Appalachian students give over 1,200 combined hours of local community service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King’s life and legacy.

Dr. Ok-Youn Yu is using on-farm biomass resources to produce energy for greenhouses, increasing winter yields of fresh produce and farmers’ profits.

Appalachian State University’s Dr. Karen Caldwell promotes expressive arts therapy in developing marriage and family counselors.

Appalachian students benefit from assisting in Theatre and Therapy Project for young adults.

Revisit some of our most-read news and feature stories from the past year. They highlight the special people, activities and accomplishments that make the Appalachian Experience so unforgettable.

Dr. Michael Mayfield, vice provost for undergraduate education at Appalachian State University, never meant to be a teacher. According to his wife he “fell into it by accident.” It’s true: at his first conference presentation as a graduate student, he actually fell from the stage. He tells folks, she said, the humbling experience of climbing back up and carrying on resonated and he’s been on stage as an educator ever since.

Director of Food Services Pam Cline shares her career path, industry trends and how Appalachian State University’s sustainability initiatives impact her work.

Ray Christian, a storyteller and instructor at Appalachian State University, compartmentalizes his life of 55 years into three disparate segments: an impoverished childhood in a Richmond, Virginia, ghetto, 20 years serving his country in the U.S. Army, and the past two decades “doing nothing but going to school.”

Dr. Doug May, former commissioned officer in the U.S. Marine Corps and retired professor, speaks at Appalachian State University’s Veterans Day 2016 ceremony.