Austin Peay State University creative writing students recently traveled to Chicago for an immersive literary experience with Pulitzer Prize finalist Rebecca Makkai, the 2025-2026 Roy Acuff Chair of Excellence, visiting the American Writers Museum, Chicago's Literary Hall of Fame, and the historic Fine Arts Building.

Hosted by the Full Spectrum Learning (FSL) program in partnership with the Career Success Center (CSC) and the Disability Student Success Center (DSSC), the event changes the traditional career fair model by letting students host tables for employers.

Austin Peay State University is inviting high school students to explore healthcare careers this summer through three hands-on programs, including a free residential Healthcare Explorers Camp, the Future Nurse Summer Academy, and Nursing Specialty Intensive Days focused on areas such as maternal care, pediatrics, and critical care.

Through a new partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, APSU students and faculty will gain access to specialized workforce development opportunities, including team-taught courses with ORNL subject matter experts, direct mentorship, internship pathways, and on-site engagement at one of the world's premier research institutions.

Austin Peay State University's Department of Music will host its annual Outdoor Sensory-Friendly Music and Movement concert from 1:30-3 p.m. on Saturday, April 18, at the AP Bowl, wrapping up Autism Awareness Week and marking 10 years of Full Spectrum Learning.

Austin Peay State University's Department of Art + Design, with support from the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, is hosting the 58th Annual Juried Student Exhibition through April 29 in The New Gallery, featuring 55 works from 45 student artists juried by CDC Chief Design Officer Cesar Rivera.

Austin Peay State University will host a large-scale interdisciplinary emergency response simulation on Monday, April 13, involving approximately 250 participants across seven disciplines as students work through an impaired-driving scenario.

Baron, a professor of communication and former department chair, has spent over a decade building programs and partnerships at Austin Peay. Since arriving in 2012, he has grown the university's footprint in social and digital media and led the Department of Communication through COVID-era challenges.

Austin Peay State University is hosting Plant the Campus Red on Thursday, April 23, continuing a tradition that began in 1999 when campus and community members came together to revitalize the grounds after a devastating tornado.

The multi-day festival was organized by students in APSU's Zone 3 Internship course and will welcome writers from across the country, including Makkai, her guests, Kim Brooks and Jessie Van Eerden, and Zone 3 Journal Editor's Prize winners Francesca Leader, Nicole Yurcaba, and Jacob Vaus.

Professor Emeritus Dr. Solie Fott, a driving force in the establishment of Austin Peay State University's Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, passed on Monday, April 6, 2026, at his home in Clarksville, Tennessee. An accomplished violinist and fiddle player, Fott's legacy at APSU is one of deep generosity to students and an abiding commitment to the arts.

The Department of Theatre & Dance, with support from the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, will present "LIZZIE: The Musical," a rock exploration of the Lizzie Borden story, from April 16-19 in the Mike and Sara Gotcher Theatre.

A research team in the Department of Biology is working to identify and provide dignified burials for nine human skeletons and dozens of loose bones believed to be connected to the illegal body trade that shipped remains from India to medical schools from the late 1800s to the 1980s.

Austin Peay State University sophomore Erin-Kate Roeder is balancing one of the most demanding majors on campus -- engineering physics -- with her role as goalie on the university's inaugural women's lacrosse team, with sights set on a career in biomedical engineering and 3D-printed prosthetics.

Austin Peay State University's Full Spectrum Learning program celebrates its 10th anniversary with Autism Awareness Week events April 13-18. Free and open to the public, the week features workshops, a student showcase, a forum, and an anniversary celebration honoring a decade of supporting neurodiverse students.

Austin Peay State University's chapter of the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society recently inducted 143 first-year students during a ceremony in Clement Auditorium, marking the largest cohort since 2014.

The Austin Peay State University Board of Trustees will host its quarterly meetings on Friday, April 10, at the O'Malley Family Welcome Center, beginning with committee sessions at 8:15 a.m. followed by a full board meeting.

Five Austin Peay State University business students have co-authored a study published in the Journal of International Education in Business, analyzing wage trajectories for more than one million college graduates and finding a strong association between integrated academic experiences and higher long-term earnings.

The Austin Peay State University College of STEM will host its next Science on Tap event at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7, at Strawberry Alley Ale Works, featuring a presentation on organ donation from Samantha Robinson, an assistant professor of radiography and three-time organ transplant recipient.

Seventy-nine native species will be available for purchase online through April 30, with proceeds benefiting the APSU arboretum.

Austin Peay State University has received a gift from Terry ('77, '79) and Valen Cox to establish the Valen A. Cox Scholarship Endowment, which will provide annual scholarships beginning in Fall 2027 with first priority for military spouses of active-duty U.S. Army soldiers.

