App State reflects on its 126th year in higher education — one marked by new leadership under Chancellor Heather Norris, as well as record enrollment, upgrades to campus infrastructure, advances in research and innovation, a continued focus on regional resilience, campus and community arts engagement, and student-athlete success.

At its three Fall 2025 Commencement ceremonies, held Dec. 12, App State conferred degrees upon more than 1,500 Mountaineer graduates. University supporters Barbara Freiman and G.A. Sywassink were awarded honorary doctorates, and Dr. Charlie Chen was recognized with the Board of Governors Excellence in Teaching Award.

App State’s Dr. Erin Peters has helped bring new life to the layered history of the ancient Egyptian Temple of Dendur — the subject of the Met’s “Dendur Decoded” virtual reality experience. Her work on the project provides opportunities for App State students to explore their classroom studies in a real-world context.

App State’s newly launched Office of Rural Promise fosters regional connections and supports growing programs that advance the success of students and educators in North Carolina schools. It serves as a strategic driver supporting the university’s research and innovation enterprise.

App State has been recognized among the nation’s top higher education institutions for military service members and veterans, ranking as a top five school named to Military Times’ 2025 “Best for Vets: Colleges” rankings list.

App State’s annual Veterans Day Ceremony, held Nov. 11 on the Boone campus, honors the men and women who have served in the nation’s armed forces. This year’s ceremony featured remarks from Chancellor Heather Norris and alumnus Dan Blakeley ’15 ’18, a former U.S. Army Special Operations Ranger.

Using nearly nine million images from 20,000 camera traps, global research co-led by App State faculty member Dr. Zach Farris shows many wild mammals are behaving differently than previously thought and may be misclassified.

For the 2025–26 academic year, 11 first-year App State students are Chancellor’s Scholars. The Chancellor’s Scholarship — App State’s oldest and most academically competitive merit-based scholarship — is one of several academically competitive scholarships offered by the university. For fall 2026, prospective students should apply by Nov. 15 and submit all materials by Nov. 30 to guarantee consideration for most first-year university scholarships.

Following a $26 million renovation, App State reopened Wey Hall for classes this fall, followed by the opening of the facility’s new Cathy P. Walling Student Art Gallery in late September. The newly renovated and modernized Wey Hall provides state-of-the-art facilities, cutting-edge technology and essential resources for App State students, faculty and staff.