Remarks from our Director

Dear Faculty Colleagues,

I know this has been a hard time for many of us, and it’s natural to feel the weight of what’s happened. I was encouraged by the strong turnout and discourse at the Faculty Senate meeting last Thursday. What I hope we all remember is that none of us has to carry that weight alone. In my time here, this university has shown itself to be a community that steps up for one another. Even in the midst of challenges, the care we give our students and the support we extend to each other are what make this place strong. Let’s continue leaning on one another, offering encouragement, and finding strength together as we move forward.

First-Year Faculty Cohort
Our First-Year Faculty (FYF) cohort has had two excellent sessions since our last newsletter. On September 15, our new faculty met at the Newton Military Family Resource Center with Jasmin Linares and VP Walt Lord to explore the many resources available to our military-affiliated community members. They are doing incredible work, and if you haven’t had the chance to visit, I encourage you to stop by their facility!

On September 22, the cohort welcomed Dr. Chad Brooks and Kelly Pitts from the Grants & Research Office at APSU. They shared insights on the support and idea-generation they regularly provide for faculty, and we even played a Shark Tank–style game - pairing faculty from very different fields to create mock grant proposals. The session was especially timely, as the call for Research and Scholarly Support Grant (RSG) applications was just released yesterday!

If you ever find yourself wondering what our FYF colleagues are up to, check out the FYF program agenda for Fall 2025 here.

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

• TechBytes sessions

• The Art of the Op-Ed session with Dr. Michael Bednarczuk

• CoAL Faculty Research Spotlight with Dr. Emily Crane

• Music Faculty Showcase Concert

• DE Course Mapping Series

• Accessibility Basics for Course Design Training Series

• Career Success Center sessions for Faculty

• Interprofessional Education Made Practical: Tools for Faculty session

• Peay Composed Symposium on Academic Writing

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. 

We have another CAFE Advisory Board meeting this coming Monday and I hope you'll be able to make time to complete the FCAM Survey shared below here one last time in the newsletter.  As always, we 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.

Thanks for all the focus and effort you’re putting into your work right now. If you can believe it, we're not far off from Fall break!  I deeply appreciate you and so do your students. I hope to see you at an upcoming CAFE session!

Yours always,
Jeff 

You'll notice there are labelled sections of questions for attendees and presenters.
Only fill out the section appropriate to you.
Additionally, including your name and e-mail address is optional.

This critical information will help shape our efforts in the future. Thank you to those that have already taken the time to complete it and to those that will in advance! 

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

Wadia presents at Nashville Shakespeare Festival

Dr. Mickey Wadia, Professor of Languages & Literature, was invited to the Nashville Shakespeare Festival to provide the Middle Tennessee Scholars’ Insight Talks this past weekend. He presented his talk on the "Warwickshire Bard" (otherwise known as Shakespeare) prior to the company's performance of "The Merry Wives of Windsor." He was cheered on by many APSU students.

Psychological Science & Counseling professors Strate and Wills represent APSU at the Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling (AARC) Conference

Dr. Lara Strate shared her work on Alexithymia in college students at the AARC Conference. For those keeping score: Alexithymia = difficulty identifying and expressing emotions (aka the “I’m fine” when you’re definitely not fine).

Dr. LeAnn Wills brought her expertise to the AARC Conference with not one, but TWO engaging sessions:
1. Getting the Expert’s Edge: Using the Delphi Method in Counseling Research — aka, how to get a group of experts to finally agree on something.
2. Inclusive Insights: Research that Respects and Reflects — because good research isn’t just about numbers, it’s about voices, perspectives, and fairness. 

McCarthy writes paper on Clarksville’s Economic Climate and Social Entrepreneurship

Professor of Management & Marketing, Dr. Victoria McCarthy's case study examines social entrepreneurship through Outpatch, which creates eco-friendly souvenir patches from recycled plastic and donates to local nonprofits. The research explores how Outpatch balances social impact with profitability while navigating supply chain challenges in the souvenir industry. It provides insights for entrepreneurs and partners on embedding social impact into viable business operations.

Barnes quoted by HuffPost

Now on @HuffPost: “I think NCLB ushered in a reliance on over-testing our students, but also allowed us to dive into the data to figure out where schools and states were doing poorly," said @austinpeay Associate Professor of Teaching and Learning, Dr. Zachary Barnes.

