Austin Peay State University STEM College Welcomes Ten New Researchers and Educators to Faculty
Clarksville, TN – The Austin Peay State University (APSU) College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) has welcomed ten new full-time faculty members to its ranks for the Fall 2024 semester.
"We're excited to welcome these outstanding educators and researchers to our STEM faculty," said Dr. Karen Meisch, dean of the APSU College of STEM.
"Their diverse expertise and innovative approaches will enhance our students' learning experiences, strengthen our research initiatives, and further our commitment to preparing the next generation of STEM leaders. These faculty members will play a vital role in advancing our mission of academic excellence and regional impact," Meisch stated.
Below are brief bios of every new full-time faculty hire for the 2024-25 academic year. Please join the College of STEM in welcoming them to campus.
Dr. Jamie Botsch (Assistant Professor of Biology) comes to Austin Peay State University after attaining his doctorate in integrative biology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2023, where he received a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. He served a postdoctoral fellowship at the North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory (NCARL) in Brookings, South Dakota.
Bridget Cloud (Instructor of Computer Science and Information Technology) joins the Austin Peay State University faculty on a full-time basis after working as a part-time instructor since January 2023. Since she earned her degree in 2013 from APSU, she has held positions that crossed over between education and web development, most recently as the web development educator for Montgomery County Schools since November 2022. Cloud was also certified as a Scrum Master by the Scrum Alliance in November 2014 and worked developing virtual reality training simulations for healthcare at The Immersive Health Group from 2020-22.
Dr. Cody Covington (Assistant Professor of Chemistry) begins his tenure track role this fall after serving the chemistry department in various roles since 2016. He did his undergraduate work at Austin Peay State University, graduating in 2010 with a chemistry degree before matriculating to Vanderbilt University, where he earned a doctorate in physical chemistry in 2016 and completed additional research after receiving his Ph.D. in the fields of physics and astronomy.
Matt Ellis (Instructor of Mathematics and Statistics) was a temporary instructor at Austin Peay State University last year before transitioning to a more permanent role in 2024-25. He has four master's degrees: one in meteorology from the Naval Postgraduate School in 2010 and three earned simultaneously from Austin Peay (teaching; computer science and qualitative methods) and the University of Tennessee (mathematics) in 2019.
Dr. John Johansen (Instructor of Biology) brings extensive professional experience with academic, public, and private institutions after his promotion to an instructor position. Johansen previously served as a part-time and adjunct instructor at APSU for six years, where he was awarded the 2019 CoSTEM Outstanding Part-time Instructor Award in recognition of his excellence in the classroom. Johansen is a 1995 graduate of the University of Maryland (biology) who earned his master's (biology) from Eastern Kentucky in 2000 and his doctorate (environmental science-biology) from Tennessee Tech in 2018.
Dr. Majdi Lusta (Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Information Technology) brings international experience to the department. Before attaining his doctorate from Auburn University in 2023, he earned his master's in computer science from Nottingham Trent University in the United Kingdom in 2009 and his bachelor's from the University of Misurata in Libya in 2002. He taught various computer science courses at Misurata from 2012-17 and spent last year as an assistant professor at Louisiana State University at Alexandria.
Samantha Robinson (Assistant Professor of Allied Health Sciences) earned her bachelor's degree in radiologic technology from Austin Peay State University in 2020. Now, she returns as a faculty member for 2024-25. She worked in orthopaedics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and at Blanchfield Army Community Hospital (BACH) before her return to APSU. She received her master's degree in healthcare administration in July 2024 from Louisiana State University at Shreveport.
Derek Vander Molen (Instructor of Chemistry) joins Austin Peay State University after working as an instructor at Williston State College since 2008. He ascended to assistant professor in 2012 and associate professor in 2013, when he was granted tenure. He also managed the chemistry lab and chemical stockroom for all chemistry courses. A graduate from Transylvania University in 2000, Vander Molen earned his master's in teaching chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2003.
Dr. Renhou Wang (Assistant Professor of Biology) earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees in biotechnology and cell biology, respectively, from Northeast Normal University in Changchun, China. He then pursued his doctorate in genetics at the Max-Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne, Germany. A leading researcher, Dr. Wang was a postdoctoral fellow and project scientist at the University of California San Diego and University of Texas at Austin. He most recently served as genome editing lead for Solis Agrosciences.
Dr. Niranga Wickramarathne (Assistant Professor of Agriculture) joins the faculty at Austin Peay State University after earning her doctorate in crop sciences from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She earned both a master's in crop science (University of Peradeniya, 2014) and natural resources (University of Missouri, 2017) prior to her doctoral work in Champaign. Prior to her appointment at Austin Peay, she conducted postdoctoral research at Illinois and the University of Minnesota.
About the Austin Peay State University College of STEM
The Austin Peay State University College of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) provides studies for students in the areas of agriculture, astronomy, aviation sciences, biology, chemistry, computer science, earth and environmental sciences, engineering physics, engineering technology, information technology, mathematics, medical laboratory sciences, radiologic sciences and physics.
Our outstanding, discipline-based programs are student-centered and designed to prepare students for responsible positions at all levels of research, industry, education, medicine, and government positions.
