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.

A record 240 Mountaineer students showcased their innovation at App State’s 29th Annual Celebration of Research and Creative Endeavors. The event’s poster and oral presentations explored Hurricane Helene’s effects, new construction methods, music therapy for individuals with autism and more.

At its fourth annual Awards of Distinction ceremony, App State honored 29 students, faculty and staff for their exemplary contributions to the success of the university and its community members — through leadership, teaching, service and more. The event was held April 28 on the Boone campus.

Join App State on April 22 for the 29th annual Celebration of Student Research and Creative Endeavors. Free and open to the public, the event showcases App State student research and creative work across disciplines and the impact of faculty-mentored scholarship. Keynote speaker and alumna Amelia Bruce Leicht ’19 will share how her App State Experience helped launch her career in medical research.

App State alum Morgan Gulisano ’18 serves as operations lead for a creative team behind hospitality spaces at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Learn how App State’s commercial photography program fostered her creative lens, which she uses to lead an international design team.

App State is accepting applications for its new Doctor of Nursing Practice-Family Nurse Practitioner program. The part-time, hybrid program is designed for registered nurses with a bachelor’s degree in nursing and at least one year of work experience. Prospective students are encouraged to apply by the priority deadline, Feb. 1.