Dr. Karen Meisch named dean of APSU College of STEM
Dr. Karen Meisch, interim dean of the Austin Peay State University College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), was recently named the official dean of that college.
Dr. Jaime Taylor, former dean of the College of STEM, left that post in 2017 to serve as a presidential fellow. In 2018, he was named provost at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Meisch has served as interim dean since Taylor’s original departure and while the University conducted a national search to fill the position.
Meisch arrived at Austin Peay in 2007 as assistant professor of biology. She went on to serve as assistant chair of the Department of Biology, as the associate dean of the College of STEM for four years and as the interim dean for the last three years.
“Dr. Meisch has done an incredible job shepherding this college over the last three years, including helping establish the state’s first bachelor’s degree program in aviation science with a concentration in rotor wing,” Dr. Rex Gandy, APSU provost and vice president for academic affairs, said. “She has helped shine a local and national spotlight on our STEM programs through initiatives such as the 2017 PeayClipse celebration and Science on Tap. I know she’ll continue to move the College of STEM forward in the years to come.”
While serving as interim dean, Meisch helped establish the University’s first Intergovernmental Support Agreement with Fort Campbell, allowing APSU faculty and students to identify wetland ecosystems at the 105,000-acre Army post. She also helped create Austin Peay’s Industry Summit – an annual event that seeks to align educational resources and programs with the needs of local industries.
“I am extremely honored to have had the opportunity to represent the faculty, staff and students in the College of STEM for the past several years, and I am excited about being able to continue in this capacity,” Meisch said. “Through this current crisis, I have continued to see the amazing work and dedication of so many people across all areas of this campus and Clarksville community. While receiving this position is something I am proud of, being a member of such an amazing campus and community is my proudest moment.”
Meisch earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Ashland University in Ohio and her Ph.D. in biological sciences from Vanderbilt University.
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