Paris, Tenn.–The Paris Rotary Club welcomed new Austin Peay University President Dr. Michael Licari as its speaker Thursday and he spoke of the University’s continued efforts to monitor COVID-19 on the campus.
Dr. Licari said Austin Peay has joined with the health department from Clarksville-Montgomery County to serve as a vaccination site. They are looking forward to getting back to “normal“ but the normal will not be what it was in 2019, he said. He looks forward to continuing the increase of virtual learning to open up the Austin Peay State University campus to other areas of the country.
Dr. Licari was named President December 21, but he officially arrived at Austin-Peay March 1.
Licari previously served as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana, where he oversaw all of the school’s academic functions, including 34 academic departments housed in five colleges. He also was responsible for overseeing much of that University’s strategic plan and its $100 million general fund budget.
Licari earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Minnesota and his Masters of Arts in Political Science and Ph.D. in Political Science with a focus on public administration from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
He went on to have a successful 20-year academic career, mostly at the University of Northern Iowa, serving as a professor, department chair, associate provost for academic affairs, dean of the Graduate College, interim provost and acting university president. He joined Indiana State University as provost and vice president of Academic Affairs in July 2015.
Licari is a member of the Society for College and University Planning and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. He also has participated in a variety of leadership and professional development programs, such as the Executive Leadership Academy sponsored by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and the Council of Independent Colleges, as well as meetings and institutes sponsored by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, the Association of American Colleges and Universities, and the National Association of College and University Business Officers.
Licari is also passionate about community service, serving as past president of the Terre Haute Symphony board of directors, president of the board, vice president and executive committee member for the Rural Health Innovation Collaborative, and board member for the Terre Haute Rotary Club. He also served as a Cub Scout and Boy Scout leader for several years, and he has often provided support for local K-12 schools.
He and his wife, Kirsten, are the parents of Daniel Licari, a senior at Indiana State University.
Photo by David Jackson.