Dear Faculty Colleagues,

With today being Tax Day, it’s hard to believe that we are also just two short weeks away from the last day of classes for the Spring 2026 semester! The time has moved quickly, but not without the tremendous dedication, care, and effort each of you has poured into your teaching, mentoring, and service. Wishing you continued energy and focus as we approach the finish line!

First-Year Faculty Cohort
On April 6, we had a wonderful session with Whitney Milliken, Executive Director of University Student Success, focused on the academic advising our FYF cohort will begin this fall. She emphasized the shared responsibility we hold in supporting student persistence and achievement from day one, highlighting key data on retention and progression. Whitney also offered practical, faculty-centered strategies — such as early alerts, transparent assignment design, and proactive outreach — to support student success. Each of us plays a vital role in helping students develop the academic habits and sense of belonging that are essential to their long-term success.

On April 13, Dr. Melissa Kates, Chair of the Department of Leadership and former CAFE Director, led an engaging session on managing time, energy, and resources — an essential skill for our FYF cohort to begin developing at this early stage. Drawing on the work of Oliver Burkeman, she guided participants through a values-based exercise using a 52-card deck, ultimately narrowing their focus to the five values they consider most important in their lives and leadership. She also encouraged the group to reflect on five current to-do list items and organizing them into meaningful categories for thoughtful completion.  I appreciate the time she made for the cohort and answering any questions or concerns they had about APSU thus far!

Upcoming Events
Here’s a quick look at upcoming opportunities for and by faculty:

• Fahnestock, April Lunch & Learn - Apr 16
• Wesley, CoAL Faculty Research Spotlight - Apr 20
• Wilson, Invisible Wounds Presentation - Apr 20
• Concourse Demo Session for Faculty - May 6

Legal Affairs Workshop - thank you! 
Thank you all for your great attendance and engagement at the Legal Affairs Workshop yesterday afternoon!  We hope to offer another session with further information for faculty with Dannelle Whiteside and Carol Clark before we leave for summer break.  Look for more information on that from me soon!

August 2026 Calendar
Our August 2026 faculty calendar is shaping up nicely!  We have a meaningful day of programming planned for you on our theme, The Value of Higher Education - 100 Years of APSU.  I'm excited to share the details with you very soon!   

CAFE Calendar 
I'll continue to update our CAFE Calendar as more events and sessions become finalized.  Be sure to bookmark it and add any events directly to your Outlook calendar. 

As always, I welcome your ideas on how CAFE can better serve you.  Please don't hesitate to reach out at williamsjj@apsu.edu or 931-221-7648.

As we enter these final two weeks of the semester, I want to encourage you to hang in and stay strong through the finish. This is a time when our energy, presence, and consistency matter more than ever — our students are watching us closely for cues on how to navigate moments of fatigue and pressure. The tone we set can make a lasting difference in how they finish the term. I believe deeply in the work you are doing and the impact you continue to have on our students each day. Let’s finish with the same care, commitment, and purpose that has carried us this far!

Yours always,
Jeff 

A place develoted to celebrating the achievements of our APSU faculty colleagues!

Baron named associate dean for APSU’s College of Arts and Letters

Dr. Robert Baron has been named associate dean of the College of Arts & Letters at Austin Peay State University, with his new role beginning August 1. A longtime faculty member and professor of communication, Baron has been at APSU since 2012 and previously served as department chair, where he expanded programs in digital and social media and guided the department through major transitions, including the COVID-19 period.

As associate dean, he will oversee curriculum, accreditation, faculty support, scheduling, and enrollment management, and will also assist with adjunct and graduate instructor development.

Baron holds degrees from the University of Minnesota and researches digital communication, social media, and emerging technologies. Known for his collaborative leadership style, he is expected to help strengthen academic programs and support student success across the college.

Ferdik published in the American Journal of Criminal Justice

Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, Dr. Frank Ferdik's new article, “Workplace Characteristics and Mental Illness among Canadian Correctional Leaders: A Short Report,” sheds light on the mental health challenges faced by correctional leaders, emphasizing the need for targeted wellness interventions to support those responsible for maintaining safe and effective correctional systems.

