Topic: Community Engagement

Displaying 55 - 72 of 1354

App State’s Frontline to Farm In-Person Training Completes Another Successful Year [faculty featured]
High Country Press
July 17, 2024
App State’s College of Fine and Applied Arts completed another successful year of its Frontline to Farm program to support veterans who are transitioning to farming as a livelihood. Programming this year included classroom sessions at App State and farm tours around the High Country. Participants worked with national and regional experts in topics including agricultural law, strategic communication and marketing, farm business and planning, sustainable agriculture and more. Frontline to Farm co-director Anne Fanatico, a professor in App State’s Department of Sustainable Development, said training like this is critical to local sustainability.
Rural America Lags Cities in Helping People Beat the Heat [faculty featured]
The New York Times
June 20, 2024
Heat waves this June impacted Maine and other areas that are not accustomed to extreme high temperatures. This article in The New York Times notes that rural areas don't have the same access to cooling infrastructure as cities, which typically have shady parks, public pools and hydration stations. Dr. Maggie Sugg, an associate professor in App State’s Department of Geography and Planning, explains that many rural areas in the U.S. have homes with poor insulation, and that people with access to air-conditioning may not be able to afford to run it in high temperatures. All of these factors increase the chances of heat-related illness. Sugg has conducted extensive research on heat vulnerabilities in North and South Carolina.
Dean’s List: What is the UNC System requesting in this year’s NC budget?
The Charlotte Observer
June 18, 2024
This “Dean’s List” roundup in The Charlotte Observer includes information about the UNC System’s budget requests and App State’s new cybersecurity program, which will be offered through the Walker College of Business starting this fall on both the Boone and Hickory campuses. It will be the first undergraduate degree program in cybersecurity available through the UNC System in Western North Carolina.
Dr. Cynthia Liutkus-Pierce featured in documentary about ancient footprints in Tanzania
June 14, 2024
Research led by App State professor and National Geographic Explorer Dr. Cynthia Liutkus-Pierce is the focus of a new documentary titled “Footsteps: A Journey to the Engare Sero Footprints.” The film follows a pilgrimage to the site of early human footprints in northern Tanzania.
Appalachian State begins Aging Well support program
Spectrum News 1
June 11, 2024
This feature from Spectrum News 1 follows a patient diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease as she receives an assessment through App State’s Aging Well support program. The program, with interprofessional clinics on the Boone and Hickory campuses, is a collaborative effort with community partners to support healthy aging for adults throughout the High Country. Clinic Program Manager Lizzie Muscarello and Clinic Director Bryan Belcher speak about the available technology for aging assessments, as well as the many opportunities the program offers, from free health screenings to support groups.
Kaaren Hayes’s leadership leaves behind lasting impact on hundreds of families
Watauga Democrat
June 6, 2024
This feature in the Watauga Democrat highlights the career of Kaaren Hayes, who recently retired after 36 years with App State’s Parent to Parent Family Support Network. Parent to Parent provides free support to families who have a premature baby or a child with a disability, or to families who are grieving the death of a child. Hayes was with Parent to Parent since its inception in 1988, and she became program director in 1998. Hayes graduated from App State in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in child development.
Appalachian Today: Episode 5
June 5, 2024
On this episode of Appalachian Today, University Communications’ Dave Blanks provides a quick rundown of some of the latest news stories available at today.appstate.edu. Story topics include: App State’s 2024 Memorial Day commemoration, during which Mountaineer alumna and Army Reserve veteran Caitlin Langley laid an honorary wreath at the Boone campus’s Veterans Memorial; the May 9 unveiling of the Chancellor John E. Thomas sculpture, located outside John E. Thomas Hall on App State's Boone campus; Gracie Bullington ’23 honored as the 2023–24 App State Student Teacher of the Year; App State student-athletes achieving a cumulative GPA above 3.0 for the 12th straight year; and App State football season tickets selling out for three years in a row.