Accountability narrowed the curriculum — but it also exposed gaps we couldn’t ignore. Read the full story on how classrooms have changed at the HuffPost.

Estes speaks during an event commemorating the partnership between SGI and Google

Google has contributed $100,000 to Austin Peay's Southeastern Grasslands Institute (SGI) to support ecological restoration, water quality improvement, and community engagement in the Spring Creek Watershed. The partnership will develop a grassland program at Google's Clarksville data center property, utilizing volunteers including Google employees. Led by Dr. Dwayne Estes, SGI is a collaboration through APSU's Center of Excellence for Field Biology focused on preserving Southeastern grasslands—among North America's most imperiled ecosystems. This corporate-academic partnership represents a model for environmental conservation efforts and demonstrates Google's commitment to supporting local environmental initiatives in communities where they operate.

Dr. Dwayne Estes, APSU professor and executive director of the Southeastern Grasslands Institute (SGI), speaks during an event commemorating the partnership between SGI and Google. | Photo by Sean McCully

The Information Technology department would like you to participate in a survey that will help them assess AI use and interest so that we can better support AI efforts across campus. 

Please use the link below to complete the survey. 
The survey will be available until Oct. 1.

At the end of the survey, you can enter your email address to be put in a drawing for wireless noise-cancelling earbuds. Two pairs of earbuds will be given out.

All sessions from 11:30am - 12:30pm in MUC 303

The first 30 attendees to RSVP will receive a chicken sandwich from Chick-Fil-A!
RSVP by October 31st

** Have you applied for graduate faculty status? ** 

Faculty who will be teaching graduate courses or will work with graduate students in any capacity should apply to become graduate faculty. You must complete a form, submit your CV, and get approval from your Chair and the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies. 

For more information about graduate faculty status and criteria, click here.  

Dr. Emily Pica was selected as one of the recipients for the Tenured Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching! Here is a little bit more about her and her accomplishments.

Dr. Pica received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Mansfield University in 2009. She then went on to Master’s Degree at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a focus in applied forensic psychology. She received her PhD in Forensic Psychology from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario Canada.

Her area of expertise is Forensic Psychology, and she brings her research into the classroom through various sources. She also created a Wrongful Convictions course while at Austin Peay that she teaches each summer. She is able to bring her specific research concerning wrongful convictions into the classroom as she has first-hand experience with interviewing the wrongful convicted to bring real-life stories into the classroom.

She works with the Montgomery County Juvenile Court for the 20/10 Vision Mentorship Program where she oversees students mentoring youth on probation since 2019. She’s also always encouraging students to conduct their own research and has had many students publish and present their research where they have won awards for their posters.

In addition to this award, she was also awarded the Richard M. Hawkins Award for Scholars Activity, the Helping Hands Award, the Rho Mu Zeta 2020 Faithful Impact Award, and while teaching in Canada she was presented with the Council of Canadian Departments of Psychology Annual Teaching Award. She is very passionate about her job and students.

Her favorite thing about teaching at APSU is the students. I love the student-centered approach that APSU encourages and that students are always eager to learn and engage in high-impact practices.

Join us in congratulating Dr. Pica!

Michael Olson is a new addition to the CAFE Advisory Board, as well! He is an Instructional Designer in Distance Education. As of this semester, he teaches University Studies 1000. Prof. Olson has served at APSU just under one year!

When asked why he is interested in serving on the CAFE Advisory Board, he said, “I am deeply committed to continuous improvement, both of myself, and the university. I have over 10 years of experience in distance education, including several years of experience in faculty development, and I’m eager to support CAFE’s efforts to promote teaching excellence. I believe I can especially contribute to ideas in initiatives for fostering engaging online learning experiences.

His favorite thing about APSU is that the university promotes a deep sense of belonging. He appreciates that there’s a real feeling of university identity that permeates every department I’ve worked with, and that’s what creates an environment for continuous improvement and of being part of “something bigger.” His favorite hobbies include reading and camping. His favorite movie is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Help us welcome Prof. Michael Olson to our CAFE Advisory Board!

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! 

If you haven't yet, you should!

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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.