All 17 GOVing Tuesday fundable projects were fully funded by the close of the campaign on Dec. 2--with an additional $12,000 raised beyond the goal to support Funds of Excellence across participating areas. In total, the campaign raised $75,670.36--the highest dollar amount and the greatest number of gifts in GOVing Tuesday history.

Austin Peay State University's AI Symposium broke new ground this year by featuring student presenters alongside faculty and staff, with participants leading a campus-wide conversation about artificial intelligence.

APSU has received the NCAA's Accelerating Academic Success Program (AASP) grant for the third straight year and is among 19 Division I institutions receiving funding for the 2025-26 cycle. Funding will be used to significantly expand the university's laptop loaner program for student-athletes.

Barnett, an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Specialties and coordinator of the Master of Arts in Education in educational leadership studies, brings a unique combination of academic excellence and real-world leadership experience to the role. Under her leadership, the educational leadership studies program has experienced a 147% growth in enrollment over the past five years.

Utilizing marketing faculty expertise for common holiday shopping challenges, APSU's Dr. John Volker has developed practical AI prompts that can be used for budgeting, product comparison, and gift recommendations to help shoppers avoid falling prey to sales tactics and overspending.

Aakhu is a founding member of the Ma'at Production Association of Afrikan Centered Theatre (MPAACT) and has developed several critically acclaimed works for the organization. He also writes for television and feature films.

Senior kinesiology major Ben Grandchamp recently won a strongman competition and earned the prestigious Ricondo badge at ROTC training while pursuing his degree.

The day will begin with the board's Academic Affairs Committee meeting at 8:15 a.m., followed by the Student Affairs Committee, Business and Finance Committee, and Audit Committee meetings consecutively thereafter.

The campaign, APSU's version of the national Giving Tuesday movement, is raising money for 17 campus projects through Tuesday, Dec. 2. Donors can contribute to fundable projects spanning every academic college and unit.

The funding allowed students to take on projects ranging from international music masterclasses to animation development and dance performances.

Austin Peay State University's College of STEM has named Dr. Chris Gentry as its first professionalized associate dean, effective Jan. 1, 2026. Gentry, former chair of Earth and Environmental Sciences, will oversee student success, faculty development and college operations.

To qualify for the scholarship, recipients must be football players enrolled full-time at APSU. The scholarship is renewable and gives preference to students from Georgia, followed by Montgomery County, Tennessee.

Dr. Jennifer Thompson, Austin Peay State University radiologic technology professor and program director, won the national Minnies Award for Most Effective Radiologic Science Educator from AuntMinnie.com, recognizing her 17-year commitment to student success and innovation in medical imaging education.

Calleway Schmidt spent six weeks in Rzeszów working alongside Ukranian and Polish students through the International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) program, continuing a partnership that APSU began in 2022.

Mwangi has more than 15 years of branding and design experience, and is the founder of the Memphis-based Cheers Creative. She also serves as a consultant, website strategist, and public speaker. Her visit was made possible through the Department of Art + Design and the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts (CECA).

The Department of Languages & Literature is hosting its 31st annual Bread and Words reading on Nov. 24, featuring student and faculty performances. Proceeds from the event will support the APSU Food Pantry.

From scholarship loss to student-investment chief, Austin Peay senior Citlali "Cici" Dominguez juggles RA duty, three internships and mentoring her brother, using grit to find opportunity.

Austin Peay State University is positioning itself as a leader in military psychology with the addition of Dr. Stephen Truhon as consulting editor for the Military Psychology journal, a new PsyD concentration in serving military populations, and the hiring of assistant professor Dr. Erica Adkins.

Arielle Lawrence was always fascinated by programming, and her dedication led her to attend APSU as a first-generation college student. Now she's applying her skills as a cybersecurity intern with the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration.

New research by an assistant professor at Austin Peay State University found that a U.S. air-quality initiative from the early 2000s resulted in healthier newborns. Dr. Nahid Tavassoli, the study's author, made the discovery by analyzing birth records from 1995 to 2008.

Austin Peay State University's Department of Art + Design will offer free hands-on workshops, campus tours, and portfolio reviews during the event.

Dr. Edward W. Chester has established the Sr. Airman Gage Dean Chester Agriculture Endowment, which will provide two annual scholarships for students in the Department of Agriculture starting in Fall 2026.

Austin Peay State University's radiologic science program and its director, Dr. Jennifer Thompson, have been nominated for the 2025 Minnies, a national award campaign that has recognized excellence in radiology for 28 years.

Larry ('97) and Barbara Goolsby have established two endowments at Austin Peay State University to support athletic nutrition for all student-athletes and provide scholarships for military spouses pursuing higher education.

