Leaders from school districts, universities and community colleges across North Carolina gathered in Chapel Hill on May 17 for a meeting with members of the North Carolina Educator Pipeline Collaborative. Representatives from App State, Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute and Caldwell County Schools — including App State alumnus and Caldwell County Schools Superintendent Don Phipps ’92 ’97 — shared their action plan for teacher recruitment and retention in Caldwell County.

This feature in Wired Magazine follows the journey of App State alumna Jamie Beard in her mission to make geothermal a leading renewable energy source. The article takes a personal look into Beard’s life as an environmental advocate and how she balances her passion for work as the mother of a son with a rare metabolic disorder known as Hunter syndrome. Beard graduated from App State in 2002 with a degree in industrial technology and a focus on alternative energy.

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.

App State alumnus Danny Combs ’03, a senior airman in the United States Air Force Reserve, is the founder of Teaching the Autism Community Trades (TACT) based in Colorado. Combs created this nonprofit organization after his son was diagnosed with autism. In this interview with Colorado Public Radio, Combs explains the importance of the TACT mission to help young adults on the spectrum gain skills and find employment in trade fields such as carpentry, auto-repair, landscaping and more.

Two years after the world’s highest altitude weather station atop Mount Everest was destroyed, a team of Sherpa and scientists risked their lives to replace it with a new and improved one. Dr. Baker Perry, professor in App State’s Department of Geography and Planning, was a co-leader of the project, helping to spearhead the construction of a redesigned weather station that could withstand the extreme weather conditions on top of the mountain. The project was part of National Geographic and Rolex’s Return to Everest Expedition in May 2022.

App State made the list of colleges with the most recipients of Fulbright scholarships for the 2022-23 academic year, and is one of three top producers among master's institutions of both Fulbright Scholars and Students. Chrissie Faupel, App State's executive director for international education and development, explains ways that the university assists Fulbright applicants.

App State's Department of Theatre and Dance was selected to perform its production of “The Moors” at the 55th annual regional Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. App State is one of only four programs in the Southeastern U.S. chosen to participate.

Dr. David Nieman, professor in App State’s Department of Biology, explains how eating almonds can help athletes boost metabolism and reduce inflammation after a workout. Nieman is the director of App State’s Human Performance Lab at the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis.