Topic: Faculty and Staff

Hurricane Florence threatened areas far inland — including Appalachia — with landslides and other perilous effects. But people keep building in the mountains, apparently unfazed. “Early people, they were living away from streams and up on flat lands,” according to Dr. Ellen Cowen. “They weren’t the best views, but they were the safest to be. But now there’s nowhere to go, so the slopes have been cut.”

Abundant August rains shouldn't have an impact on fall leaves showing their colors in western North Carolina, according to a university professor. Appalachian State University professor Howard Neufeld said it's an old wives' tale that if you get a lot of rainfall in the summer it dilutes the fall color, the Asheville Citizen Times reports.

At the end of her freshman year of college at Appalachian, Kyra Patel became a suicide loss survivor. She knew then she wanted to dedicate her life to helping others, especially college students, so they would know that no matter what they're going through, they are not alone. After graduating from the University of Kentucky College of Public Health in May 2018 with a master's in public health and a graduate certificate in biostatistics, Patel is now back where her passion for student health and wellness began, working as the coordinator of student social wellness at Appalachian State University.