

APSU to host regional Tennessee History Day Competition on Feb. 22

boothcw — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:52:22 +0000

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – On Feb. 22, about 300 of the top middle and high school history students in the area will converge on Austin Peay State University for a Tennessee History Day Competition. The local campus was recently selected as the host site for the newly-formed North Middle Tennessee district of the highly-regarded national competition.

Students from surrounding counties will visit APSU that Wednesday to participate in a wide range of categories, including performance, websites, posters, papers and documentary film, all centered around this year’s theme of Revolution, Reaction and Reform. The winners in each category will go on to the state competition in Nashville in April. Students who place in that event will go on to the National History Day Competition in College Park, Md.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for us to showcase the University to students who, in the next year or two, are going to be thinking about college,” Dr. Kristofer Ray, APSU assistant professor of history and event co-coordinator, said. “It’s an opportunity for us to show off our campus, our faculty and our facilities.”

The National History Day competition began in the early 1970s as a way of creating excitement in students toward the subject of history. More than half a million students now participate each year in the event, which helps them develop skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, research and oral and written communication.

“It’s also an opportunity for Austin Peay to get involved in an element of K-12 curriculum, which has been the subject of less emphasis in recent years – civics and humanities,” Ray said. “This is a chance for us to remind people that there’s more to the K-12 experience than science and math. This is an opportunity for students to plug into this side of things, and it’s an opportunity for us, the University, to emphasize this side of the educational experience as well.”

The students will arrive at the campus’s Morgan University Center early that morning and spend much of the day presenting their work to a panel of judges. Later that afternoon, an awards ceremony will be held for the top participants. The public is invited to attend the presentations and the awards ceremony.

“The performances are uniformly very interesting,” Ray said. “And I would invite K-12 educators around this city who might not be familiar with it to come and see what it’s all about.”

For more information on the Tennessee History Day Competition at APSU, contact Ray at rayk@apsu.edu or Dr. Minoa Uffelman at uffelmanm@apsu.edu.

APSU Financial Aid to hold College Goal Sunday on Feb. 12

shembergerm — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:04:07 +0000

For the seventh year, Austin Peay State University will participate in College Goal Sunday to assist students needing money to go to college.

College Goal Sunday is a statewide, one-day initiative coordinated by the Tennessee Student Assistance Corp. to help prospective students and parents in finding state and federal financial aid for their postsecondary education.

Locally, APSU’s Office of Student Financial Aid is in charge of arrangements for the event.

College Goal Sunday will begin at 2 p.m., Feb. 12 in the Morgan University Center on campus. The informational session is free and open to students planning to attend college at the start of the Fall 2012 semester.

The event will include a presentation about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid process, one-on-one information and a question-and-answer session. If students wish to receive assistance in completing their FAFSA application, 2011 federal tax information will be needed.

February is National Financial Aid Awareness Month, and College Goal Sunday is one way to encourage students to apply for funding early. Several other colleges and universities in Tennessee are participating in College Goal Sunday.

According to TSAC, research shows that families often cite high cost as the main barrier to college attendance, although various forms of financial aid are available.

Donna Price, director of student financial aid and veterans affairs at APSU, said students and their parents often don’t complete the FAFSA paperwork early enough to qualify for the best possible package.

“College Goal Sunday provides an opportunity to get a head-start on this important process,” she said. “In today’s economy, families need to begin the process as early as possible.”

The FAFSA form, used at colleges and technical schools nationwide, should be submitted as early as possible to get the maximum aid available. The form also serves as the application for the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship and TSAC award programs.

For more information about the FAFSA or College Goal Sunday, visit the TSAC website at http://www.TN.gov/collegegoalsunday. The FAFSA website is http://www.fafsa.gov. - Dr. Melony Shemberger

APSU's Gateway Chamber Orchestra presents "Pastoral Soundscapes" concert Jan. 30

boothcw — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:13:59 +0000

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – In the late 1850s, the German composer Johannes Brahms was taking a stroll through the Bavarian countryside when he was suddenly struck by the lush green hills and snow-covered Alps surrounding him. He wanted to recreate the immense beauty of this land through music, so he set to work composing a short symphony serenade for nine players, using the unique folk rhythms and melodies of the area.

“It was beautiful music, drawn from his surroundings,” Dr. Gregory Wolynec, APSU associate professor of music, said.

The work, known as Brahms’ Serenade No. 1, is typically performed by a full orchestra, but at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 30, APSU’s Grammy-nominated Gateway Chamber Orchestra will present the work as the composer originally conceived it.

“What the full orchestral version loses is some of the intimacy of the individual players, the individuals lines, which are beautiful in the chamber orchestra version,” Wolynec, the orchestra’s conductor, said. “The music loses some of its charm with a full orchestra.”

The Brahms composition will be the centerpiece performance of the Gateway Chamber Orchestra’s upcoming concert, Pastoral Soundscapes. The program will begin in the APSU Music/Mass Communication Building’s Concert Hall with a performance of composer Bohuslav Martinu’s Nonetto. That piece, like the Brahms, represents musically the eastern European landscapes that inspired its composer.