Find more App State podcasts and subscribe at podcasts.appstate.edu.
Army Reserve veteran and App State alumna Caitlin Langley lays wreath for university’s Memorial Day commemoration
May 24, 2024
App State held its annual Memorial Day commemoration May 24, honoring those who died while serving in the U.S. military. For this year’s observance, Army Reserve veteran and App State alumna Caitlin Langley laid an honorary wreath at the Veterans Memorial on the Boone campus.
App State unveils new sculpture of former Chancellor John E. Thomas
May 20, 2024
App State unveiled a new sculpture of former Chancellor John E. Thomas on May 9. The sculpture sits outside the main entrance of John E. Thomas Hall on the Boone campus. Special guests at the event included Thomas’ family and C. Philip Byers of the UNC System Board of Governors.
Inside recycling at App State — how waste is transformed into sustainable solutions
April 22, 2024
Do you know where your recycling is going? Learn about the end uses for recycled products and compost at App State and the many impacts of campus recycling efforts.
App State, Blue Cross NC partner to expand outreach programs for aging adults
April 16, 2024
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina has donated $320,000 in support of App State’s Aging Well program, which equips adults to successfully navigate the aging process through educational programming, health screenings and other resources.
App State earns 15th consecutive Military Friendly School designation, ranked a top 10 school for 2024–25
The university also received a top 10 Military Spouse Friendly School designation
March 27, 2024
Appalachian State University has been designated a 2024–25 Military Friendly® School by VIQTORY, marking the 15th consecutive year the university has received the honor. App State once again received a top 10 ranking from the organization.
App State’s 11th annual iBackAPP Day raises more than $1.8 million in support of students, faculty and staff
Funds raised break previous iBackAPP record, supporting more than 200 university programs
March 27, 2024
App State’s 11th annual iBackAPP Day raised more than $1.8 million, breaking previous iBackAPP records, with gifts from more than 2,300 donors and contributions made to every major area at the university.
App State’s next Quality Enhancement Plan will equip students for tomorrow’s careers
‘Pathways to Resilience’ QEP to launch this fall
March 19, 2024
Beginning in fall 2024, Appalachian State University will initiate a new, five-year Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) designed to help prepare students to address climate resilience needs and opportunities across multiple disciplines, equipping them for the careers of tomorrow.
App State's Days of Service contribute hundreds of volunteer hours to Watauga County nonprofits
March 6, 2024
App State held its second annual Mobilize the Mountains Day of Service on Feb. 24, with dozens of student and faculty volunteers contributing over 111 hours of community service to local nonprofit organizations.
Appalachian Today: Episode 4
March 4, 2024
On this episode of Appalachian Today, University Communications’ Dave Blanks provides a quick rundown of some of the latest news stories available at today.appstate.edu. Story topics include: the Feb. 22 topping out ceremony for App State’s Holmes Convocation Center Parking Deck; App State’s recognition of “Best Master’s in Data Science Programs for 2024,” with Fortune magazine ranking App State No. 11 in the nation for its M.S. in applied data analytics program; App State’s second annual Mobilize the Mountains Day of Service on Feb. 24, during which dozens of student and faculty volunteers contributed over 111 hours of community service; a $100,000 donation to App State from the Mebane Foundation to fund the expansion of reading assistance services for K–3 students in Watauga and Catawba counties; App State professor Joseph Bathanti’s induction into the N.C. Literary Hall of Fame; and Keith Werner’s appointment as App State chief information officer, effective March 18.

Find more App State podcasts and subscribe at podcasts.appstate.edu.
Topping out ceremony held for App State’s Holmes Convocation Center Parking Deck
Structure expected to be completed this summer
Feb. 28, 2024
App State leadership and distinguished guests attended a topping out ceremony — a centuries-old tradition — on Feb. 22 for the Holmes Convocation Center Parking Deck, hosted by New Atlantic Contracting.
App State Gospel Choir uplifts campus and local community through song
Feb. 26, 2024
For nearly 50 years, the App State Gospel Choir has been uplifting the campus community through song in the Black religious tradition. According to alumni, the choir is a vehicle for cultural expression and a welcoming family that provides a sense of home.