A group of Austin Peay State University students traveled to Belgrade, Serbia, over spring break to study national security through the university's Institute for National Security and Military Studies, engaging with leading Serbian scholars and policymakers at the Institute of International Politics and Economics.

Austin Peay State University's Woodward Library will host a free book giveaway from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1, in the library lobby, offering more than 1,100 books for all ages and interests.

Prihodova is a curator, artist, and arts administrator with over a decade of experience working across academic galleries and international cultural institutions.

Austin Peay State University's Woodward Library Society will host its annual Spring Social on Saturday, April 18, in the Morgan University Center Ballroom, featuring a presentation from Chief Warrant Officer 2 Nick Lavery, the first above-the-knee amputee to return to operational status in U.S. Army Special Forces history.

Two Austin Peay State University graduate students from Belize are producing what is believed to be the first international Belizean musical, telling the story of Nora Parham, a woman wrongfully executed in 1963. An abbreviated version will premiere at the APSU Fringe on May 2 in Trahern Theatre.

Austin Peay State University has named Dr. Lisa Sullivan, a longtime faculty leader and APSU alumna who served as the Department of Chemistry's chair for 12 years, as the university's senior vice provost and senior associate vice president for faculty affairs.

Govs Give 2026, Austin Peay State University's 10th annual day of giving, has raised $423,866 with 1,290 gifts, bringing the campaign's decade-long total to more than $3 million in support of student success.

The 268-page book, "Teaching Labor History in the United States, 1850-2020," brings together scholars and educators to address what Attwood identifies as a significant gap in secondary education: the marginalization of labor history in standard social studies curricula for grades 6-12.

The effort will concentrate on areas with heavy foot traffic between classes, and the department says enforcement and visibility will remain ongoing priorities.

The College of STEM has opened registration for its 2026 summer camps, offering programs in space exploration, data science, robotics, and coding for students in multiple age groups.

The Office of Community Engagement and Sustainability (CES) is expanding its campus initiatives this spring after student volunteers collected a record 330.6 pounds of recyclables during the 2025 football season.

After winning the first Atlantic Sun Conference Championship in program history during the team's most successful season in nearly two decades, Austin Peay State University head basketball coach Corey Gipson has agreed to a contract extension through the 2029-30 season.

Austin Peay State University's Department of Music, with support from the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, will present Piano Fest from March 25-27, as part of CECA's 40th anniversary celebration. All events are free and open to the public and will be held in the Mabry Concert Hall.

Participants can donate from 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 17, to 7:27 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18--a total of 1 day, 9 hours, and 27 minutes, honoring Austin Peay's founding year of 1927.

The Austin Peay State University Food Pantry has announced a major partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, increasing the volume of resources available for students as they prepare to move into the Millan Foundation Impact Center next year.

McConnell, a former secondary science teacher, has served the Eriksson College of Education in multiple leadership roles, most recently as interim dean. He previously served as associate dean of assessment and accreditation, chair of the Department of Educational Specialties, and professor of educational research.

Austin Peay alumnus Nicholas Herrud has been awarded a Fulbright to conduct archival research in Vilnius, Lithuania. Now a doctoral candidate at Notre Dame, Herrud is exploring the history of the Polish and Soviet borderlands between the World Wars. Read his story.

The Department of Music, with support from the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, will present the 21st annual GuitarFest from March 16-17. All events are free and open to the public, and guest artists will perform at 7:30 p.m. on both days in the Art + Design Building's Heydel Hall.

The Department of Music has announced that the APSU saxophone ensemble was accepted to perform at this year's North American Saxophone Alliance conference, which will be held at The Ohio State University from March 12-15.

To qualify for this renewable scholarship, students must be enrolled full-time in the computer science or quantitative methods graduate programs and maintain a 3.0 GPA. Priority will be given to international students, and the funds can also be used to provide graduate assistant stipends if no qualified recipients are available.

Natalee (Rae) Daniels and Jessica Sun of Middle College at Austin Peay State University were recently selected from among students nationwide to present their literary research at the Sigma Tau Delta International English Convention, to be held from March 29 to April 1 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Dr. Joanne Philhower, an assistant professor in the Eriksson College of Education, and Jasmin Linares, assistant vice president for Military and Veterans Affairs, met with veteran students in focus groups throughout the 2025-26 academic year to identify key takeaways. They discussed their findings during the Association of Teacher Educators Annual Meeting in Arlington, Virginia, held Feb. 8-11.

Leverett, a certified Christian Leadership Coach from Newark, New Jersey, has served on the Montgomery County Commission since 2018. She authored The Four Sights of Visionary Leadership, published in February 2025, based on her TEDx Talk of the same name.

