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On Everest, App State faculty fine-tune tools for sky-high scholarship

Dr. Brian Raichle joins Dr. Baker Perry and Sherpa team for weather station maintenance in Nepal

View larger image

National Geographic Society expedition team members represent App State on Mount Everest. Pictured, from left to right in the back row, are Tenzing Gyalzen Sherpa, Dr. Brian Raichle, Dr. Baker Perry, Ila Nuru Sherpa, Phu Tashi Sherpa, Ngawang Tenzing Sherpa and Ngima Nuru Sherpa. Pictured in the front row are Kancha Nuru Sherpa, left, and Pasang Sona Sherpa. Photo by Tula Bahadar Magar/National Geographic

“Dozens of publications have already come out using this data, and if we can continue to extend the record, it becomes even more valuable.”

Dr. Baker Perry, National Geographic Explorer and professor in App State’s Department of Geography and Planning

“The stakes are pretty high, and there’s a very narrow window for getting things done on the mountain. We can’t go back next week to fix things. It’s next year.”

Dr. Brian Raichle, professor in App State’s Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment

By Brian Miller
Posted July 27, 2023 at 3:30 p.m.

BOONE, N.C. — Dr. Baker Perry, National Geographic Explorer and professor in Appalachian State University’s Department of Geography and Planning, returned to Mount Everest for a third time this spring, leading another successful expedition to perform maintenance on multiple weather stations on the mountain.

“Dozens of publications have already come out using this data, and if we can continue to extend the record, it becomes even more valuable.”

Dr. Baker Perry, National Geographic Explorer and professor in App State’s Department of Geography and Planning

This time, Perry was joined by Dr. Brian Raichle, professor in App State’s Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment, who helped test, equalize and integrate new batteries to be deployed at the weather stations.

The expedition, which took place from April 10 to May 17, builds upon the 2019 and 2022 National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expeditions. It was made possible by the National Geographic Society and Rolex’s Perpetual Planet Initiative, in collaboration with a group of elite climbing Sherpas — including Tenzing Gyalzen Sherpa, who has worked with the National Geographic Society expedition team for the past four years, and Dawa Yangzum Sherpa, the first internationally certified female guide from Asia.

“We have a really strong team, especially the Sherpas, but we’ve been missing the skill set that Brian has to offer, so it was really terrific to have him in the mix and have his expertise,” said Perry. “We got everything done that we needed to, aside from some technical challenges that were out of our control, but overall I’m really optimistic about things.”

“The stakes are pretty high, and there’s a very narrow window for getting things done on the mountain. We can’t go back next week to fix things. It’s next year.”

Dr. Brian Raichle, professor in App State’s Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment

View larger image

Dr. Baker Perry, National Geographic Explorer, professor in App State’s Department of Geography and Planning and senior scholar in App State’s Research Institute for Environment, Energy and Economics, is pictured with the Khumbu Glacier, Mount Everest and Mount Nuptse in the background. Photo by Ngawang Tenzing Sherpa/National Geographic

“We strive to turn science into something that is valuable for the people — and that’s exactly what the team did. Real-time weather data on Everest helps us study long-term environmental change, which is critical to the local community as well as scientists and climbers around the world.”

Dr. Jill Tiefenthaler, National Geographic Society CEO

Maintenance was performed at all five weather stations on the mountain, ranging in elevation from 12,500 feet at Phortse to 28,904 feet at Bishop Rock — the highest weather station in the world. Some stations were not working properly upon the team’s arrival, but after full inspections were performed, all issues were resolved, including fixing and replacing sensors, increasing camera resolution, securing cables, replacing batteries and much more.

“We’re hopeful that, with these updates, the higher stations — at least the South Col (just over 26,000 feet) — will be able to make it through the winter,” said Perry. “It will be fantastic if we can get a complete year of data.”

The weather stations offer real-time wind, temperature and precipitation measurements, and information collected from the stations provides critical climate data on glacier health, water supply and more.

“We strive to turn science into something that is valuable for the people — and that’s exactly what the team did. Real-time weather data on Everest helps us study long-term environmental change, which is critical to the local community as well as scientists and climbers around the world.”

