Topic: Alumni

Displaying 1 - 18 of 494

12th annual iBackAPP Day of Giving draws over 3,100 App State supporters worldwide
Raised funds to support nearly 300 university programs
April 14, 2025
During the 12th annual iBackAPP Day of Giving, App State celebrated contributions from more than 3,100 donors spanning 45 states and six countries. Their gifts support numerous programs and initiatives across the university, elevating the App State Experience for students, faculty and staff.
App State opens Mofford and Giffin Food Hub at its Hickory campus
Funds for the food pantry were donated by local residents David Mofford ’09 and Zac Giffin
April 7, 2025
App State has opened a new food pantry — the Mofford and Giffin Food Hub — at its Hickory campus. A vital resource for Mountaineers who are experiencing food insecurity, the new pantry was made possible by a generous donation from local residents David Mofford ’09 and Zac Giffin.
Over 350 cybersecurity professionals, educators and students convene at App State Cyber Summit
March 19, 2025
More than 350 people — including cybersecurity professionals from 12 states — took part in App State’s fourth annual Cyber Summit, held Feb. 21 at the Boone campus. The event was hosted by the Walker College of Business’ Department of Computer Information Systems.
From philosophy to AI: App State alumnus Tommy Guy ’07 champions interdisciplinary learning
Guy's support benefits students and programs in the College of Arts and Sciences
March 17, 2025
Tommy Guy ’07 said the out-of-the-box thinking he learned as a Mountaineer has been fundamental to his success since graduating from the university. Now Guy — who works at Microsoft as a principal architect for Copilot AI — remains an engaged member of the App State Community, investing in students and programs across the university.
App State alum entrepreneur becomes official designer for Heisman blazer [alumni featured]
The Appalachian
March 8, 2025
App State alumnus Mitch Purgason ’15, a clothing designer and founder of his eponymous business, designed the official blazer for award recipients at last year’s Heisman Trophy ceremony for top collegiate football players. Purgason started his business while he was a student at App State. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in management in 2015.
App State honors former Chancellor Francis Thomas Borkowski
Borkowski, who died Jan. 19, led the university from 1993 to 2003
Jan. 23, 2025
Dr. Francis T. Borkowski, App State’s chancellor from 1993 to 2003, died Jan. 19 at the age of 88. Under his leadership, the university strengthened academic and student success programs, expanded global education and helped establish the area as a cultural tourism destination.
Matt Arcaini Of WavMaker: “You don’t have to know it all, but you have to know enough” [alumni featured]
Authority Magazine
Jan. 20, 2025
Authority Magazine features App State alumnus Matt Arcaini in its “Five Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became A CEO” series. Arcaini is the CEO of WavMaker, an online music licensing platform designed to help video producers find songs. He earned a bachelor's degree in music industry studies from App State in 2009.
App State alumnus, photographer Jesse Barber ’22 ’24 documents Western NC’s resilience after Hurricane Helene
Jan. 16, 2025
Documentary photographer and App State alumnus Jesse Barber ’22 ’24 has played a key role in media efforts to cover the stories of Western North Carolina mountain communities after the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. Barber drove over 1,000 miles in three days to visit communities impacted by the storm.
2 App State grads from Catawba County talk about their future, role of Hickory [alumni featured]
Hickory Daily Record
Dec. 30, 2024
The Hickory Daily Record features two recent App State graduates, Vee Bui ’24 and Cody Zimmerman ’24, both first-generation students from Hickory, who speak about their time at the university and their plans for the future. Bui earned her bachelor’s in communication sciences and disorders from App State in 2024, and Zimmerman earned his bachelor’s in both general management and sales from App State in 2024.
Perseverance pays off: Over 1,500 App State graduates achieve degrees this fall
John Blackburn awarded honorary doctorate for support of the university and High Country communities
Dec. 17, 2024
More than 1,500 Mountaineer students celebrated their graduation from Appalachian State University in Holmes Convocation Center on the Boone campus during the university’s Fall 2024 Commencement ceremonies, held Dec. 13.
App State students, faculty and staff volunteered to help neighbors after Hurricane Helene
Nov. 27, 2024
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, App State students, faculty and staff stepped up to help those in need — both on and off campus, and during and after the disaster. Read the stories of seven Mountaineers who share how they responded to and volunteered to help others during the historic storm.
125 years: App State Founders Day commemorates university’s legacy of education access, innovation and excellence
With the Founders Bell ringing, 9 new members were inducted into App State’s Bell Ringers Society
Nov. 22, 2024
App State celebrated its seventh annual Founders Day on Nov. 21 to commemorate its founders, B.B., D.D. and Lillie Shull Dougherty, and the first day of classes held at Watauga Academy in 1899. Nine new members were inducted into the university’s Bell Ringers Society as part of the day’s events.
App State Oral History Program preserves the past and present through storytelling
Special Collections Research Center houses oral histories, university archives, historical exhibits and more
Nov. 18, 2024
App State’s Oral History Program conducts and curates oral history interviews, which are housed in the university’s Special Collections Research Center. The interviews range in date from the mid-1960s to the present day, with a focus on university and regional history.
Excellence in Teaching: A Q&A with App State’s Dr. Brooke Christian
Nov. 11, 2024
In this Q&A, Dr. Brooke Christian, App State’s winner of the 2024 UNC Board of Governors Excellence in Teaching Award, shares her love for teaching, her passion for chemistry, her research and more. The award is given annually to one outstanding faculty member at each UNC System school.
App State alum donates $1 million to Disaster Relief Fund
Dr. Lee Barnes ’90 catalyzes support for students, faculty and staff impacted by Hurricane Helene
Nov. 7, 2024
Appalachian State University alumnus Dr. Lee Barnes ’90 donated $1 million to the App State Disaster Relief Fund, providing immediate resources for students, faculty and staff in need.
Luke Combs, Eric Church help raise millions for WNC with concert [alumni featured]
Business North Carolina
Oct. 27, 2024
App State alumni and country music stars Luke Combs and Eric Church ’00 hosted a Hurricane Helene relief concert at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on Oct. 26. The night of music raised more than $24.5 million in support of Western North Carolina, with more than 82,000 fans in attendance at the event. Church graduated from App State in 2000 with a degree in marketing, and Combs attended the university from 2008 to 2012.
‘Made in the South:’ Durham artists uphold state furniture legacy [alumni featured]
WRAL
Oct. 22, 2024
In this WRAL feature, North Carolina artists speak about the significance of upholding the furniture and textile legacy in the state. App State alumna Kris Frazier ’19 shares her history of working with furniture and her thoughts on the importance of supporting local arts. Frazier graduated from App State in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in industrial design.
When you are both a journalist and a firefighter, which comes first when a hurricane hits? [alumni featured]
The Charlotte Observer
Oct. 22, 2024
App State alumnus Moss Brennan '21 talks about the challenges he faced as both a journalist and a first responder in Watauga County during Hurricane Helene. Brennan is the editor of the Watauga Democrat and volunteers with the Deep Gap Fire Department and Watauga County Rescue Squad. He graduated from App State with a degree in journalism in 2021.