In this episode, Dean Hoon sits down with Darren Michael, professor of acting and directing in the Department of Theatre and Dance at Austin Peay State University. A seasoned performer, director, and published playwright, Darren shares insights from more than two decades of professional theatre experience across the South and beyond. From his early love of performance to his nationally produced plays and deep commitment to theatre education, Darren discusses his creative journey, his teaching philosophy, and the vibrant world of stagecraft at APSU.

In this episode of Govs on the Go: Alumni Edition, Dean Buzz Hoon sits down with Zacharie Kinslow, a 2019 graduate of Austin Peay State University’s Department of History and Philosophy. Now the Executive Director of the Clement Railroad Hotel Museum in Dickson, Tennessee, Zacharie shares his academic journey, his time working at the President James K. Polk Home & Museum, and his ongoing research on slavery, the American presidency, and Jacksonian America. The White House Historical Association, the Tennessee Historical Quarterly, and the University of Tennessee Press have published his work.

In this episode of Govs on the Go: Faculty Spotlight Edition, Dean Buzz Hoon talks with Dr. Linda Crenshaw, a longtime faculty member in the Department of Languages and Literature at Austin Peay. A scholar of Southern literature, Dr. Crenshaw shares how her academic journey—from the University of Arkansas to Vanderbilt University—shaped her love for authors like Faulkner, O’Connor, and Welty. She reflects on her decades of teaching, her time as director of the APSU Honors Program, and her ongoing passion for connecting students to the rich literary traditions of the South.