Dr. Jill Tiefenthaler, National Geographic Society CEO

“The climbing community uses the data on the mountain to make better decisions based on weather conditions, and the helicopter pilots are using the station data too,” said Perry. “For the scientific community, those of us who study climate–glacier interactions and climate change in the Himalayas use the data quite a bit. Dozens of publications have already come out using this data, and if we can continue to extend the record, it becomes even more valuable.”

Extending the station components’ battery life is critical to the task, but it has been difficult to achieve in sub-zero temperatures.

“It’s a very harsh environment for batteries,” said Raichle. “The team had been using lead acid batteries, which is a very common technology, but they just don’t hold up as well in lower temperatures. We were able to find new lithium ion battery technology that has reported good performance in these conditions.”

View larger image

Dr. Brian Raichle, professor in App State’s Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment, uploads a new program to the Mount Everest base camp weather station. Photo by Baker Perry/National Geographic

Raichle performed temperature testing on App State’s campus, exposing the batteries to temperatures as low as negative 50 degrees Celsius (negative 58 degrees Fahrenheit).

“They performed quite well in the test, so we’re confident they will perform well on the mountain too,” he said.

National Geographic Society Chief Executive Officer Dr. Jill Tiefenthaler, who was the keynote speaker for this year’s Appalachian Energy Summit hosted by App State, said the Everest expedition has been one of the most important scientific expeditions in recent history.

“We strive to turn science into something that is valuable for the people — and that’s exactly what the team did,” Tiefenthaler said. “Real-time weather data on Everest helps us study long-term environmental change, which is critical to the local community as well as scientists and climbers around the world. We are proud to support Explorer Baker Perry and the rest of the team in achieving our mission to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world.”

View larger image

The South Col weather station is located at just over 26,000 feet in elevation on Mount Everest. Photo by Baker Perry/National Geographic

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Pictured, from left to right, are Dr. Brian Raichle, professor in App State’s Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment, Ila Nuru Sherpa, Kancha Nuru Sherpa, Pasang Sona Sherpa and Tenzing Gyalzen Sherpa. The team checks the voltage on the new lithium batteries installed at the weather stations on Mount Everest. Photo by Baker Perry/National Geographic

‘Trying to stay ahead’

The expedition didn’t come without challenges. Perry said that, for about the first 10 days, not much could be accomplished due to strong winds at the mountain’s higher elevations, as well as snow accumulations for multiple days in a row.

“That definitely slowed things down,” he said. “Then once the weather cleared, everybody was moving up higher at the same time. We were trying to stay ahead of everybody because we didn’t want to get caught in a massive traffic jam, and for what we needed to do, we needed some time and we needed some space. So it was kind of a mad scramble once things started moving.”

On the way down from the South Col station, the team passed about 100 people coming up the mountain, Perry said, adding that most of that section is on one fixed line, making it difficult to move when there is a large number of climbers.

In addition to the traffic and the weather, Raichle said it was a challenge to ship the lithium batteries internationally, and that they arrived nearly 10 days late.

“That definitely reduced the amount of time we had to work on some of the technical problems,” said Raichle. “It would have been nice to have a few more days with them at the base camp.”

View larger image

Pictured, from left to right, are National Geographic Society expedition team members Pasang Sona Sherpa, Ila Nuru Sherpa and Tenzing Gyalzen Sherpa at the Bishop Rock weather station on Mount Everest. Photo by Ngawang Tenzing Sherpa/National Geographic

To add to the hustle, the expedition was on a set schedule with little room for error, and a lot of the maintenance and technicalities were based only on assumptions.

“It’s so hard because we only get one shot, but even more than that, we didn’t know why some of the stations weren’t transmitting data,” said Perry. “You get one visit a year, so we’re trying to make guesses about what went wrong and what can be improved without actually knowing. It’s really difficult to operate like that.”

Raichle added, “I definitely felt some pressure making decisions that are somewhat speculative. The stakes are pretty high, and there’s a very narrow window for getting things done on the mountain. We can’t go back next week to fix things. It’s next year.”

