In a Q&A with media, App State Chancellor Heather Norris spoke about her commitment to continuing work to strengthen relationships and build trust between the university, the Town of Boone and Watauga County.

Heather Norris, who has spent more than two decades on the faculty and in leadership at App State, and most recently led the campus through the devastation of Helene, is the university’s next chancellor. The UNC System Board of Governors approved the recommendation to hire Norris for the job, which she has held on an interim basis since last April.

The Appalachian features App State’s chapter of Letters of Love, a nonprofit organization directed toward sending handmade messages of support to children in hospitals around the world. Emily Pearl, a first-year psychology major from Raleigh, founded the App State chapter, which meets twice a month to create new letters.

Authority Magazine features App State alumnus Matt Arcaini in its “Five Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became A CEO” series. Arcaini is the CEO of WavMaker, an online music licensing platform designed to help video producers find songs. He earned a bachelor's degree in music industry studies from App State in 2009.

Experts, including Dr. David Marlett, professor in App State’s Department of Finance, Banking and Insurance, weigh in on what they identify as home insurance shortfalls that have been exposed by the Los Angeles wildfires.

Former NFL player Jason Kelce documents his trip to Boone after Hurricane Helene, where he attended the App State homecoming football game and experienced the “Mountain Strong” community firsthand. Kelce and his team speak with App State football players and coaches, faculty and staff, students and community members, who reflect on the devastation of Helene and the resilience of the High Country community.

Dr. Brandy Hadley, associate professor in App State’s Department of Finance, Banking and Insurance, and Dr. Brian Bank, associate professor of finance at Mississippi State University, discuss what to expect in 2025 for interest rates, inflation and the American consumer.

This feature from WXII-TV highlights ongoing research by Dr. Rahman Tashakkori, App State’s Lowe’s Distinguished Professor of Computer Science, who has spent years leading the development of the Beemon Hive Monitoring System.

App State’s Hayes School of Music recently installed a Dolby Atmos control room in its Robert F. Gilley Recording Studio. Scott Wynne, professor of music industry studies at App State, speaks about the system installation and how it was a positive experience for students, as well as future projects that are in the works for the studio.