In remote mountain schools on Costa Rica's Caribbean side, children saw brass instruments up close for the first time when Austin Peay State University's Aurum Sonor Brass Quintet arrived to begin a 10-day run of concerts, master classes, and community outreach from Limón to San José.

Austin Peay State University's annual Asanbe-Eichhorn Symposium will take place at 1 p.m. on March 19 in Morgan University Center Rooms 303-305. The free public event will feature a keynote address from author and genealogy expert John F. Baker Jr., followed by a panel discussion.

While most students were still on winter break, several Austin Peay State University mathematics and biology majors were experiencing Alaska's unforgiving January weather--and loving every minute of it.

The Rural Education Conference brings together educators, researchers, policymakers, and community leaders worldwide to explore innovations, challenges and opportunities in rural education. Topics include supporting literacy in rural schools, student mental health, leveraging AI in the classroom, and more.

The Southeastern Grasslands Institute has received a significant grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's America's Ecosystem Restoration Initiative. The funding will be used to identify, restore, and reconstruct approximately 2,500 acres of grasslands in Central Tennessee over the next four years.

Written by acclaimed playwright Daniel Pearle, the production examines a married couple's struggles as they navigate their roles as parents to a gender-nonconforming child.

The event, a partnership with Convoy of Hope and U.S. Hunger, will see the meals distributed based on need to international communities facing hunger and food insecurity. Pastor Mike Burnette with LifePoint Church developed the project idea, while APSU Athletics provided the location and significant volunteer support.

The Austin Peay State University Department of Music, with support from the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, has named Giancarlos Jose Carvajal Fonseca and Tyler Orendorff as the winners of the 2025-26 Concerto & Aria Competition, with an honorable mention awarded to Cal Luzzo.

Dr. Alex Adams, an assistant professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance, has published one of the first comprehensive reviews of appropriate practices for K-12 online physical education--addressing a growing need as virtual enrollment remains above pre-pandemic levels nationwide.

Madison Pertuset set her sights on Africa's highest peak with the same determination she brings to her marketing studies at Austin Peay State University, and her persistence paid off when she reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro over winter break.

Dr. Kevin Harris and Dr. Emily Pica will host a free community talk on performance psychology and skill development at Old Glory Distillery on Feb. 26, sharing how evidence-based strategies can sustain long-term growth.

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) provided the funding for SGI to establish a comprehensive native seed collection program across Alabama, addressing critical gaps in restoration readiness throughout the state's grassland and open woodland ecosystems.

The free public symposium will feature letterpress and typographic demonstrations along with short evening lectures from artist-designers Heather Moulder, Cory Wasnewsky, Celene Aubry, and Kathleen O'Connell.

Austin Peay State University's Zone 3 Press, with support from the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, is hosting NEA Creative Writing Fellowship recipient and award-winning writer Toni Jensen for a free public reading and book signing at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 19, in Art + Design Room 120. 

David Hogan of Ribbon Communications and David "Buck" Dellinger of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Economic Development Council (EDC) will share their real-world perspectives on leadership, innovation, and career development during this semester's speaker series.

Title III grant funding recently allowed 16 faculty members from across campus to participate in the Career Readiness Academy, an extended workshop series focused on labor market tools, curriculum development, and National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) competencies.

The collaborative research project will explore how custom-designed drones can support communities during natural disasters and enhance healthcare delivery, particularly in areas that are difficult to access through traditional means.

Austin Peay State University has named two-time alumnus and former baseball player Jordan Harmon as the 15th Director of Athletics. A St. Louis native, Harmon returns to lead the Governors, focusing on student-athlete development and driving momentum for APSU Athletics.

APSU accounting students are ready for another successful tax season, partnering with United Way of Greater Nashville (UWGN) to provide free tax preparation services to community members through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.

The Tennessee Holocaust Commission, in partnership with Austin Peay State University, will host "Auschwitz: Investigations and Legacies" from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, in APSU's Morgan University Center Room 307.

Dr. Frank Ferdik, assistant professor of criminal justice, is serving as a co-principal investigator on a $200,000 grant project awarded by the government of Canada to examine mental health, organizational stress, and leadership practices across the country's public safety sector.

Austin Peay State University's Wind Ensemble has been selected to perform at the 2026 College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) Southern Division Conference in Tampa, Florida, on Thursday, Feb. 19.

Professor Margaret Rennerfeldt is the artistic director for the concert, which features works by Nashville-based dance collective New Dialect, Fuse, and the Austin Peay dance faculty.

Newly released data shows that APSU candidates achieved a 64% first-time pass rate for tests taken between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, well above the statewide average of 43%.