On top of these unpredictable circumstances, the team members also had to worry about their health. Perry said nearly everyone comes down with some sort of ailment when on Mount Everest, whether it’s a cough or an upper respiratory infection.

“It’s all related to altitude, the cold and just being in a different environment,” he said. “Even with all of these different challenges, I’m really proud of what the team was able to accomplish.”

View larger image

Dr. Baker Perry, National Geographic Explorer and professor in App State’s Department of Geography and Planning, left, and Dr. Brian Raichle, professor in App State’s Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment, are pictured in front of the Mount Everest Base Camp weather station. Photo by Baker Perry/National Geographic

View larger image

Pictured, from left to right, are Mount Everest expedition team leaders Dawa Yangzum Sherpa, Dr. Baker Perry and Tenzing Gyalzen Sherpa at the Mount Everest base camp. Photo by Ngawang Tenzing Sherpa/National Geographic

‘The edge of the world’

This was Perry’s fifth visit to Nepal and his third expedition to Mount Everest.

“It’s incredible,” he said. “Getting up to our station at the South Col this year, there was one morning that it was pretty clear, and you’re at the edge of the world up there.”

For Raichle, it was his first experience on the mountain, and he said it was the perfect intersection of both his personal and professional interests.

“I didn’t get higher than base camp, but still, it was an amazing opportunity,” he said. “Every day on the trek is a new day to experience the culture and it’s pretty awesome.”

As for the future of the weather stations, Perry said the team is taking it year by year.

“I think, at the very least, we’ll have to send some Sherpas up next year,” he said. “Beyond that, it kind of depends on what we think happens to the stations and what needs to be done.”

In addition to support from the National Geographic Society and Rolex, App State's Research Institute for Environment, Energy and Economics (RIEEE) provided Perry and Raichle with logistics, administration and compliance support for their expedition. Perry is an RIEEE senior scholar and Raichle is an RIEEE faculty affiliate in residence.

What do you think?

Share your feedback on this story.

Everest expeditions have already led to scientific discoveries

Since 2019, scientists have collected vast amounts of data from weather stations installed as part of the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expeditions embarked upon by App State’s Dr. Baker Perry and other faculty. The data, as well as samples collected during the expeditions, have led to countless hours of research and new scientific discoveries that have been highlighted in multiple publications across the world.

National Geographic Society CEO Jill Tiefenthaler said that the 2019 Everest expedition was featured in all 35 localized editions of National Geographic magazine, which was translated into 28 different languages. The data from the weather stations installed by Dr. Baker Perry and his team have resulted in more than 30 scientific articles so far, she added. The Disney+ documentary “Expedition Everest” also features Perry and further details the expedition.

Following are a few examples of scientific discoveries made through the expedition:

  • Weather stations in winter

    As a follow-up to the 2019 Everest expedition, a team of researchers, including Perry, used weather station data to observe winter weather from the upper reaches of Mount Everest. The data suggest that due to a combination of strong winds and low relative humidity, substantial sublimation rates — the rate at which snow and ice change directly from a solid state to a gas state — are possible on Everest in the wintertime. This research can help scientists understand the impacts of climate change on water resources in High Mountain Asia. Additional data also suggest that frostbite is possible on the mountain in less than one minute in the winter months, with hourly wind chills reaching as low as negative 83 degrees Celsius (negative 117 degrees Fahrenheit).

    The winter weather station results were published on March 20, in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society.

  • Wildlife thrives up high

    Last summer, building upon the 2019 Everest expedition, a team of researchers used environmental DNA (eDNA) to document the high-alpine biodiversity present on Mount Everest. The team, which included National Geographic Explorer Dr. Anton Seimon — a former research professor in App State’s Department of Geography and Planning — identified organisms belonging to 187 taxonomic orders, collecting eDNA from 20 liters of water samples in 10 ponds and streams at elevations between 14,763 and 18,044 feet.

    The team was able to identify both rotifers and tardigrades — two microscopic animal organisms that are known to live in the harshest and most extreme environments. In addition, they identified Tibetan snowcock, domestic dogs and chickens, pine trees and mayflies.

    The results of the expedition were published in the September 2022 issue of the journal iScience.

