Welcome to the Jack Hunt STEM Center

The Jack Hunt STEM Center functions as a collaboration between the College of STEM and the Eriksson College of Education where it is housed at Austin Peay State University. The focus of the STEM Center is to facilitate effective preparation and support for teaching STEM subjects. For our pre-service teachers, we are able to provide a state-of-the-art science classroom for science methods courses. In this room, prospective teachers gain familiarity with a variety of scientific equipment and technologies appropriate for their future classes. Moreover, pre-service teachers are immersed in the nature of inquiry-based, student-centered science through engaging activities and projects. Given the paucity of sophisticated science equipment found in many schools, pre-service teacher candidates are encouraged to bring their creativity to the classroom and bring fresh perspectives to the development of lessons using economical materials.

As the pre-service teachers enter the profession regionally, we try to support them with access to STEM materials and equipment they learned to use in APSU methods courses. For our regional in-service teachers, the Jack Hunt STEM Center offers continuing education seminars and workshops throughout the year. As we continue to grow, we hope to be able to offer some supplies and equipment support to area school districts. Limited access to the STEM Center is available to local teachers wishing to schedule specific lessons in the lab for their students.

Research

Graduate students interested in gaining STEM education-related research experiences are invited to join the Lab for Explorations of the Nature of Science for Equitable Sustainability (LENSES). Click here to learn more about research labs within the APSU College of Education. 

Events

The Jack Hunt STEM Center welcomed nationally renowned scientist, Dr. Joseph L. Graves Jr., for a lecture entitled "Racism not Race: A Scientific Approach to the Myth of Race and the Cost of Racism," March 21, 2023. The lecture focused on the disparities in health care related to medical misconceptions, the disadvantages of underrepresentation in the STEM fields, and the impacts of racism on education, including the influence of educators on racism.