Topic: Community Engagement

Displaying 1 - 18 of 1454

$10M grant expands App State model for teacher-directed professional learning
Statewide ETL SPARK program supports middle school literacy educators
Oct. 13, 2026
App State’s Office of Rural Promise has secured a $10 million federal grant to launch ETL SPARK (Empowering Teacher Learning: Strengthening Professional learning to Advance Reading Knowledge) — a five-year, statewide initiative aimed at elevating classroom instruction and empowering educators in middle grades literacy.
Forrest Gilliam ’08 among App State Mountaineers working to rebuild Western NC 2 years after Helene
Oct. 2, 2026
Two years after Hurricane Helene, recovery work continues across Western NC’s mountain communities. Several App State alumni, including Forrest Gilliam ’08, are helping coordinate the state’s long-term recovery efforts as leading members of GROW NC, the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina. Learn about their work to build back a more resilient region.
App State researchers partner to strengthen Western NC resilience 2 years post-Helene
Community-informed projects span energy resilience, data coordination, community health and the arts
Sept. 30, 2026
Two years after Hurricane Helene, App State faculty and staff continue leading research to help build long-term resilience for communities across Western North Carolina. Spanning energy systems, data coordination, community health and the arts, these projects aim to deliver real solutions to problems surfaced and made worse by the storm.
Science Says I’ve Been Jumping My Bike Wrong For 30 Years [faculty featured]
Berm Peak
Sept. 29, 2026
Seth Alvo, a mountain biking content creator who runs the Berm Peak YouTube channel, brought his bike and a kicker ramp to App State’s biomechanics lab to explore the science of jumping higher. Dr. Herman van Werkhoven, associate professor in App State’s Department of Kinesiology, and Kristian Jackson, senior lecturer in App State’s Department of Recreation Management and Physical Education, assisted with the experiment.
NC universities ranked by free-speech advocacy group [faculty and staff featured]
Carolina Public Press
Sept. 24, 2026
Jamie Parson, senior vice provost for App State Hickory, and Jeff Cathey, App State’s vice provost for student affairs, discuss the university’s top 10 ranking for campus free speech by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. Parson and Cathey are App State’s Free Speech Responsible Officers, a position established at each UNC System university.
Leading with purpose, serving with impact: Founders Day honors 127 years of App State
App State inducts 8 new members into Bell Ringers Society
Sept. 18, 2026
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 spotlights research and creative activity driving innovation and community impact
Annual Research and Creative Activity at Appalachian event featured keynote speaker Dr. Martie Thompson
Sept. 15, 2026
App State’s annual Research and Creative Activity at Appalachian event, held Sept. 18 on the Boone campus, showcased a wide variety of research and creative activities by faculty and staff. Dr. Martie Thompson, recipient of this year’s Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity, served as the event’s keynote speaker.
Second life, stronger start: App State and E2D provide 200 refurbished laptops to first-year students
Sept. 11, 2026
On Aug. 27, App State and nonprofit refurbisher E2D (Eliminate the Digital Divide) distributed 200 new laptops to first-year, first-generation App State students across the Boone, Hickory and online campuses. Since 2022, App State ITS has donated nearly 3,000 devices to E2D, with over 1,100 refurbished and given out in Watauga County.
App State fundraising reaches historic heights, expands support for Mountaineers
Giving topped $50 million in both fiscal year 2025 and fiscal year 2026
Aug. 19, 2026
App State has exceeded $50 million in private donations for two consecutive years, making fiscal years 2025 and 2026 the most successful fundraising years in university history. Funds raised support resources and programming for students, faculty and staff, with significant contributions going to academics, the arts and athletics.
Summer Ventures at App State prepares NC high schoolers for future STEM careers
Aug. 3, 2026
Each summer, high school students from across North Carolina become researchers at App State through Summer Ventures in Science and Mathematics. Offered at no cost to participants, this state-funded program engages students in hands-on, collaborative research alongside faculty and staff. App State is one of four UNC System schools that host the program.
NCInnovation Joins Statewide Partnership Launching the Western North Carolina Futures Factory [faculty featured]
NCInnovation
July 28, 2026
Dr. Christine Ogilvie Hendren, vice chancellor of research and innovation at App State, describes the university’s role in the Western North Carolina Futures Factory initiative to strengthen the state’s advanced manufacturing ecosystem. Hendren says the initiative will support local communities and strengthen economic resilience in the region.
14 App State students graduate from inaugural UNC System Police Academy
The officers will serve with the Appalachian Police Department this fall
July 20, 2026
Fourteen App State students are among the inaugural graduates of the UNC System Police Academy, which launched this year. Beginning this fall, they will serve the Boone campus community as sworn officers with the Appalachian Police Department, working part time until they graduate from App State with their degrees.
4 App State alumni honored for exemplary leadership, service and achievements
9 alumni awardees from App State’s colleges also recognized
July 14, 2026
App State honored four Mountaineer alumni at its 2026 Alumni Awards Gala on July 11: Dr. M. Lee Barnes ’90, Donna Fiori ’80, Kendall Lamm ’14 and Shawn W. Poole. Nine alumni from the university’s colleges and University Libraries were also recognized.
App State’s Team Sunergy unveils Autumn — its next-gen solar racing vehicle
July 6, 2026
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.
App State Chancellor’s Innovation Scholars aim to boost Western NC cybersecurity, trades workforce
June 23, 2026
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.
App State’s Sheryl Oring documents national, international perspectives on independence
‘Spirit of Independence’ is one of several initiatives honoring America’s 250th anniversary
June 22, 2026
What does independence mean to you? This question is at the heart of “Spirit of Independence” — an interactive performance by App State department chair Sheryl Oring honoring America’s 250th anniversary. To date, the project has archived perspectives from more than 300 national and international participants.
$2.27 billion in statewide energy savings reported at App State’s Appalachian Energy Summit
App State utility savings surpass $100 million since 2002–03
June 18, 2026
At App State’s 2026 Appalachian Energy Summit, state officials announced the UNC System and its partners have avoided $2.27 billion in energy costs since 2002. App State’s portion of these savings was $81.1 million, and the university reduced its energy use per square foot by 51%, surpassing the state’s 2025 goal of 40% for a second consecutive year.
NC’s outdoor recreation economy heats up, plus tips on exploring outside and staying safe this summer [faculty featured]
WFAE
June 17, 2026
Dr. Ash Morgan, professor in App State's Department of Economics, joined a panel of experts to discuss the economic impact of North Carolina's outdoor recreation industry, along with advice for exploring the outdoors safely and responsibly. Morgan directs App State's Center for Economic Research and Policy Analysis, and his research interests include environmental economics and natural resource economics.