Appalachian Today

App State researchers Dr. Brett Taubman and Daniel Parker have secured a $1.82 million NCInnovation grant to turn surplus NC sweetpotatoes into a plant-based milk product line — the first of its kind in the world. Their Rootsii startup tackles agricultural waste while providing 1,800 hours of hands-on research for student innovators.

Appalachian State Giving Day raised more than $2.8 million in support of programs and initiatives across the university — a new fundraising record for the university. This year’s event also broke records for participation, with over 3,500 Mountaineers and friends of App State making contributions that support academics, athletics and the arts.

App State ROTC Cadet Jake Cannon has earned the U.S. Army Cadet Command George C. Marshall Award, recognizing his leadership, academic excellence, physical fitness and officer potential. He was among the top 5% of cadets nationwide to receive the honor and was named the Southeast’s top-ranked cadet.

At its fourth annual Awards of Distinction ceremony, App State honored 29 students, faculty and staff for their exemplary contributions to the success of the university and its community members — through leadership, teaching, service and more. The event was held April 28 on the Boone campus.

This spring, App State students and Mountaineer Medics traveled across the pond to study international emergency services firsthand, observing the London Ambulance Service — one of the world’s busiest emergency medical service agencies — in the field. They aim to use their insights to help strengthen local and campus emergency response protocols.