App State researcher Dr. Zach Russell, an assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, has been awarded a $2.3 million NCInnovation grant to develop an AI-enhanced robotic microscope to identify parasites in livestock and poultry. Russell explains plans to accelerate the technology beyond the university setting.

Dr. Brett Taubman, professor in App State’s Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences, talks about his new book, “Southern Culture on the Fizz: An Effervescent Guide to Fermented Foods and Beverages from the American South.” Taubman is the director of the university’s fermentation sciences program.

Four recent graduates of UNC System institutions, including App State alumna Kathryn Long ’25, will serve as Presidential Scholars for the 2025–26 academic year. Long graduated from the university in 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders. While a student at App State, she took on a range of leadership roles, serving as the student body president and ex-officio member of the university’s Board of Trustees.

Starting this fall, App State’s Walker College of Business will begin offering a concentration in AI for graduate students in the Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Applied Data Analytics programs. Walker College Dean Sandra Vannoy speaks to WFDD about the university’s goals for the program. Vannoy is also a professor in App State’s Department of Computer Information Systems.

According to a new study, extreme weather events have threatened the global blood supply by disrupting donations, transport and transfusion safety. Dr. Maggie Sugg, associate professor in App State’s Department of Geography and Planning, explains how pregnant women who deal with blood conditions such as postpartum hemorrhage are at particular risk if the supply chain is disrupted. Sugg is a climate and health researcher at the university.

The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge recognized 232 students nationwide on the 2025 Student Voting Honor Roll for promoting nonpartisan civic engagement and increasing college voter participation in the 2024 election. Forbes highlights several of these students, including App State junior Hunter Messick, a political science major from Durham.

With niche knowledge and skill sets in high demand, higher education institutions are implementing more programs in specialized fields. Forbes recognizes App State’s fermentation sciences program as an example of how niche programs can position universities as leaders in their fields. The App State program teaches students the science behind brewing beer, fermenting foods and producing biofuels, in a blend of chemistry, biology and entrepreneurship.

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.