CLARKSVILLE, TN – The Austin Peay State University College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) has named Dr. Chris Gentry, formerly the chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, as the College’s first professionalized Associate Dean, effective Jan. 1, 2026.
“I am delighted to announce that Dr. Chris Gentry will serve as our first professional associate dean,” said Dr. Karen Meisch, dean of the College of STEM. “I want to thank Dr. Kallina Dunkle, Dr. Allen Chaparadza and Dr. Nicholas Coleman for their excellent service as associate deans in addition to their faculty duties. Dr. Gentry will become the first associate dean for the college to take this role on while not also maintaining classroom requirements, and I am excited for him to dedicate his full attention to advancing our college’s mission and supporting our faculty and students in achieving their goals.”
In this new role, Gentry will serve as the dean’s proxy in all college operations, overseeing student enrollment, retention and post-graduation success, faculty recruitment and development, and scholarly activities. His responsibilities will include chairing the College Curriculum Committee, managing accreditation processes, mentoring department chairs, supporting university-wide initiatives through collaboration with Academic Affairs, and overseeing the hiring and qualifications of adjunct faculty across the college’s programs.
Gentry has been at Austin Peay since 2008, when he joined what was then the Department of Geosciences as an assistant professor of geography. Gentry became an associate professor in 2011 and a full professor in 2020, and has served as department chair since 2022.
Gentry also has extensive administrative experience within the university, serving as director of the Office of Undergraduate Research from February 2012 to October 2016 and as interim director of the Center of Excellence for Field Biology from May 2021 to August 2022.
“I’m excited to bring the skills I’ve developed throughout my career at APSU to this new role,” Gentry said. “It’s also a great opportunity for me to become involved with higher-level initiatives at the college and university level. I know I will learn a great deal from Dean Meisch, and I look forward to further developing my leadership style while serving as the associate dean.”