Austin Peay’s College of STEM signs IGSA for Fort Campbell economic impact study

By: Colby Wilson March 27, 2025

Representatives from the Austin Peay College of STEM and Fort Campbell at an IGSA signing ceremony at Fort Campbell on Feb. 25, 2025.

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Austin Peay State University's GIS Center and the APSU Department of Mathematics and Statistics have signed a historic 10-year Intergovernmental Support Agreement (IGSA) with Fort Campbell to conduct comprehensive economic impact studies of the military installation's influence on the region.

The collaboration marks the mathematics department's first-ever IGSA partnership and represents a unique interdisciplinary approach to analyzing Fort Campbell's economic impact. The project will be led by Dr. Michael Wilson, director of the GIS Center, and Dr. Raman Sahi from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

"This partnership allows us to examine Fort Campbell's impact beyond traditional boundaries," Wilson said. "By looking at retiree ZIP codes alone, we expect to find the base's influence extends well beyond the immediate surrounding counties. People are driving an hour or more to access medical care and use the commissary on post, just as an example of the far-reaching implications Fort Campbell has on our region."

The project's scope includes analyzing local employment numbers, tax revenue, construction contracts, and the economic impact of military retirees choosing to settle in the region. The team will create a comprehensive database combining geographic information systems with statistical analysis.

"This project gives our students real-world experience right in their backyard,” Sahi said. “Many of our military-affiliated students want to stay in this area because their families are here. This research could help attract industries that would allow more of them to look for work locally rather than uproot their families."

The initiative will benefit both the university and the military installation.

"Fort Campbell typically hires large national companies to do these jobs, which costs them an arm and a leg," Wilson explained. "By leveraging local talent, we keep government dollars local while providing the service for a significantly reduced price."

Student involvement is a crucial component of the project. Graduate and undergraduate students will gain hands-on experience in data analytics, statistical analysis, and database management. The team plans to develop automated systems for data collection and analysis that will continue providing valuable insights throughout the agreement's duration.

"Our goal is to make sure the data stays up to date every year," Wilson said. "We're going to spend a lot of time building that database in the first year, with scripts that can refresh the data annually."

The resulting database will serve as a resource for future research projects and economic development initiatives. While Fort Campbell-specific data will remain secure, public data will be accessible to students, faculty, and community stakeholders for additional analysis.

About the Austin Peay College of STEM

The 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.