Appalachian State University students gave over 1,200 combined hours of local community service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King’s life and legacy during the MLK Challenge held Jan. 21. A total of 23 charitable organizations in the Boone area were served. All Photos by Marie Freeman

All photos by Dr. Dana Powell, professor of anthropology at Appalachian State University

Share the road with Team Sunergy, Appalachian State University’s solar vehicle team, as it traverses from Brecksville, Ohio, to Hot Springs, South Dakota – 1,975 miles of sun racing, wind-whistling, solar battery charging, slick-road stopping, seven-state crossing, auto-history making, nine national park honoring thrills, spills and sheer Mountaineer grit.

For a week before and during the 2016 American Solar Challenge at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex in Wampum, Pennsylvania, Appalachian’s solar vehicle drivers weaved between traffic cones in slalom handling tests, clocked times, kidded to fast stops in wet road brake tests, and jumped from their vehicles in quick egress tests; crews demonstrated solar array charging capacity, battery load bearing and capacity; and dozens of details, including driver registration, insurance and support vehicle graphics, were scrutinized or, using track vernacular, “scrutineered.” And, after hours, there was laundry to be done.

Capturing the camaraderie and can-do spirit that is the heart of the annual Appalachian Energy Summit at Appalachian State University is not easy. In 2016, a roster of 40 speakers, close to that many workshops, panels and events, all look pretty much the same from behind the lens. But look closely at the faces and you can see how this group of energy-savvy academics, leaders and students have changed the face of the UNC system, with savings in avoided energy costs to date exceeding $500 million.

Against all odds and unbeknownst to each other, two Appalachian State University grads landed leadership jobs at the Las Vegas Mob Museum, a unique collection of mob culture and history. Take a visual tour here of the museum exhibits and read more about their careers here.

A total of 3,088 undergraduate students and 329 graduate students received degrees during Appalachian State University’s May 2016 Commencement. Chancellor Sheri N. Everts told them, “Thank you for being part of our Appalachian community. Please know you will always be a part of this great university, as you are our most enduring legacy.”

Images from a multidisciplinary, study abroad course titled “Rhythm and Revolution: Exploring Music and Dance in Cuba.” The program was led by faculty in dance, music and global studies.

Each spring, groups of Appalachian State University students choose to forgo the typical vacation most imagine when they hear the term "Spring Break" to do service projects around the nation. These trips, which all have a focus on sustainability, social justice and the environment, are known as Alternative Service Experiences (ASE).