  • A rare cat discovered through scat

    One of the more recent publications by National Geographic, which builds upon the 2019 expedition, is an article highlighting the first documented discovery of Pallas’s cat on Mount Everest in the Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal. DNA analysis of scat samples collected from two sites on the mountain confirmed two Pallas’s cats inhabit Mount Everest. These findings add a new species to the list of known mammals in Sagarmatha National Park.

  • Moisture on the mountain

    A 2020 study published in the journal One Earth, written by lead author Perry and other researchers, shares how scientists used data from the weather stations on Mount Everest to discover that the Khumbu Glacier receives most of its moisture from the Bay of Bengal. The glacier, along with others nearby, is a key source of water for many communities in Nepal. Using weather station data, scientists can better predict whether the glacier will advance or retreat based on measurements of the Bay of Bengal’s sea surface temperature, because warmer water translates to a greater potential for evaporation.

  • A century-long sneeze

    A 2023 study published in the journal Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Research and co-authored by Perry suggests that when someone sneezes on Mount Everest, the germs can last for centuries. Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder concluded that climbers on Everest can leave behind microbes that thrive in cold weather from coughing or sneezing, with the ability to withstand harsh conditions at high elevations. Soil samples prove that these microbes can lie dormant in Everest’s soil for decades or even centuries. Perry assisted with the research while he was on his Everest expedition, by hiking as far away from the South Col camp as possible to collect soil samples for the study.

A return to Everest: App State’s Dr. Baker Perry leads climate science expedition to the world’s highest mountain
A return to Everest: App State’s Dr. Baker Perry leads climate science expedition to the world’s highest mountain
June 7, 2022

Dr. Baker Perry, National Geographic Explorer and professor in App State’s Department of Geography and Planning, led a successful return expedition to Mount Everest, coordinating the maintenance of weather stations at the top of the world.

Read the story
App State researchers scale Mount Everest to conduct climate research as part of National Geographic expedition
App State researchers scale Mount Everest to conduct climate research as part of National Geographic expedition
June 14, 2019

Dr. Baker Perry and Dr. Anton Seimon were part of a multidisciplinary expedition that installed the world’s two highest weather stations (at 8,430 meters and 7,945 meters), examined soil samples and glacial lakes to better understand the range of life surviving on Earth’s highest peaks, and more.

Read the story
App State leads climate research at the top of the world
App State leads climate research at the top of the world
Dec. 15, 2021

App State has stepped onto the world stage as the lead institution to operate and maintain weather stations at the highest elevation on the planet — Mount Everest. Funded by the National Geographic Society, the project is creating new opportunities on campus and impacting climate research worldwide.

Read the story
<span style="color: #bc8801;">Find Your Sustain Ability:</span> National Geographic CEO Dr. Jill Tiefenthaler
Find Your Sustain Ability: National Geographic CEO Dr. Jill Tiefenthaler
July 7, 2023

Dr. Jill Tiefenthaler, the first female CEO of the National Geographic Society, joins App State Chief Sustainability Officer Lee Ball in the podcast studio to discuss the journey that led her to her current position. She shares her thoughts on the importance of higher education and the history of the Society’s National Geographic magazine, as well as a few of her favorite National Geographic Explorers.

Find more App State podcasts at podcasts.appstate.edu and subscribe on your favorite platform.

Listen to the episode

About the Department of Geography and Planning

The Department of Geography and Planning promotes the understanding of the spatial dimensions of human behavior within the physical and cultural systems of the earth, and the role of planning in achieving improvement in those systems. The department offers degrees in geography and in community and regional planning. Learn more at https://geo.appstate.edu.

About the College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) at Appalachian State University is home to 17 academic departments, two centers and one residential college. These units span the humanities and the social, mathematical and natural sciences. CAS aims to develop a distinctive identity built upon our university's strengths, traditions and locations. The college’s values lie not only in service to the university and local community, but through inspiring, training, educating and sustaining the development of its students as global citizens. More than 6,800 student majors are enrolled in the college. As the college is also largely responsible for implementing App State’s general education curriculum, it is heavily involved in the education of all students at the university, including those pursuing majors in other colleges. Learn more at https://cas.appstate.edu.

