Four APSU CoSTEM professors approved for tenure

By: Colby Wilson August 21, 2025

The Sundquist Science Complex at Austin Peay State University, where many students within the College of STEM take classes.

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Austin Peay State University’s College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) has announced that the following faculty members have achieved tenure, effective July 1:

• Dr. Marylu Dalton, Mathematics and Statistics

• Dr. Eugene Donev, Physics, Engineering and Astronomy

• Dr. Mir Hasan, Computer Science and Information Technology

• Dr. Saeed Samadi-Dana, Computer Science and Information Technology

Dr. Karen Meisch, dean of the College of STEM, congratulated the newly tenured professors and said they have demonstrated excellence inside and outside the classroom.

"These professors have demonstrated exceptional commitment to Austin Peay, our college, and their students," Meisch said. "Their excellence in teaching, research, and service reflects the high standards we maintain. I'm proud to celebrate this milestone in their careers."

Professors achieve tenure based on a combination of teaching effectiveness; effectiveness in other academic assignments; research, scholarly and creative activity; professional degrees, awards and achievements; professional service to Austin Peay, the community, and the state or nation; activities, memberships, and leadership in professional organizations; professional development and growth; potential for contributions to the objectives of the department and Austin Peay; demonstrated willingness and ability to work effectively with colleagues; and evidence of, regard for and performance consistent with accepted standards of professional conduct.

Below are short biographies of CoSTEM’s newest tenured professors:

Dr. Marylu Dalton (Georgian Court ‘82, MA ’93; Montclair State EdD, ’17) has been a pivotal part of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics since she arrived at Austin Peay in 2019. A two-time nominee for the Socrates Award, Dalton was instrumental in developing the APSU Math Trail alongside Dr. Jennifer Yantz and helped develop the mathematics-based activities at the City Forum as part of her community outreach work. Dalton has also represented Austin Peay at several conferences during her tenure, including four separate presentations at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics National Conference, most recently in 2023.

Dr. Eugene Donev (University of the South ’03; Vanderbilt MS ’06, PhD ’08) is entering his sixth fall as a faculty member at Austin Peay and earned the 2024 Socrates Award for Excellence in Teaching from the College of STEM. Donev regularly conducts research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where he has earned multiple grants during his academic career. He is also a prolific author of academic papers, with more than 20 publishing credits during his career. In addition, Donev has served as a manuscript reviewer for numerous academic publications, including Journal of Applied Physics and Applied Physics Letters, and served last year as an officer for the Tennessee Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers.

Dr. Mir Hasan (University of Dhaka ’10; Florida State MS ’18, PhD ’19) received the 2025 Socrates Award for Excellence in Teaching for his innovative classroom work. He has revised two courses and introduced a database administration course since arriving at Austin Peay in 2020, with the database administration course serving as the basis of a presentation he gave with colleagues Joseph Elarde and Barry Bruster at the Association for Computing ²Ñ²¹³¦³ó¾±²Ô±ð°ù²â’s Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE) 2023 Symposium in Toronto. Hasan is a member of both the ACM and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.

Dr. Saeed Samadi-Dana (Kharazmi University of Tehran ’08; Tulsa PhD ’19) came to Austin Peay in 2019 and has been an innovative presence in the Department of Computer Science and Information Technology ever since. Samadi-Dana has had his work funded by Microsoft, Google and the Tennessee Board of Regents, and was one of the driving forces behind a course advancing virtual reality technology within the College of STEM. This spring, he developed a generative artificial intelligence class to help students develop tools and consider ethical and societal implications in the rapidly-developing world of AI.

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.