Austin Peay’s College of STEM awards three grants for student organizations

By: Colby Wilson December 2, 2024

Austin Peay State University’s GeoClub is one of three student organizations receiving SOSI grants from the College of STEM this year. The club encourages exploration through field trips, hikes, and more.

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - The Austin Peay State University College of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) has announced that three student organizations have been awarded CoSTEM Student Organizations Support Initiative (SOSI) grants, designed to provide CoSTEM students with funds to support their organizations' efforts.

This year’s funding will contribute to a chemistry career fair, a Geo Club open house, and an event that would bring the Nashville Zoo to Austin Peay for a wildlife observation and panel discussion.

“We are thrilled to support our student organizations through the SOSI grants,” said Dr. Karen Meisch, dean of the College of STEM. “These grants empower students to broaden their educational experience beyond the classroom and take control of their futures, fostering innovation, collaboration, and a vibrant campus community.”

SOSI grants are used to fund student organization programming that helps:

• Boost a healthy campus culture and environment

• Broaden student involvement and creativity

• Promote involvement in diverse student organizations

Learn more about this year’s recipients:

XEM (Chi Epsilon Mu) Career Fair

The Chemistry Career Fair will allow students to meet with representatives from various careers and universities to provide them with a widened list of prospective post-secondary pathways. This event will give students insight into the various career options they have, as well as informal and formal interactions with professionals in those fields.

Wildlife Society and Tri-Beta Brings the Zoo to APSU

This proposed event will bring the Nashville Zoo to Austin Peay, offering students an opportunity to observe wildlife up close and engage in a career-oriented panel discussion. The event will include a wildlife observation session where trained zoologists will showcase select animals from the zoo, providing students with insight into wildlife conservation and care, and a panel discussion where students can ask zoologists about their career paths, educational backgrounds, and daily responsibilities. This will encourage students to explore careers in biology, zoology, ecology, and other STEM fields.

GeoClub Open House

A longtime fixture of the College of STEM, the GeoClub is open to students of all majors and encourages the exploration of our wide world via group hikes, field trips, and the development of a community focused on geology and geography. These funds will go toward outreach projects to spur enrollment for the club, beginning with an open house where students can paint with club members and other earth and environmental science majors.

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 positions.