About the Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment

One of seven departments housed in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, the Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment at Appalachian State University features an integrated array of programs spanning the fields of sustainable design and technology. Its mission is to foster a strong and vibrant culture of inquiry, discovery and innovation that integrates theory with application, problem seeking with problem-solving, local issues with global perspectives and technological progress with environmental stewardship. It offers bachelor’s degrees in sustainable technology and building science, and a master’s degree in technology. Learn more at https://stbe.appstate.edu.

About the College of Fine and Applied Arts

Appalachian State University’s College of Fine and Applied Arts is a dynamic and innovative group of seven academic departments, bringing together a variety of perspectives, experiences and real-world education to provide unique opportunities for student success. The college has more than 3,500 undergraduate and graduate majors. Its departments are Applied Design, Art, Communication, Military Science and Leadership, Sustainable Development, Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment, and Theatre and Dance. Learn more at https://cfaa.appstate.edu.

About the Research Institute for Environment, Energy, and Economics

Since 2008, Appalachian State University’s Research Institute for Environment, Energy, and Economics (RIEEE) has fostered interdisciplinary research on the environment, energy and economics, especially the areas in which these subjects intersect. The institute serves as an umbrella organization for three centers: the Appalachian Energy Center, Center for Economic Research and Policy Analysis (CERPA) and the Southern Appalachian Environmental Research and Education Center (SAEREC). The work supported by RIEEE is integrated into Appalachian’s academic programs, used to facilitate discovery among K-12 student students and teachers, and employed in the region’s economic development. Learn more at https://rieee.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, affordable education for all. 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.

“Dozens of publications have already come out using this data, and if we can continue to extend the record, it becomes even more valuable.”

Dr. Baker Perry, National Geographic Explorer and professor in App State’s Department of Geography and Planning

“The stakes are pretty high, and there’s a very narrow window for getting things done on the mountain. We can’t go back next week to fix things. It’s next year.”

Dr. Brian Raichle, professor in App State’s Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment

“We strive to turn science into something that is valuable for the people — and that’s exactly what the team did. Real-time weather data on Everest helps us study long-term environmental change, which is critical to the local community as well as scientists and climbers around the world.”

Dr. Jill Tiefenthaler, National Geographic Society CEO

Everest expeditions have already led to scientific discoveries

Since 2019, scientists have collected vast amounts of data from weather stations installed as part of the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expeditions embarked upon by App State’s Dr. Baker Perry and other faculty. The data, as well as samples collected during the expeditions, have led to countless hours of research and new scientific discoveries that have been highlighted in multiple publications across the world.

National Geographic Society CEO Jill Tiefenthaler said that the 2019 Everest expedition was featured in all 35 localized editions of National Geographic magazine, which was translated into 28 different languages. The data from the weather stations installed by Dr. Baker Perry and his team have resulted in more than 30 scientific articles so far, she added. The Disney+ documentary “Expedition Everest” also features Perry and further details the expedition.

Following are a few examples of scientific discoveries made through the expedition:

  • Weather stations in winter

    As a follow-up to the 2019 Everest expedition, a team of researchers, including Perry, used weather station data to observe winter weather from the upper reaches of Mount Everest. The data suggest that due to a combination of strong winds and low relative humidity, substantial sublimation rates — the rate at which snow and ice change directly from a solid state to a gas state — are possible on Everest in the wintertime. This research can help scientists understand the impacts of climate change on water resources in High Mountain Asia. Additional data also suggest that frostbite is possible on the mountain in less than one minute in the winter months, with hourly wind chills reaching as low as negative 83 degrees Celsius (negative 117 degrees Fahrenheit).

    The winter weather station results were published on March 20, in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society.

  • Wildlife thrives up high

    Last summer, building upon the 2019 Everest expedition, a team of researchers used environmental DNA (eDNA) to document the high-alpine biodiversity present on Mount Everest. The team, which included National Geographic Explorer Dr. Anton Seimon — a former research professor in App State’s Department of Geography and Planning — identified organisms belonging to 187 taxonomic orders, collecting eDNA from 20 liters of water samples in 10 ponds and streams at elevations between 14,763 and 18,044 feet.

