Austin Peay and the College of STEM to sponsor drone show at NYE Celebration

By: Colby Wilson December 13, 2024

A mockup image of one of the animations Austin Peay State University students designed for the upcoming New Year’s Eve Celebration at the Downtown Commons. | Contributed photo

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Austin Peay State University (APSU) and the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) will sponsor two drone shows at The New Year’s Eve Celebration, hosted by Montgomery County Parks and Recreation at the Downtown Commons.

The celebration will kick off with a drone show at 9 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, with another closing out the festivities at midnight. In addition to the drone shows, the evening will feature live music, a midnight balloon drop, dance floor, photo-booth trailer, food trucks and much more.

APSU students develop 3D animated designs for a drone show in associate professor Scott Raymond’s class. | Contributed photo

APSU’s Scott Raymond, an associate professor of animation in the Department of Art + Design, has devoted part of his ART4410 Animation 3 class this semester to developing mock-ups, getting client feedback and sign-off and creating 3D animated designs for the different images that will be used in the show. The class has been able to collaborate with UAV Pro, Inc. to learn more about the design and development process required to create the animations for a drone show.

Austin Peay’s GIS Center and UAV Pro, Inc. will join forces to implement the New Year’s Eve shows, and are also offering two drone workshops on Dec. 30 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Fortera Stadium (weather permitting) for those interested in learning more about creating and executing their own small-scale shows. Registration for those workshops can be found HERE.

“We are excited to partner with the university and Montgomery County to add this one-of-a-kind experience to an unforgettable event,” said Dr. Karen Meisch, dean of the College of STEM. “I’d like to thank Graham Hill and everyone at UAV Pro for being incredible partners who are committed not only to making this a uniquely Clarksville event, but for allowing different stakeholders across the university to be part of the creative and technical process.”

The event is open to the public, and the community is invited to join APSU and Montgomery County in bidding adieu to 2024 and welcoming 2025. 

Austin Peay will offer free parking on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, in lots conveniently located near downtown Clarksville, with the exception of Lots 22, 23, 77, and 28, which will be reserved for event preparations. For more details on parking lots, please visit apsu.edu/parking. 

About the Austin Peay College of STEM

The College of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) offers studies in 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 discipline-based programs are student-centered and designed to prepare students for responsible positions in research, industry, education, medicine and government.