BOONE, N.C. — Through his scholarship and research, and by sharing his personal experience with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Dr. Dane Michael Ward helped advance ALS education and mobilize the Appalachian Community to help in the fight for a cure. He passed away from the disease July 5 at his home in Blowing Rock.

Ward served as dean of university libraries at Appalachian and was diagnosed with ALS soon after he and his wife, Jenny Ward, director of development in Appalachian’s Beaver College of Health Sciences, moved to Boone in 2017.

ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a motor neuron disorder characterized by progressive weakening of muscles, often beginning in the legs or arms. More than 5,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS each year. There is no known cause and no cure.

Ward, who was a longtime runner who competed in marathons, half marathons and innumerable 5K and 10K races, actively advocated for ALS education and research. He was selected to serve as an ALS Research Ambassador by the Northeast ALS Consortium, a program out of which the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge emerged.

During his illness, Ward authored editorials about the progression of the disease, his personal experience and ways to help conquer the disease in publications that include American Libraries Magazine, The Appalachian — the university’s student-run newspaper, and Inside Higher Ed.

In his 2019 Inside Higher Ed article titled “ALS and the Brain Drain of Higher,” Ward wrote, “What can we in higher education do (about ALS)? Most important, we can prepare our students and the public to rise to the challenge of finding a cure, if not next year, certainly in the next generation. A number of disciplinary and interdisciplinary learning activities can mobilize students to care about this issue and the people most directly affected.”

Appalachian’s first Walk to Defeat ALS, held in March 2019 in Ward’s honor, surpassed its original fundraising goal of $25,000 by almost double.

The Dr. Dane Ward Endowed Honors Research Scholarship — created by Ward’s fellow deans and colleagues, as well as his family and friends — has been established to honor his service. This endowed fund will provide support for Appalachian honors students’ research, specifically projects that seek to make a substantial impact for a community of vulnerable people, as well as to increase awareness and access to information.

Ward donated the proceeds from his Inside Higher Ed article to support the fund, which was initiated by personal contributions from his colleagues.

Ward, who stepped down as dean on Oct. 31, 2019, was awarded emeritus status to the Appalachian Library Advisory Board, an honor conferred by the university to show respect for a distinguished career.

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Appalachian’s Walk to Defeat ALS nearly doubles fundraising goal

April 4, 2019

More than 500 participants took part in the inaugural event organized to honor Dr. Dane Ward, dean of libraries at Appalachian, who was diagnosed with ALS in October 2017.

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About University Libraries

University Libraries at Appalachian State University serves the students, faculty and staff of App State’s Boone and Hickory campuses, contributing to the university’s mission of learning, teaching, advancing knowledge, engagement and effectiveness. Belk Library and Information Commons, the Erneston Music Library and the Hickory Library and Information Commons provide academic resources for all App State students and faculty. Within Belk Library, students and faculty find group and quiet study spaces, digital devices to check out, the Digital Media Studio, the Makerspace, the Virtual Realty Studio, the Special Collections Research Center and more. Learn more at https://library.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.