Builders Insurance Group, under the leadership of Todd Campbell ’87, has made a $500,000 commitment to App State’s Walker College of Business, supporting the relocation and modernization of the Brantley Risk and Insurance Center. The relocation will help facilitate student connections with peers and industry partners, positioning them for career success.

App State celebrated its ninth annual Founders Day on Sept. 18 at the Boone campus, commemorating the university’s first day of classes in 1899 and honoring App State founders B.B., D.D. and Lillie Shull Dougherty. With the ringing of the Founders Bell, eight new members were inducted into the university’s Bell Ringers Society.

App State’s Team Sunergy followed a second-place finish at the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix with a historic performance at the 2026 Electrek American Solar Challenge, becoming the only team to earn two first-place finishes in the competition’s multi-occupant vehicle category. The team drove nearly 1,830 miles in its new solar car, Autumn, and received the Practicality Award.

Team Sunergy revealed a lighter, more aerodynamic solar racing vehicle ahead of two key international competitions to take place this summer — the Formula Sun Grand Prix and American Solar Challenge. The July 10 unveiling, held on the Boone campus, gave the public an opportunity to see the new vehicle and interact with the team.

From securing small businesses against cyberthreats to building a resilient workforce, App State’s 2026 Chancellor’s Innovation Scholars awards are funding two vital faculty-led projects to support the skilled building trades in Western North Carolina and launch a cybersecurity clinic in Hickory.

More than 4,300 App State graduates — the largest class in university history — were honored during seven Spring 2026 Commencement ceremonies held May 7–9 on the Boone campus. Country music star and Mountaineer Luke Combs received an honorary degree recognizing his music industry achievements and commitment to service and community support across North Carolina.

Appalachian State Giving Day raised more than $2.8 million in support of programs and initiatives across the university — a new fundraising record for the university. This year’s event also broke records for participation, with over 3,600 Mountaineers and friends of App State making contributions that support academics, athletics and the arts.

Professor Dr. Anthony Wilson — a two-time App State alumnus — leverages decades of industry experience to bridge the gap between the classroom and the runway, mentoring App State’s next generation of designers. Learn how he inspires his students to make a positive impact through their creative work.

App State students and alumni are driving global discovery through intensive geology expeditions in remote Mongolia. Collaborating with the international DAGGER research team, led by App State professor Dr. Sarah Carmichael, they conduct rigorous field research aimed at solving one of geology’s most enduring mysteries.