Bilderback published Social Media Use study in Education Innovation

Dr. Stephanie Bilderback recently published a study on "Professional social media use on LinkedIn and mental health among business students" (2026) that was featured in  Education Innovations: Systems and Future Learning, Vol. 1 No. 1 pp. 96–110.

The study aims to examine the impact of professional social media use, specifically LinkedIn, on career confidence and mental health among undergraduate and graduate business students. While general social media use is often associated with adverse academic and psychological outcomes, this research investigates whether professionally oriented digital engagement can serve as a protective factor against these effects.I'm a new paragraph block.

Philhower & Linares discuss how military experience preps veterans for teaching at national conference

Dr. Joanne Philhower and Jasmin Linares recently presented at the Association of Teacher Educators Annual Meeting on how military experience equips veterans with skills for the classroom. Their research, based on focus groups with veteran students, highlighted strengths such as classroom management, adaptability, leadership, and relationship-building—skills that translate directly from military service to teaching.

The study also supports ongoing efforts at APSU to recruit veterans into education and address teacher shortages through targeted programming and support systems, positioning teaching as a continued pathway of service for military-affiliated students.

Perry and co-authors present research paper at IEEE Conference

Dr. Sabrina Perry, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, along with her co-authors, presented their refereed research paper, "A Systematic Evaluation of Data Poisoning Severity Under Label Flipping and Gradient Manipulation-Based Attacks", at IEEE SoutheastCon 2026 under Track 3 - Computing Systems in Huntsville, Alabama 17, March 13-15, 2026.

The paper is also now published in the IEEE Xplore Digital Library and is Dr. Perry's second accepted research paper in the same academic year!

The G.R.A.C.E. group is for faculty and staff members who are grieving the loss of a loved one. The group stands for “Grief, Restoration, and Caring Employees,” and will meet twice a month this semester to connect and support one another during the difficult days they may experience at APSU while grieving. The G.R.A.C.E. group provides a safe place to explore and express feelings related to losing a loved one and how to thrive in a world without that special person.

For more information, please contact LaNeeça Williams at 931-221-7690 or by email at Williamslr@apsu.edu. 

Upcoming G.R.A.C.E. Meetings

April 15, 2026, 11 a.m. – noon, MUC 312 (a light lunch will be served)

April 29, 2026, 3 – 4 p.m., MUC 305 (light refreshments)

May 20, 2026, 11 a.m. – noon, MUC 305 (a light lunch will be served)

May 26, 2026, 3 – 4 p.m., MUC 305 (light refreshments)

Please join the Office for Student Research & Innovation for the 
April Lunch and Learn

April 16, 2026
Noon - 2 p.m.
MUC 307

"Exploration, land, and desire: A research-based artistic practice"

McLean Fahnestock is an interdisciplinary artist who works with desire in the manufactured landscape. She uses video, new and digital media, animation, installation, and sculpture to explore the manifestation of desire in the world. During this research presentation, Professor Fahnestock will discuss the influences that shape her work, her past and current projects, and what it means to have a research-based artistic practice.

LIZZIE is a contemporary rock musical based on the life of Lizzie Borden (yes, the one with the axe and the forty whacks) and the trial regarding the murder of her father and stepmother in 1892 in Fall River, Massachusetts. 

It is a four-person, all-female-identifying cast featuring 4 graduating seniors from the musical theatre department. The musical highlights feminine power and rage through rock music. 

DATES:

April 16th - 19th 

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday @ 7:30PM

Saturday, and Sunday @ 2:00PM

RUN TIME:

90 minutes (includes 10-15 minute intermission)

TICKET PRICES:

$10 for faculty

LOCATION:

Trahern - Gotcher Theatre (Main Theatre attached from Trahern main lobby)

TICKETS:

Visit HERE to purchase tickets and for more information. 

Tickets on sale now.

