BOONE, N.C. — This year’s Research and Creative Activity at Appalachian (RECAPP) event — Appalachian State University’s annual showcase of faculty research and creative endeavors — featured keynote addresses from App State faculty members Dr. Rahman Tashakkori and Dr. Joby Bell, the 2025 winners of the Chancellor’s and Provost’s Awards for Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity. The annual event, now in its seventh year, was held Sept. 19 in the Hayes School of Music’s Rosen Concert Hall on the Boone campus.
App State faculty gave 18 presentations and hosted 10 posters showcasing work ranging from a violin and bassoon duet, to research exploring biochar as an alternative ingredient in cement, to resilience planning in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Other topics included groundbreaking ways of monitoring beehive health, findings on the benefits of music in learning, and research on firefighters' chemical exposure — among numerous examples of App State’s research and creative endeavors.
“The remarkable breadth and depth of the research, scholarship and creative activities that take place here — how much of it is practically applied to solve real-world problems, and how much of it offers opportunities for active involvement by undergraduate and graduate students — is a hallmark of an App State education,” said App State Chancellor Heather Norris.
In addition to being a celebration of App State’s strength as a hub for efforts that generate solutions for local, regional and global issues, the event connects researchers, allowing them to identify opportunities for collaboration. The celebration provided glimpses into a wide range of work and discoveries, with numerous university departments represented — including kinesiology; theatre and dance; computer science; marketing and supply chain management; child development, literacy and special education; and sustainable technology and the built environment.
“From music to community and student-involved research that’s making a difference well beyond our campus, App State’s research and creative endeavors are inspirational and impactful,” said Dr. Christine Hendren, App State’s vice chancellor of research and innovation. “RECAPP is a wonderful way to celebrate the incredible, wide-ranging efforts of our faculty to engage, lead inquiry and throw open the doors to new possibilities. Dr. Joby Bell and Dr. Rahman Tashakkori show us what is possible each day with their innovative works and their spirit of service.”
Tashakkori and Bell were recognized in spring 2025 for outstanding research productivity, scholarship and creative dedication, among other notable achievements in their fields.
Tashakkori, the Lowe’s Distinguished Professor of Computer Science in the Department of Computer Science, is the recipient of the 2025 Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity. Bell, university organist and professor in the Hayes School of Music, is this year’s recipient of the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity.
The annual Chancellor’s and Provost’s Awards honor App State faculty members for superior achievement in their fields, with awardees selected by a committee of faculty representing each academic college, as well as University Libraries. Recipients are nominated by chairs, deans or other faculty, or are self-nominated.
Tashakkori and Bell were among 29 students, faculty and staff honored at App State’s Awards of Distinction ceremony in April, when App State Chancellor Heather Norris recognized the award winners’ “significant contributions to enriching our university and making a difference in our community, region and state.”
Dr. Rahman Tashakkori, the Lowe’s Distinguished Professor of Computer Science in App State’s Department of Computer Science. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Chancellor’s Award
Dr. Rahman Tashakkori
Since joining App State in 2000, Tashakkori has established interdisciplinary collaborations and research and brought over $10 million in grant funds to the university, which have created multiple scholarship programs benefiting App State students. He is the author of nearly 70 scholarly publications, and he established the Computer Science Visual and Image Processing Lab at App State, where he and his research team created an innovative tool to remotely monitor beehive health.
“Dr. Tashakkori’s groundbreaking research and scholarship have advanced the field of computer science, and, coupled with an unwavering commitment to mentoring and empowering students, make him truly deserving of this award,” said Norris. “He represents the very best of App State faculty — innovative, dedicated and deeply committed to student success.”
One of Tashakkori’s colleagues, Dr. Cindy Norris, professor in the Department of Computer Science, noted that Tashakkori spearheaded efforts that secured significant National Science Foundation funding for STEM scholarships to benefit students with high academic potential and financial need — helping build resources, a sense of community and academic support structures that ensure students thrive.
App State Chancellor Heather Norris, left, with Dr. Rahman Tashakkori, the Lowe’s Distinguished Professor of Computer Science in App State’s Department of Computer Science, at the university’s 2025 Research and Creative Activity at Appalachian event, held Sept. 19 on the Boone campus. Tashakkori is the recipient of the 2025 Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Tashakkori measures his achievements by what he gives to others, he shared — and how that giving helps strengthen his students for the future.
“One of my proudest accomplishments at App State is mentoring and graduating over 230 academically talented STEM students with high financial needs through multiple scholarship programs,” said Tashakkori. “More than 60% of these students were first-generation, and close to 72% stayed in North Carolina to work or attend graduate school. Our students are doing great, and making us all proud.”
Dr. Joby Bell, university organist and professor in App State’s Hayes School of Music. Photo submitted
Provost’s Award
Dr. Joby Bell
As a dedicated instructor and advisor who gives generously of his time, Bell has energized and inspired hundreds of students since joining the Hayes School of Music in 2004. His teaching emphasizes practical application, independent thinking and the development of the skills and work ethic needed for students to successfully navigate their academic and professional lives.
“As a performer, educator and creative scholar, Dr. Bell has shaped not only the lives of his students but the future of music education at App State,” said App State Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Neva J. Specht. “Through his extraordinary musical accomplishments, he has elevated the creative landscape of our university — and far beyond.”
Bell said that humor and unconditional support — plus solid educational building blocks — are his best materials for helping create a positive experience for his students.
“Perhaps I am most fulfilled, and yet humbled, when former students communicate to me that the discrete methods I imparted to them are still serving them well,” Bell said. “When art and preparation combine toward continued success, then the students and their listeners and I continue to benefit.”
Bell’s courses include organ, harpsichord and church music instruction, and he created the honors course Music from All Angles to introduce nonmusic majors to the breadth of music’s possibilities. His scores of performances, both live and recorded, hold international appeal for enthusiasts of classical and sacred music. He has released several recordings and organized and hosted many recitals, events and residencies. Among numerous advisory, committee and service roles he has held during his time at the university, Bell now concurrently holds 15 such roles, representing a tireless outpouring of time and energy for the sake of music and those who appreciate it.
Bell’s career performances range from roles as solo and collaborative organist, to conductor, to collaborative harpsichordist, to pianist. His performances have been featured at numerous national conferences, and he is an esteemed presenter on topics related to the organ, its history and sacred music.
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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 Hayes School of Music
The Hayes School of Music prepares young musicians for professional lives as performers, composers, music educators, music therapists, conductors and music industry professionals, ensuring the next generation of musical leadership for the state, region and nation. Noted for quality instruction by national and internationally recognized faculty musicians, the school offers four undergraduate degree programs and three graduate-level programs. Learn more at https://music.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.
Mountaineers were recognized for leadership, teaching, service and more
Ongoing post-Helene projects examine flood forecasting models, backup energy systems, ecological impacts, private well contamination and health solutions
