Recognizing excellence: Austin Peay celebrates faculty award winners
By: Brian Dunn August 15, 2023
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - On Aug. 14, Austin Peay State University (APSU) President Mike Licari and Provost & Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Maria Cronley honored several outstanding faculty members during an awards ceremony in the George and Sharon Mabry Concert Hall.
Recipients were recognized for their dedication, hard work and exceptional performance through several awards. They include:
APSU National Alumni Association Distinguished Professor Award
The APSU National Alumni Association Distinguished Professor Award was presented to Dr. Tamara Smithers, a Department of Art and Design professor.
“Dr. Smithers’ passion for her own fields and community engagement in the arts directly impacts her students,” Licari said. “She goes above and beyond the art curriculum to participate as an instructor and faculty mentor to incoming first-year students in their APSU 1000 course. This is evidence of her deep desire to connect with students and help them find success both during and after their time at APSU.”
Smithers is an active leader in her department and college, and she was recently a developer and core founding board member of the Institute for the Public Humanities at APSU. She has participated in APSU’s Faculty Teaching Program and visited conferences and museums to hone her skills as an educator. She also has taken students abroad, traveling to London and Italy to help immerse them in global art scenes.
Richard M. Hawkins Award
The Richard M. Hawkins Award recognizes a faculty member nominated by their peers who has made noteworthy contributions to scholarship and creative activity. This year’s winner is Dr. Rebecca Johansen, a professor of biology and a principal investigator in the Center of Excellence for Field Biology.
Johansen’s career at Austin Peay has centered on a vigorous research program and diligent mentorship of students and their research. She has earned over $1.2 million in external funding from state and federal agencies, as well as the National Science Foundation. She has 17 peer-reviewed publications and has given nearly 100 presentations, many of which were co-authored or co-presented with her students.
Her expertise in regional ichthyology means she is widely respected in her field, where her contributions to conservation genetics and ecology have elevated the work of many biologists.
Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Faculty Award for Community Service
This award honors service to the greater Clarksville community, emphasizing contributions that have enhanced the quality of life in Clarksville and Montgomery County.
This year’s winner is Michelle Rogers, master instructor in the Department of Biology and the Center of Excellence for Field Biology. Rogers’ efforts with the Healthy Yards program — a partnership between the Center of Excellence for Field Biology and Clarksville’s Sustainability Board (later adopted by Montgomery County) — helped to educate residents to create healthier habitats for pollinators while avoiding harmful chemicals.
On Oct. 6, 2022, Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts recognized Rogers’ work as the city adopted the program.
She speaks regularly at events and workshops at Austin Peay and across the region.
Tenured Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching
The Tenured Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching is given for outstanding teaching, advising and pedagogical scholarship by a tenured faculty member. The inaugural recipient is Dr. Kadi Bliss, a Department of Health and Human Performance professor.
Since 2014, Bliss has been an eminent leader at Austin Peay. She dedicates her time to helping her students acquire skills to pursue careers in public health. Equally significant is Bliss’ bond with her students, who rely on her for her expertise, direction and sympathy. Her scholarship centers on original teaching methods in her field, demonstrating her proficiency as a health educator and her dedication to her scholarly community.
Socrates Award
The Socrates Awards recognize excellence in teaching for tenure-track faculty.
- College of Arts and Letters: Dr. Michael Chandler, assistant professor in the Department of Music and coordinator of music education at Austin Peay. Chandler boasts 25 years of successful music pedagogy, which is evident in his work with future music teachers. He works across colleges to advise and mentor music undergraduates in student-teacher experiences. He recently contributed to a kindergarten through sixth grade music pedagogy and curriculum publication through McGraw Hill.
- College of Behavioral and Health Sciences: Dr. Leslie Binford, assistant professor in the School of Nursing. As a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, Binford brings over a decade of nursing experience into her classroom and expertly uses her background to support student learning and engagement in the nursing program. Her expertise also contributed heavily to her work in developing a new psychiatric mental health concentration in the Master of Science in Nursing program.
- College of Business: Dr. Brandon Di Paolo Harrison, assistant professor in the Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics. As an APSU alumnus, Di Paolo Harrison constantly reflects on his courses and pedagogy, showing a deep commitment to providing excellent student experiences. Students don’t only respect him for his personability, however. He brings industry experience and expertise that have helped shape the accounting major and incorporate 21st-century skills into the curriculum. He also developed a study abroad program where students can take international accounting and global business courses in Argentina.
- Eriksson College of Education: Dr. Donna Short, assistant professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning and the Jack Hunt STEM Center co-director. Short personifies excellence in teaching, both in her previous career in K-12 education and now as she trains future educators. She is an exemplary adviser, guiding students as they prepare for careers in education. Through her work with the Jack Hunt STEM Center and in local schools as a regular guest lecturer, Short is a guiding light and positive force for STEM education in our community and beyond.
- College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics: Dr. Erik Haroldson, associate professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. Haroldson is a widely published expert in his field and consistently strives to hone his craft in science pedagogy. He actively reflects on his teaching and implements strategies and practices learned through geosciences educator conferences and publications. Some of his recent works have contributed to that literature, such as a publication on improv games and another on open educational resources in upper-division labs.