Zone 3 Press, the Creative Writing Program, and the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts at Austin Peay State University are pleased to present the 2026 Zone 3 Writers' Festival! This event will be April 16-18, 2026, and is hosted on Austin Peay State University's Main Campus in Clarksville, TN. Leigh Cuen, Music Editor for the Tennessean, is presenting.

MEMORY is the theme of this year’s festival. We invite proposals for papers, panels, workshops, and creative readings that explore memory as personal experience, collective history, cultural archive, and political force.

This year, festival attendees have the opportunity to attend craft talks and readings led by professional writers, participate in generative writing workshops, attend informational panels on writing and the writing industry, and meet with APSU creative writing faculty.

You are invited to join us Monday, April 20 from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. for an insightful and important presentation on "Invisible Wounds," featuring guest speaker Dr. Dava Wilson, visiting assistant professor of social work.

While not all wounds are visible, their impact on health, academics, and daily life is significant. Dr. Wilson will delve into the complexities of these unseen challenges, offering valuable insights for Veterans, students, and the broader campus community. Whether you are navigating your own journey or looking to better support those around you, this session will provide a supportive space for learning and connection.

Food will be provided for all attendees. Please RSVP below!

This event is brought to you by APSU’s Military & Veterans Affairs, Division of Student Affairs, Office of Institutional Culture, Department of Social Work and Full Spectrum Learning.

After attending, faculty will be able to:

APSU Health and Counseling community partner HopeNation Campus to bring free virtual clinical, person-centered care that supports your well-being, growth, and long-term success.

Email for more information: info@hopenationcounseling.com
Click link below to join walk-in hours Mondays & Wednesdays 12-4 pm CST

Full Spectrum Learning (FSL) at Austin Peay State University is seeking opportunities to connect with faculty and students through brief classroom visits or informational sessions. FSL is a degree-seeking support program for students on the autism spectrum, offering academic, social, executive functioning, and career transition support.

These visits help raise awareness of available resources and ensure students who may benefit know how to access support. Faculty and staff are invited to suggest courses or class times for an FSL visit. Scheduling is flexible, and questions or requests for more information are welcome.

For more information or to invite FSL, please contact Tom Spence.

Explore these short tutorial videos designed to help faculty and staff become familiar with the core features of the AP Navigate platform. Each video provides clear, step‑by‑step guidance on essential tools such as viewing student profiles, submitting alerts and referrals, documenting meetings, and managing availability. These resources are here to support your work and help you use Navigate confidently to promote student success.

Woodward Library is excited to announce that a new data management plan tool (DMPTool) is now available to the university community!

DMPTool is an online platform that helps researchers create, review, manage, and share data management plans (DMPs), a key requirement for many grant proposals, including those from NSF, NIH, DOE, and other major funders.

DMPTool provides funder-specific templates and step-by-step guidance for writing DMPs that align with funder requirements. Instead of starting from scratch, faculty, staff, and students can use customized templates, built-in guidance, and best practices to quickly produce high-quality, funder-compliant DMPs.

Distance Education has updated its website with a Digital Accessibility Basics page that includes accessibility video recordings. It offers more resources and guidance than ever before! 

Direct links:

Digital Accessibility Basics

Accessibility Training videos 

Health and Counseling is available to provide presentations on various topics for your class. Presentations cover a range of topics, including stress management, physical and mental well-being, and bystander training.  

To request a presentation, please complete the form at https://www.apsu.edu/wellness/. 

For questions or concerns, please contact Dr. Quianda Harris at harrisq@apsu.edu or Jill de Graauw at degraauwj@apsu.edu. 

by Xinyao Yi

published March 10, 2026

Have you bookmarked the CAFE Calendar yet?  We’re constantly adding new events!  Stay up to date with all CAFE-affiliated programming happening across campus.  Don’t forget - you can easily add any event directly to your Outlook calendar with a click! 

Do you have an event that you would like promoted in CAFE's bi-monthly newsletter?

Feel free to email us at cafe-fac@apsu.edu with the information. We will review it and inform you if the request is appropriate for the CAFE audience.