BMW of Nashville has expanded its partnership with Austin Peay State University as presenting sponsor of Veterans Week 2025, deepening support for military-affiliated students through enhanced programming and year-round engagement initiatives.

The show will run from Nov. 13-16 in the Mike and Sara Gotcher Theatre, located in the Trahern Building at APSU. Playwright Gina Femia and Farm Theater Executive/Artistic Director Padraic Lillis will also host a free playwriting masterclass on Nov. 13.

Zone 3 Press is hosting Molberg for a free public reading and book signing on November 13, 2025. She is the author of three poetry collections: Marvels of the Invisible; Refusal; and The Court of No Record.

The event also achieved another milestone by fully funding the Valerie Hunter-Kelly Endowment, ensuring permanent scholarship support for APSU health and human performance students.

The Department of Criminal Justice is integrating virtual reality into its curriculum this semester, and students recently used VR technology to practice interrogation techniques with AI-powered suspects.

To qualify for the scholarship, recipients must be enrolled in the Eriksson College of Education with an elementary focus, maintain full-time enrollment status, have a minimum GPA of 2.75 and demonstrate financial need.

Austin Peay State University's Institute for National Security and Military Studies has partnered with the Research Institute for European and American Studies to offer students a four-week intelligence internship in Athens, Greece.

Austin Peay State University will cover tuition for military spouses affected by MyCAA funding delays during the federal government shutdown. The expanded support follows APSU's commitment to cover Military Tuition Assistance for active-duty service members, reservists and National Guard students.

The three-minute film tells the story of an unlikely friendship between two cryptid creatures. It was screened alongside nearly 140 selections from around the world during the festival, which ran from Sept. 18-24.

Senior engineering physics major Steven Warth is advancing fusion energy research through his participation in the prestigious Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where he worked on faster computational methods for fusion reactor simulations.

Four distinguished military veterans will be inducted into the APSU Governors Military Hall of Fame Class of 2025, with a reception and dinner scheduled for Nov. 7.

Hospitality management student Hailey Dorsey represented APSU as one of 10 student ambassadors at the Tennessee Governor's Conference on Hospitality and Tourism, gaining behind-the-scenes experience in the state's $31.7 billion tourism industry.

A generous donation from Bristol S. Gannaway has established the Richard E. and Bristol S. Gannaway Memorial Endowment for APSU students. The fund, which she created before her passing, now memorializes two lifelong educators and historians.

Dr. Dwayne Estes, professor of biology, was recognized for his leadership of the Southeastern Grasslands Institute and grassland restoration efforts across the Eastern United States.

Phi Alpha Theta history received the Best Chapter Award in Division IV for the 2024-25 academic year, building on a long history of recognition at the organization's national level.

Austin Peay State University has received an estate gift from 1971 alumnus Richard G. Fraser to establish a tennis scholarship for student-athletes.

The Governor's Guard recently saw 12 cadets earn the Distinguished Military Graduate designation, marking the highest number in university history and placing it among top ROTC programs nationwide.

The Department of Music will present its free Choir Fest featuring performances from regional high schools and university ensembles on Oct. 29 in the Mabry Concert Hall.

A Brief* History* of Manmade* Spacefaring* Objects* (*Mostly) ran from Oct. 2-5 as part of APSU's New Musicals Project, with Gibson as assistant director. The one-act production sees personifications of Entropy, Curiosity, Hope, and Inevitability gather around a campfire at the end of the universe to reflect on humanity.

The university will provide TA-equivalent assistance to eligible students who have enrolled in Fall B classes as of Oct. 15 and were expecting to use TA for the term.

The Harnsberger/Jones Duo, featuring acclaimed marimba soloists Andy Harnsberger and Dr. Caitlin Jones, will perform a free public concert on at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 27, in Mabry Concert Hall.

Twenty-six native tree species grown on campus are available in 1-gallon and 3-gallon pots. They can be ordered online and will be available for pickup on Friday, Nov. 7, and Saturday, Nov. 8.

Rebecca Makkai, Haynes House Sanctuary, APSU, Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts (CECA), Andrea Spofford, Raymond Deeren, Clarksville, Tennessee, Zone 3 Writers' Festival, StoryStudio Chicago, Roy Acuff Chair of Excellence

In a recently published study, Dr. LeAnn Wills examines how rural school counselors serve as critical mental health providers in underserved communities while facing unique challenges like isolation and limited resources.

Joe and the late Cathi Maynard have created the JoAnn and Frank Hindsley Endowment to support APSU students affiliated with the U.S. Army who are pursuing arts degrees.

The senior biology major navigated a months-long selection process to become Austin Peay State University's student trustee, and now brings a student perspective to the board while the institution manages record enrollment.

