Appalachian Today

A team of App State industrial design students, led by Department of Applied Design faculty Jimena Vergara-Sanz and Dr. Garner Dewy, is taking a human-centered approach to innovation. Using 3D printing technology, the team is working to design and develop next-generation prosthetic hands that are both accessible and customizable for users.

A new, interdisciplinary partnership at App State is harmonizing health care. The Hayes School of Music and Beaver College of Health Sciences have launched a pilot program this spring that integrates music therapy into the university’s Preschool Language Classroom — using rhythm and song to help strengthen communication and social skills in young children.

Join App State on April 22 for the 29th annual Celebration of Student Research and Creative Endeavors. Free and open to the public, the event showcases App State student research and creative work across disciplines and the impact of faculty-mentored scholarship. Keynote speaker and alumna Amelia Bruce Leicht ’19 will share how her App State Experience helped launch her career in medical research.

Leveraging his renewable energy technology studies, App State graduate student Bradley Del Vecchio developed a solar-powered system to provide clean drinking water during natural disasters. Witnessing the devastation of Hurricane Helene inspired his award-winning design, which can produce up to 100 gallons of drinking water per day.

App State students and alumni are driving global discovery through intensive geology expeditions in remote Mongolia. Collaborating with the international DAGGER research team, led by App State professor Dr. Sarah Carmichael, they conduct rigorous field research aimed at solving one of geology’s most enduring mysteries.