Appalachian Today

App State archaeologist Dr. Alice Wright and her team of student researchers have unearthed dozens of artifacts at App State’s Blackburn Vannoy Estate and Farm in Ashe County that date back to prehistory — evidence that, 8,000 to 1,000 years ago, Native American peoples used the area as a campsite.

App State honored four Mountaineer alumni at its 2025 Alumni Awards Gala on July 12: Kimberly Shepherd ’97, Edna Cummings ’78, Phillip Ostwalt ’83 and Bryson Stewart ’09. Additionally, nine alumni from the university’s colleges and University Libraries were recognized.

App State’s Fred Webb Jr. Outdoor Geology Lab, also known as the “Rock Garden” — a resource for geology students, researchers and K–12 school groups — has been fully restored after the damage it sustained from Hurricane Helene. The garden now features more than 50 boulders, including several new specimens.

At App State’s 14th annual Appalachian Energy Summit, N.C. State Energy Office representatives announced that, since 2002–03, the UNC System and its partners have collectively avoided $2.37 billion in energy costs, exceeding the 2025 goal of $2 billion.

More than 4,200 Mountaineer graduates, along with family, friends, faculty and staff, celebrated Spring 2025 Commencement at App State during six ceremonies held May 9–10 on the Boone campus. Special guest N.C. Gov. Josh Stein congratulated graduates on their achievements and their resiliency in the wake of Hurricane Helene.