Holloway, an active national mixed media artist, will give a lecture at 6 p.m. Oct. 28 in the Art + Design Building Room 120, and a gallery talk at noon Oct. 29 in The New Gallery.

The university will recognize military service ranks as equivalent to college degrees for most staff positions, opening new career pathways for veterans whose service duties align with posted job descriptions.

Rachel Bush, a graphic design professor at Austin Peay State University, cofounded the Say Yes to Recess advocacy group with Clarksville mothers Morgan Garner and Kathryn Truman. Now, they're building chapters across the U.S., championing recess in grades 6-12, and working to fund playground equipment for low-income schools.

The Institute for National Security and Military Studies is welcoming Dr. Vladimir Trapara from Serbia's Institute of International Politics and Economics as the university's first Fulbright Visiting Scholar since the 1999-2000 academic year.

The Department of Art + Design and CECA will host an exclusive prerelease screening of selections from Art21's "Artists and the Unknown" series followed by a panel discussion on Oct. 15.

During fiscal year 2025, APSU spent nearly $14 million to support research and community service projects through almost 200 awarded grants - the largest active number in the university's history.

Austin Peay State University will honor seven distinguished alumni as part of its Homecoming festivities, recognizing their excellence in healthcare, military service, financial services, community leadership, and more.

The accreditation represents the gold standard for engineering and engineering-related programs. Austin Peay is now one of three colleges across the state to offer nine or more ABET-accredited degree programs.

The 2025 Domino's Run for Govs 5K and Valerie Hunter-Kelly Run/Walk For the Govs 1K kicks off at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11, at the Pace Alumni Center on Emerald Hill, with day-of registration opening at 7 a.m.

The world-renowned autism advocate and author will host a community book signing and lecture titled "Great Minds Are Not All the Same" in the Music/Mass Communication Building.

The Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network (TSPN) presented Alonzo with the Mid-Cumberland Regional Award for her mental health advocacy during the organization's statewide conference, hosted Sept. 4-5 as part of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.

William Keener, an Austin Peay State University physics student, was recently chosen for the highly competitive Solar Physics Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at the Center for Astrophysics (CFA), a joint institution between Harvard and the Smithsonian.

Faculty from the Austin Peay State University School of Nursing have published a study in the Journal of Pediatric Surgical Nursing calling for holistic approaches to combat rising childhood obesity rates.

The endowment, named in honor of Austin Peay alumnus Dr. Joe Greer ('70), will support underrepresented students from Shelby and Dyer counties as they pursue higher education at APSU.

The Department of Theatre & Dance is presenting two new one-act musicals, "A *Brief *History of *Spacefaring *Objects (*Mostly)" and "Slotherhouse: The Musical," from October 2-5 in the Sara and Mike Gotcher Theatre.

Thirty-five years ago, Dr. Mike Phillips took a risk on a new career path he never planned: becoming a professor at Austin Peay State University. His dream of corporate America, where he pursued opportunities in real estate and finance operations, ended after experiencing one particular "bolt of lightning" moment that changed everything.

The Govs Gaming esports team defeated Middle Tennessee State University in a tiebreaker Tekken 8 competition at CDE Lightband's F2CON, securing their first trophy and a $2,500 prize.

Austin Peay State University's Symphony Orchestra performs Michael Shapiro's live score to the 1931 film "Frankenstein" on October 9, 2025. The Halloween concert features Grammy winner Shapiro's contemporary score plus "The Baby in Yellow" game music. Tickets: $5-$10.

Austin Peay State University's ROTC battalion hosted its annual Raider Challenge, pushing 176 Junior ROTC cadets from 12 regional high schools to their limits. The event tested teamwork, endurance, and leadership, with Ravenwood High School earning the top spot.

Clarinet Day is an opportunity for local clarinet students to engage in masterclasses and performances on APSU's campus. The evening recital, in Mabry Concert Hall at 6 p.m. on Sept. 28, is free and open to the public.

Abas, who worked live on campus as The New Gallery's first artist-in-residence over the summer, will discuss her exhibition "New Beginnings" and present a gallery talk on Sept. 25-26.

Austin Peay State University has received a National Science Foundation planning grant to help engineering physics and engineering technology students find their ideal academic path from day one, making Dr. Emmabeth Vaughn the first woman in APSU history to hold two NSF grants simultaneously.

Austin Peay State University commemorated the opening of its new 114,600-square-foot Health Professions Building, the largest academic building on campus, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony recognizing major donors and community partners.

Austin Peay State University's Institute for National Security and Military Studies is bringing national security expert Dr. Bruce E. Bechtol Jr. to Clarksville for two talks on North Korea's role in developing Iran's military capabilities on October 1.

