BOONE, N.C. — In a year largely defined by COVID-19, Appalachian State University Mountaineers rose to the many challenges presented by the global pandemic, with campus and community members working together to keep the High Country safe and supported — from providing free meals to those in need through Meals for Mountaineers, to creating and implementing #ShowYourLove, a public health campaign to help slow the virus’s spread.
This fall, App State welcomed 20,023 students — a record enrollment for the university — with 18% of the total student population being racially/ethnically diverse and 34% of the total undergraduate population comprising first-generation college students. App State has increased its total underrepresented student population by 56% since 2014, and undergraduate and graduate student enrollment in App State Online programs increased by more than 18% from fall 2019 to fall 2020.
The university was named among the best higher education institutions for 2020 in the Southeast and the nation, receiving recognition for its academics, value, innovation, benefits for student veterans and other aspects from U.S. News & World Report, The Princeton Review and personal finance website Money.com. App State was also recognized by VIQTORY as one of the nation’s Top 10 Military Friendly® Schools for 2021.
Additionally, new discoveries were made this year: An alumnus’s identification of a new tyrannosaur species garnered worldwide attention from news media, and a 3-year-old child was able to finally find his voice — learning to say “mama” for the first time — because of speech therapy he received through App State’s Charles E. and Geneva S. Scott Scottish Rite Communication Disorders Clinic.
Read on to revisit news and feature stories that capture some of App State’s milestone moments of success during this historic year.
Aug. 28, 2020
App State releases fall 2020 data showing record enrollment of 20,023 students and significant increases of first-year underrepresented students.
Aug. 26, 2020
University Post Office staff members Tim Norris, Matt Story and Daniel Greer went above and beyond during Appalachian’s move-in week, when they assembled a bicycle for first-year student Madeline Ryan.
June 26, 2020
The largest plume of dust to come from the Sahara Desert in 50 years offers an unexpected bright spot for the High Country and opportunities for the university’s AppalAIR researchers.
Aug. 13, 2020
Nearly 16,000 incoming and current students received an unexpected, personal phone call this summer from Appalachian State University as part of the university’s Mountaineer Connect campaign. Staff offered support and helped connect students with resources as needed.
Oct. 9, 2020
Three of App State’s signature scholarships — the Chancellor’s Scholarship, the Dr. Willie C. Fleming Scholarship and the Diversity Scholars Program — provide full in-state tuition and fees, plus additional benefits to provide a lifetime of value.
June 4, 2020
Watch as the Appalachian State University Academy at Middle Fork celebrates its 2020 fifth grade class, recognizing 41 mini-Mountaineers with their first App State diploma. This is the academy's second class of graduates.
Dec. 21, 2020
Appalachian State University will be among 15 University of North Carolina System institutions to receive new cold storage units designated for doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. App State will have the capacity to store 116,200 doses in its new units.
Jan. 15, 2020
Appalachian’s online bachelor’s and graduate education programs — including those financially beneficial for student veterans and active-duty military members — rank among the best in the nation for 2020, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Jan. 17, 2020
Appalachian honored Dr. Claudia Cartaya-Marin, Rabbi Stephen Roberts and the Watauga County Schools Coffee Talk program with the inaugural Chancellor’s Awards for Inclusive Excellence during a luncheon held Jan. 13 on the university’s campus.
Dec. 3, 2020
App State students, faculty and staff were treated to a winter wonderland Tuesday, Dec. 1, as Boone received its first accumulating snowfall of the season. Check out this photo gallery to experience the black and gold campus dressed in white.
May 19, 2020
More than 3,600 Mountaineer graduates who were conferred degrees during Appalachian’s virtual Spring 2020 Commencement celebrated — at a physical distance — with family, friends and Appalachian Community members. They also took to social media to share their black and gold pride and excitement.
July 17, 2020
By working with speech-language pathologists in Appalachian’s Communication Disorders Clinic, a 3-year-old child diagnosed with severe childhood apraxia of speech is learning to communicate. The speech therapy has given him the ability to call his mother “mama” for the first time.
March 25, 2020
While working on his master’s thesis at the University of Calgary in Canada, Appalachian alumnus Jared Voris ’16 noticed unique features on some tyrannosaur bones, leading to the discovery of a new species.
Aug. 20, 2020
Exercise? During a pandemic? Appalachian faculty experts and University Recreation staff say yes. In this article, they share how Appalachian Community members can explore the High Country’s many outdoor recreation options to stay healthy and active during COVID-19.
Nov. 20, 2020
A longer-than-usual winter break during the pandemic and an outpouring of support from the university and community have spurred Campus Dining to offer free, chef-inspired meals to the Appalachian Community from Dec. 11–Jan. 14, 2021.
Nov. 24, 2020
Recently published research co-authored by three members of the App State Community could yield a more cost-effective storage and delivery method for drugs and vaccines — one that eliminates the need for refrigeration. The new approach would allow life-saving medications to reach those in need sooner.
Feb. 27, 2020
Appalachian has sustained VIQTORY’s Military Friendly® School designation since 2010 and was recently recognized as a Top 10 Military Friendly® School for 2020–21.
May 18, 2020
Appalachian’s Center for Analytics Research and Education (CARE) launches a global initiative to count the world’s pollinator population.
Sep. 11, 2020
App State partnered with AppHealthCare on the High Country “Show Your Love” public health campaign, which encourages residents and visitors to follow the 3Ws: wear a face covering, wait 6 feet apart and wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer.
Sep. 23, 2020
This fall, national publications U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review and personal finance magazine Money.com recognized Appalachian as one of the nation’s top-performing schools for its academics, value, innovation and student veteran services, among other aspects.
Oct. 22, 2020
Step into App State’s past by joining Kim Sims, coordinator of special collections and university archivist, as she explores items housed in University Archives.
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We’re enhancing the Appalachian Experience — with a stronger physical infrastructure and five-year goals that further empower human potential. Get the full picture through a special website detailing our growth and change.
Dec. 23, 2019
Celebrate year’s end with a look back at Appalachian’s 2019 accomplishments in teaching, scholarship, service and athletics.
About Appalachian State University
As the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls nearly 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.