To qualify for this scholarship, recipients must be juniors or seniors with a pre-professional health advisor and maintain a minimum 3.2 GPA. Eligible students must be majoring in chemistry, biology, mathematics, or physics and be involved in a campus or community organization.

This semester's Science on Tap series will feature faculty presentations on topics ranging from mathematics and environmental conservation to organ donation and the intersection of science and art.

Austin Peay State University (APSU) is mourning the loss of President Emeritus Dr. Sherry Hoppe, the university's first female president and a leader credited with steering the institution through some of its most precarious financial chapters toward an era of unprecedented growth.

In a recently published study, APSU nursing researchers examined how unresolved grief affects physical health, linking prolonged loss to immune dysfunction, inflammation, and increased risk of chronic disease.

The two-day event, co-organized by the Institute of International Politics and Economics (IIPE) in Belgrade and the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS) in Beijing, brought together more than 130 scholars and officials from 34 countries, including participants from Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

Through this fellowship, Booker will receive $5,000 to create new artwork and additional funding to present a free artist lecture at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 12, at the Frist Art Museum in Nashville.

New research from Austin Peay State University challenges assumptions about childhood adversity, finding that children's developmental outcomes are shaped more by broader environmental factors and sustained family support than by single experiences like parental incarceration.

To qualify for this scholarship, students must be enrolled in APSU's College of Business undergraduate program, a graduate program in business administration, or a comparable business graduate degree and be a graduate of any Tennessee high school.

Hospitality management student Kameron Young transformed from a hesitant newcomer to a confident campus participant through the College of Business's Living Learning Community.

Kershner, an associate professor in Austin Peay State University's Department of Languages and Literature, recently earned the 2025 Award for Excellence in Teaching at the College Level from the Society for Classical Studies (SCS).

The Eriksson College of Education recently launched Tennessee's first Principal Registered Apprenticeship Program (PRAP), a groundbreaking initiative to train the next generation of school leaders through a federally approved "earn while you learn" model.

The Department of Physics, Engineering and Astronomy is offering free stargazing opportunities throughout the semester, with the first event scheduled for Jan. 24.

As a first-generation college student originally from Paso Robles, California, Teen Tennessee Petite winner Rylei Johnson is using her time at Austin Peay State University to maximize her impact through community outreach and education.

For the second consecutive year, Austin Peay State University (APSU) and the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) will sponsor two drone shows at the New Year's Eve Party, hosted by Montgomery County Parks and Recreation at the Downtown Commons.

As holiday stress rises for many Tennesseans, Austin Peay State University's Dr. Debra Rose Wilson says one of the simplest forms of relief may already be curled up on the living room floor.

Alumna Ginny Gray Davis and her husband Craig establish the Virginia Rosenbalm Gray Future Educator Endowment at Austin Peay State University to support education majors in honor of Davis's mother, a longtime Dickson County Schools educator.

Participants connected with student volunteers, discussed potential internship programs, and learned about upcoming opportunities including the annual Peayple in the Community - Day of Service.

The Graduating Class Gift Campaign, established in 2018, helps support college-specific funds and essential student resources across campus.

The event, held in the Morgan University Center Ballroom, brought together students from Teaching as a Profession (TAP) programs across Middle Tennessee for a morning of hands-on activities, demonstrations, and networking opportunities.

Graduating seniors from Austin Peay State University's Eriksson College of Education achieved the program's highest edTPA passing rate and scores since the university adopted the assessment in 2013, positioning these newly licensed teachers to succeed in Tennessee's classrooms.

Austin Peay State University Middle College students are leading campus-wide bird strike research through the Bird Alliance, documenting window collisions and contributing to ongoing conservation efforts that have significantly reduced bird deaths on campus.

A generous gift from the estate of Joe Bryan Robertson will support the operations of the Southeastern Grasslands Institute (SGI), part of Austin Peay State University's Center of Excellence for Field Biology.

Mary Lee McCreary Rugraff ('41) attended Austin Peay State College on a music scholarship and performed as a soprano soloist. Music was her lifetime passion, and in addition to funding APSU music scholarships, she supported the music program at her church with gifts to the endowment.

The award from the Tennessee Department of Education will provide funding for teacher apprentices through July 2027. The Grow Your Own Teacher Residency provides a no-cost pathway to a teaching career and was named the first federally-registered teacher apprenticeship in the nation.

The naming recognizes the Millan Foundation's transformational gift-in-place donation--APSU's first privately-funded donation of this type--which will expand the food pantry's capacity to serve 35% more students facing food insecurity.

This semester's graduating class includes approximately 1,157 students. Undergraduate and graduate students from each of the university's academic colleges will be recognized.

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.