Intent of the Eriksson Scholarship

Thank you for your interest in the Eriksson Scholars Program at Austin Peay State University. If you are interested in teaching mathematics or science to high school or middle school students, consider applying one of the prestigious scholarships to receive funding to help advance you in your education career as a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) educator.

About the Eriksson Scholarship Program

The Eriksson Scholars Program is made possible through the generosity of Lars Eriksson, owner of Crankshaft Rebuilders Inc. In late 2012, Eriksson presented APSU with an eight-figure gift in memory of his late wife, Martha Dickerson Eriksson, who graduated from APSU in 1962 with a Bachelor of Science degree in education.

Known as Becky, she went on to the Orange County, Fla., area and taught in middle school levels for 32 years. During that time, she was always proud of the accomplishments of her students. To honor his wife’s legacy, Lars Eriksson established 27 scholarships to be given each year to students who want to dedicate themselves to continue teaching upon graduation. The students who receive the scholarships will be known formally as Eriksson Scholars.

The donation is by far the largest single gift in APSU history. In recognition of this unprecedented generosity, the University officially changed the name of its College of Education to the Martha Dickerson Eriksson College of Education. One of the three new residence halls also was named for her. And the College of Education’s STEM Center was renamed the Jack Hunt STEM Center, in honor of her late brother-in-law and a local teacher.

The gift consists of an initial sum of $1 million to provide scholarships each year for the first three years of this program. After those initial years, the gift includes an additional pledge to fund these scholarships for the lifetime of Lars Eriksson. Eriksson also has created an estate gift. This eight figure gift will establish an endowment that permanently will fund at the same level of scholarships for as long as the University lasts.