    The team was able to identify both rotifers and tardigrades — two microscopic animal organisms that are known to live in the harshest and most extreme environments. In addition, they identified Tibetan snowcock, domestic dogs and chickens, pine trees and mayflies.

    The results of the expedition were published in the September 2022 issue of the journal iScience.

  • A rare cat discovered through scat

    One of the more recent publications by National Geographic, which builds upon the 2019 expedition, is an article highlighting the first documented discovery of Pallas’s cat on Mount Everest in the Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal. DNA analysis of scat samples collected from two sites on the mountain confirmed two Pallas’s cats inhabit Mount Everest. These findings add a new species to the list of known mammals in Sagarmatha National Park.

  • Moisture on the mountain

    A 2020 study published in the journal One Earth, written by lead author Perry and other researchers, shares how scientists used data from the weather stations on Mount Everest to discover that the Khumbu Glacier receives most of its moisture from the Bay of Bengal. The glacier, along with others nearby, is a key source of water for many communities in Nepal. Using weather station data, scientists can better predict whether the glacier will advance or retreat based on measurements of the Bay of Bengal’s sea surface temperature, because warmer water translates to a greater potential for evaporation.

  • A century-long sneeze

    A 2023 study published in the journal Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Research and co-authored by Perry suggests that when someone sneezes on Mount Everest, the germs can last for centuries. Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder concluded that climbers on Everest can leave behind microbes that thrive in cold weather from coughing or sneezing, with the ability to withstand harsh conditions at high elevations. Soil samples prove that these microbes can lie dormant in Everest’s soil for decades or even centuries. Perry assisted with the research while he was on his Everest expedition, by hiking as far away from the South Col camp as possible to collect soil samples for the study.

A return to Everest: App State’s Dr. Baker Perry leads climate science expedition to the world’s highest mountain
A return to Everest: App State’s Dr. Baker Perry leads climate science expedition to the world’s highest mountain
June 7, 2022

Dr. Baker Perry, National Geographic Explorer and professor in App State’s Department of Geography and Planning, led a successful return expedition to Mount Everest, coordinating the maintenance of weather stations at the top of the world.

Read the story
App State researchers scale Mount Everest to conduct climate research as part of National Geographic expedition
App State researchers scale Mount Everest to conduct climate research as part of National Geographic expedition
June 14, 2019

Dr. Baker Perry and Dr. Anton Seimon were part of a multidisciplinary expedition that installed the world’s two highest weather stations (at 8,430 meters and 7,945 meters), examined soil samples and glacial lakes to better understand the range of life surviving on Earth’s highest peaks, and more.

Read the story
App State leads climate research at the top of the world
App State leads climate research at the top of the world
Dec. 15, 2021

App State has stepped onto the world stage as the lead institution to operate and maintain weather stations at the highest elevation on the planet — Mount Everest. Funded by the National Geographic Society, the project is creating new opportunities on campus and impacting climate research worldwide.

Read the story
<span style="color: #bc8801;">Find Your Sustain Ability:</span> National Geographic CEO Dr. Jill Tiefenthaler
Find Your Sustain Ability: National Geographic CEO Dr. Jill Tiefenthaler
July 7, 2023

Dr. Jill Tiefenthaler, the first female CEO of the National Geographic Society, joins App State Chief Sustainability Officer Lee Ball in the podcast studio to discuss the journey that led her to her current position. She shares her thoughts on the importance of higher education and the history of the Society’s National Geographic magazine, as well as a few of her favorite National Geographic Explorers.

Find more App State podcasts at podcasts.appstate.edu and subscribe on your favorite platform.

Listen to the episode

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Appalachian Today is an online publication of Appalachian State University. This website consolidates university news, feature stories, events, photo galleries, videos and podcasts.

If you cannot find what you're looking for here, please refer to the following sources:

  • Podcasts may be found at Appalachian State University Podcasts
  • Stories and press releases published prior to Jan. 1, 2015 may be found in University Communications Records at the Special Collections Research Center.
  • A university-wide Google Calendar may be found at Events at Appalachian
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