Engineering physics student Ross Rodriguez worked on biodegradable composite materials that could be used to replace traditional plastics during a prestigious internship at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Google recently announced a $100,000 contribution to the Southeastern Grasslands Institute (SGI) at Austin Peay State University to support ecological restoration, improved water quality, and community engagement in the Spring Creek Watershed.

Austin Peay State University has announced a five-year partnership with Maury Regional Health, establishing two endowed funds to support medical laboratory sciences and nursing education programs.

Austin Peay State University's Department of Mathematics and Statistics has received Maynard Family Fund grants to support three projects including a data science summer camp, workplace readiness workshops, and a Sonia Kovalevsky Day for middle and high school students.

Those joining the division include Chris Oberholster, who is now director of philanthropy for the Southeastern Grasslands Institute (SGI); Susannah Shumate, who is now director of philanthropy for the Eriksson College of Education, the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences, and the Woodward Library; and Shelly Iosefo, who is now philanthropy specialist.

Animation duo Tom and Tony Bancroft, who have worked on iconic Disney films such as The Lion King, Mulan, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast, will speak at Austin Peay State University during a free public event at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11 in Art + Design Room 120.

APSU has achieved its highest enrollment figures to date, with 11,185 registered students according to official enrollment data.

After blooming for the first time this summer, APSU's rare corpse flower Athena has reunited with her brother Zeus in the university's greenhouse.

Woltmann, a professor of biology, will discuss bird migration mysteries and tracking technology at the Customs House Museum's Sunday lecture series on Sept. 7.

The Montgomery County Farm Bureau has established an agriculture endowment at APSU to support junior and senior agriculture majors, with scholarships for future farmers, technicians, and research scientists.

Austin Peay State University's inaugural Summer Internship Program transformed students' career paths and community bonds in Clarksville-Montgomery County. This 10-week paid program, a partnership with the APSU Career Success Center and Workforce Essentials, provided hands-on experience, professional development, and job opportunities with local businesses like Trane Technologies and CDE Lightband.

Marching bands, athletic teams, student organizations, JROTC programs, dance teams, cheerleaders, nonprofits, and more are welcome to participate either as walkers or by entering a float or vehicle.

Austin Peay State University is entering the world of esports for the first time at noon on Saturday, Sept. 6, with Govs Gaming set to take on MTSU in a four-versus-four Tekken 8 event during CDE Lightband's F2CON.

The day will begin with the board's Academic Affairs Committee meeting at 8:45 a.m., followed by the Student Affairs Committee, Business and Finance Committee, and Audit Committee meetings consecutively thereafter.

The free event is open to students who are currently enrolled in a Teaching as a Profession (TAP) program in their school district, and will feature hands-on demonstrations, interactive sessions, and more.

Austin Peay's College of STEM welcomes seven new full-time faculty for 2025, expanding expertise across engineering, biology, chemistry, geology, computer science, and earth sciences. The hires enhance research, teaching, and student opportunities at Austin Peay.

The College of Business and Legends Bank's Fall 2025 Legends of Business speaker series will feature Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Stephanie Coleman (Sept. 10) and JTraining Solutions founder Joy Johnson-Carruthers (Oct. 29).

Austin Peay State University recently graduated its first students from Tennessee's first and only accredited Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) program, as part of an ongoing effort to address the state's critical mental healthcare shortage.

Austin Peay State University's Zone 3 Press, with support from the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, is hosting Pulitzer Prize nominee Rebecca Makkai at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 18, in the Mabry Concert Hall for a reading and book signing.

Austin Peay State University started the semester off strong with a record-high 1,780 volunteers contributing 3,221 service hours across Clarksville during the third annual Peayple in the Community - Day of Service.

Austin Peay State University has received a generous gift from the Estate of Joe Hendricks Fox to create the Hendricks Fox Football Scholarship, named in honor of one of the university's most storied players.

Science on Tap is a free, all-ages event series that features CoSTEM faculty presenting on fascinating topics to the community. Attendees have the opportunity to learn from experts, engage in thought-provoking discussions, and enjoy delicious local brews and food at Strawberry Alley Ale Works.

Future nurses, radiologic technologists, and medical laboratory scientists are now training side-by-side in Austin Peay State University's Health Professions Building, which opened this semester and aims to mirror real-world healthcare teams.

Dr. Stephanie Bilderback and Dr. Eren Cifci received the prestigious 2025 A.J. Taylor Distinguished Professorship Awards for their leadership in teaching and research.

The APSU Board of Trustees approved namings for three spaces in the new Health Professions Building during a special called meeting on Thursday, Aug. 21.

The Austin Peay State University community is saddened by the passing of alumnus Malik Charles Taylor, a 2020 business administration graduate and digital content creator known for pop culture commentary on YouTube and TikTok. He was 28.