The campus and local community celebrated Appalachian State University’s 120-year legacy of educational leadership with the second annual Founders Day celebration Sept. 5. The day included dedication of the Lillie Shull Dougherty statue, the ringing of the Founders Bell, a panel discussion with past leaders, and research by faculty, staff and students.

This could be the year when the Western North Carolina mountains get their “traditional” fabulous fall foliage, according to local leaf color prognosticators. Dr. Howard Neufeld, professor of plant eco-physiology at Appalachian State University said many people rate a “good” fall season based on the vibrancy of the reds – the black gums, red oaks, sourwoods, red maples.

The American Chemical Society Division of Chemical Health and Safety has announced Appalachian State University’s Samuella B. Sigmann as the recipient of its 2019 Howard Fawcett Chemical Health and Safety Award. The award recognizes outstanding leadership and service in the field of chemical health and safety.

A substantial body of research shows that students systematically give lower teaching evaluations to women and people of color than to white men, even when there are no differences in the teaching’s quality and effectiveness. Nevertheless, most universities and colleges continue to use student evaluations to inform decisions about who gets promoted.

No rancher likes to think of their cows sharing space with a lion, or even an impala. But that may be the best way to save Africa’s big game, according to a study reported here this week at the annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America. The counterintuitive approach could help the livestock—and therefore ranchers—as well.

Dr. Cara Fiore, a visiting assistant professor in Appalachian’s Department of Biology, collaborated on a National Science Foundation (NSF) project that sent three College of Charleston students to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) on Isla Colón to conduct marine research.

North Carolina wine has certainly matured, and it is helping to revitalize rural economies once dominated by tobacco. With nearly 200 licensed wineries and 2,300 grape-bearing acres, the state now ranks seventh in the United States in terms of wine and grape production. In various ways, UNC System institutions have helped to grow this increasingly important segment of the state’s economy.

The annual Appalachian Energy Summit brings together the region’s energy, sustainability and academic communities for plenary sessions, working groups, a Student Summit, meetings and tours of App State’s energy initiatives. Here’s a preview.

Using the Boone Creek watershed that runs through Appalachian State University’s campus as a laboratory, an interdisciplinary research team at Appalachian has been studying impacts from stormwater runoff and how to manage that runoff.