Dear Faculty Colleagues,

This point in the semester often brings both momentum and challenge. It’s a good moment to take stock of what’s working, where students are finding their footing, and where a small adjustment might make a meaningful difference. I appreciate the intentionality you bring to your teaching and the care you show in supporting student success across APSU.

August 2026 Faculty Conference
Proposals are in for our upcoming August 2026 Faculty Conference!  A small team of reviewers from the CAFE Advisory Board are vetting them now and we'll be in touch soon about the upcoming programming results we're excited to offer you!

First-Year Faculty Cohort
Due to Spring Break, we've had just one meeting since our last newsletter.

On March 16, I met with our cohort to discuss several topics that felt especially timely at this point in the semester and in their careers — APSU faculty workload policy, faculty/student relationships, effective use of graduate students, and ensuring we are helping students develop transferable skills they can carry beyond graduation. We had a lively discussion, and it’s clear these faculty are already doing wonderful work here at APSU!

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

• Wellness Expo - Mar 25
• Betty Joe Wallace Memorial Lecture - Mar 25
• CoAL Faculty Research Spotlight, Talon Beeson - Mar 30
• What in the World? Lecture Series - Mar 31
• Visiting Artist Speaker, David Underwood - Mar 31
• TechBytes - Apr 9

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.

I’m grateful to be part of this community alongside you. Thank you for all you do to make APSU such a supportive and engaging place!

Yours always,
Jeff 

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

Grisham presents nonfiction piece, "The Mirror" 

Instructor Joanna Grisham recently presented her nonfiction piece "The Mirror" at the Celebration of Scholarship: Creative and Scholarly Achievements at Austin Peay, hosted by the Woodward Library. The piece is a flash creative nonfiction piece recounting an attempt to summon the Bell Witch in a Pizza Hut bathroom. Grisham was also published in the Los Angeles Review for this piece.

Wilson & Wilson featured in Holistic Nursing publication

In their article on the placebo effect, Drs. Debra Rose Wilson and Dava R. Wilson explore how belief, hope, and the therapeutic relationship can influence healing. They explain that the placebo effect is not simply a “fake treatment,” but a measurable mind-body response in which expectation and positive communication can activate real physiological changes, including the release of neurotransmitters that reduce pain and improve well-being. The authors highlight research showing that patients often experience significant improvement even when receiving inactive treatments, demonstrating the power of mindset and supportive care. Wilson and Wilson emphasize that holistic nurses can ethically harness this effect through empathetic communication, trust-building, and patient education, reinforcing the important role of hope and connection in the healing process.

Noghanibehambari co-authors a recent paper on the effects of parental education on male mortality

A new study by Dr. Hamid Noghanibehambari and co-authors Vikesh Amin and Jason Fletcher examines how a father’s education can influence his children's long-term health and lifespan. Using historical data linking the 1940 U.S. Census to Social Security death records, the researchers examined how early compulsory schooling laws (1875–1912) affected fathers’ education and, in turn, their sons’ longevity. The study finds that additional years of a father’s schooling are associated with longer lifespans for their sons, up to about 5.6 additional months of life per extra year of paternal education. The authors also found that higher paternal education is associated with greater educational attainment and improved occupational status for sons, suggesting that education shapes health across generations by increasing opportunities and fostering socioeconomic mobility.

Attwood publishes new book on labor history

Dr. Adam Attwood recently published a new book titled, Teaching Labor History in the United States, 1850-2020. 

This edited volume explores previously untold or rarely explored stories of labor across the United States from 1850 to 2020. Chapters examine labor history as an interconnected process over time, exploring themes such as unionization, labor rights movements of historically underrepresented populations, the influence of immigrant labor, and the impact of technology on social change. Each chapter presents an academic analysis alongside practical pedagogical strategies, including detailed lesson plans, aimed at middle and high school educators, offering a fresh perspective on the vital role of labor in shaping the United States' past and present. This edited volume explores previously untold or rarely explored stories of labor across the United States from 1850 to 2020. Chapters examine labor history as an interconnected process over time, exploring themes such as unionization, labor rights movements of historically underrepresented populations, the influence of immigrant labor, and the impact of technology on social change. Each chapter presents an academic analysis alongside practical pedagogical strategies, including detailed lesson plans, aimed at middle and high school educators, offering a fresh perspective on the vital role of labor in shaping the United States' past and present.

Weigandt, Gray, and Nicholas attend the Vertical Aviation International trade show

Over Spring Break, the Aviation Science team attended Verticon, the annual trade show sponsored by Vertical Aviation International. Aviation Science faculty Charles Weigandt, Jerry Gray, and Sam Nicholas staffed booths during both Mil2Civ: Landing Jobs in the Civil Vertical Aviation Industry and the Vertical Aviation Industry Career Fair days, while Vertical Aviation International underwrote the conference fees for 18 Austin Peay students to attend the event.

Monday, March 23
6 - 7 p.m. 

Whether you're interested in learning about our courses, the application process, or the support we offer to students, these sessions are designed to answer all your questions and determine if FSL is the right fit for prospective or current students you may know.

These meetings give you a chance to connect directly with our team. We welcome all prospective students to join, ask any questions, and explore everything our program has to offer.

All sessions are held via Zoom using Meeting ID (298 210 4144). Click the button below during the scheduled time to join the conversation.

For any questions, please contact Tom Spence.

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

March 24, 2026, 3 – 4 p.m., MUC 305 (light refreshments)

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)

Dr. Rashidah Leverett, a Montgomery County commissioner, Army veteran, and TEDx speaker, will give Austin Peay State University’s annual Betty Joe Wallace Memorial Lecture at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25, in MUC 303-305.

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.

Tuesday, March 31
6-8pm
Trahern 220

Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, David Underwood has spent his professional life in East Tennessee as an artist and an educator. After earning his MFA in Studio Art at Florida State University in 1990, Underwood taught Art and Photography at Carson-Newman University in Jefferson City, Tennessee, for 35 years, retiring in May 2025.

Underwood’s mixed-media and photographic artwork is included in the permanent collections of 16 art museums around the USA, including the Knoxville Museum of Art, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. He has held more than 35 solo exhibitions and had work included in more than 150 group exhibitions, in various locations from New York, New York, to Sacramento, California. His artmaking practice Includes explorations in drawing, analog & digital photography, painting, assemblage, mixed-media, image-text, and unique presentation methods.

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 John Warner

published March 11, 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.