“He is a Czech composer whose music is becoming more and more known outside of what was Czechoslovakia,” Wolynec said. “It’s a more 20th century interpretation of Czech dance rhythms and melodies, Eastern European sounds. He also spent time in Paris, and his music serves as a fusion of those cultures – Czech and French.”

The program then veers off into a wildly original work, Orphée Sérénade, by the Pulitzer Prize-winning American Composer William Bolcom.

“This particular piece was inspired by serenades of Mozart,” Wolynec said. “But Bolcom uses a technique called quotation. He literally takes quotations from classical pieces and puts them directly into modern compositions.”

The resulting work features six movements, ranging in style from German Expressionism to Broadway musicals to ballet scores from Stravinsky.

“The high point has the woodwinds playing a charming dance from the classical period, and then seemingly to interrupt them, the strings come in and play a different sort of dance,” Wolynec said. “At which point, I get out of the way and the two groups are instructed to compete with each other.”

The concert follows the Orchestra’s typical “three-legged stool” approach to programming, with a work by a known composer (Brahms), a masterwork by a composer often overlooked by history (Martinu) and a piece by an American composer (Bolcom).

“The idea for this concert, Pastoral Soundscapes, comes from landscapes in painting,” Wolynec said. “These are essentially landscapes for the ear.”

Tickets to the Jan. 30 Pastoral Soundscapes concert are $15 for adults, $10 for students and military, $30 for a family of four and free to APSU students with a valid student I.D. Tickets are available at the MMC Box Office, which opens at 4 p.m. on the day of the show.

For more information about this concert, visit www.gatewaychamberorchestra.com or email info@gatewaychamberorchestra.com.

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History honor society represents APSU well at national conference

boothcw — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:34:33 +0000

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Deanna Carter, an Austin Peay State University history graduate student, felt a little like a celebrity. Whenever she walked through the lobby of the Hilton at Orlando’s Walt Disney World resort, people would stop their conversations and glance over at it.

Their attention was likely focused on her gray blazer, which had the words “Austin Peay State University Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society” stitched across the front.

“There were people from as far as California there and from some very prestigious schools, such as Carnegie Melon University, and they all knew us,” Carter said.

She went to Florida in early January to attend the Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society’s 2012 Biennial Convention, and the other attendees were curious to meet members of this “little” club from Clarksville, Tenn., that had earned best chapter in the nation awards three years in a row.

“A professor came up to us and said ‘oh you just have a phenomenal chapter,’” Robin Sloan, APSU history student, said. “It was nice.”

The attendees wishing to get a closer look at this chapter weren’t let down. In true APSU PAT fashion, the local organization had three students and two alumnae present papers at the conference. And chapter adviser, associate professor of history Dr. Minoa Uffelman, gave a special presentation on how to have a successful chapter.

“I shared information on our successful chapter, the activities we do,” Uffelman said. “I talked about our (scholarly) journal, and I told them not to underestimate the fun activities too.”

At this year’s conference, Carter, the APSU chapter’s president, presented a paper titled “The Ladies Hermitage Association: Efforts to Keep the Memory of the War of 1812 Alive.” Sloan’s paper, “The Industrial Revolution and Shifting European Society,” spurned discussions about old laws applying to current technological advances. And APSU undergraduate student Sammy Weakley discussed the personal life of the most famous Confederate Army general with her paper, “Robert E. Lee, Family Man.”

“He didn’t have much interaction with his family,” she said. “He really wasn’t that great of a husband.”

Sloan and Weakley admitted to being a little nervous because they’d never presented at a scholarly conference before, but Uffelman was quick to reassure them.

“They were prepared. They were all dynamite,” she said.

The group spent three days at the conference, and their ability to attend was another source of jealousy among the other participants. That’s because the APSU students received full funding by the University to attend.

“We had funding from student affairs,” Carter said. “Tammy Bryant (director of student affairs) and Cindy McElroy (student affairs administrative assistant) helped us out a great deal. Dr. Dewey Browder (chair of the APSU history department) was extremely generous and Pam Allen (history department administrative assistant) was helping coordinate with student affairs. Without their help, could we have done it? No.”

“When I said our university completely funded our trip,” Sloan added, “both the girls on my panel looked at me like, ‘Are you kidding?’ They took care of everything.”

Academic conferences provide vital opportunities and experiences for college students wishing to continue on with either graduate study or professional academic careers.

“Phi Alpha Theta is the vehicle through which we are able to network with our future colleagues,” Carter said. “And if Dr. Uffelman didn’t see to it that we get there, we wouldn’t go to these conventions and present and have these forward-looking opportunities.”

For more information on the convention or the local PAT chapter, contact Uffelman at uffelmanm@apsu.edu.

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PHOTO CUTLINE: APSU alum Jennifer Montgomery, APSU graduate student Deanna Carter, APSU associate professor of history Dr. Minoa Uffelman, APSU student Robin Sloan and APSU student Sammy Weakley gather at the national Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society Conference earlier this month.