In the Media

App State alumna Donna L. Bledsoe ’04 ’08 was named the 2023 Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year. Bledsoe has been the principal of Cedar Ridge Elementary School in Surry County since 2016. She was chosen among eight regional principals of the year and the charter school principal of the year.

Dr. Scott Collier, professor in App State’s Department of Public Health and Exercise Science, helps explain the difference between heart rate and blood pressure. Collier emphasizes the importance of understanding the numbers involved with heart rate and blood pressure in order to maintain good cardiovascular health.

Students from Two Rivers Community School and Kinderwood School in Boone, participated in the annual National History Day competition in March. The competition has students in grades 6 to 12 conduct extensive historical research on a selected theme, then present their findings to a panel of judges. Andrea Burns, associate professor in App State’s Department of History, made a push for Watauga County students to compete in the event for the first time, offering research assistance to participating students.

With the recent collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank on March 10, concerns still remain over the stability of the global financial system. In this article, two finance scholars, Brian Blank of Mississippi State and Brandy Hadley of App State, help readers better understand what U.S. regulators did to remedy the situation, the impact of their decisions and what problems still remain.

Dr. Marketa Zimova, assistant professor of biology at App State, explores how climate change has negatively impacted mountain hares in the Scottish Highlands. Zimova explains that mountain hares have turncoat capabilities — changing from a brown coat to a white coat during winter months to blend in with the snow — but with less snow each year, they are becoming more easily exposed to predators.

Michael Reddish, assistant professor in App State’s Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences, is responsible for the university’s biggest ever National Institutes of Health grant. With $1.6 million in funding, including a $20,000 NCBiotech Flash Grant and a $250,000 National Science Foundation grant, Reddish is researching human enzymes in an effort that could lead to new therapies for treating cancer and other serious diseases. Reddish’s team is made up of App State undergraduate students.

Arati Prabhakar, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, toured the Science and Technologies for Phosphorus Sustainability (STEPS) Center, headquartered at N.C. State, in February 2023. App State is one of nine institutions across the U.S. that are partners in the center, which aims to facilitate a 25% reduction in human dependence on mined phosphates and a 25% reduction in phosphorus losses to soils and water resources within 25 years.

Dr. Lindsay Masland, professor of psychology at App State, offers her expert opinion as to why students today may feel more disengaged in the classroom. Masland recommends ways for faculty to incorporate alternative teaching methods in the classroom.

University of North Alabama president and App State alumnus Ken Kitts ’85 ’87, was among 22 people to be honored on AL.com’s list of Alabamians who made the state a better place in 2022. Kitts was the only higher education leader to be recognized.