Topic: Sustainability

Displaying 19 - 36 of 712

App State students help restore national wildlife refuge as part of Alternative Service Experience
April 28, 2025
Over spring break 2025, 10 App State students traveled to Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge in South Carolina, where they performed volunteer work as part of an Alternative Service Experience. ASE provides students the opportunity to take part in service, learning and community engagement during breaks from school.
Climate Change Is Stressing the World’s Blood Supplies [faculty featured]
The New York Times
April 16, 2025
According to a new study, extreme weather events have threatened the global blood supply by disrupting donations, transport and transfusion safety. Dr. Maggie Sugg, associate professor in App State’s Department of Geography and Planning, explains how pregnant women who deal with blood conditions such as postpartum hemorrhage are at particular risk if the supply chain is disrupted. Sugg is a climate and health researcher at the university.
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.
2024 — App State’s 125th year was marked by resilience, progress and opportunity
Dec. 20, 2024
Milestones from App State’s 125th anniversary year include new pathways to expand education access, record support for research funding, the continued improvement of campus facilities and recovery from Hurricane Helene — a historic natural disaster.
Hellbender heroes: App State team continues nearly 20 years of research to help protect NC’s giant salamanders
Dec. 18, 2024
Dr. Michael Gangloff and his team work to monitor the populations and habitats of the eastern hellbender, which was proposed for inclusion on the endangered species list in late 2024. The team’s efforts are part of nearly 20 years of research aimed at protecting N.C.’s giant salamanders.
App State researchers create new tool for honeybees
WXII-TV
Dec. 12, 2024
This feature from WXII-TV highlights ongoing research by Dr. Rahman Tashakkori, App State’s Lowe’s Distinguished Professor of Computer Science, who has spent years leading the development of the Beemon Hive Monitoring System.
App State team’s beehive monitoring system buzzes toward market with NCInnovation support
The monitoring system could help decrease honeybee die-off, improve hive production
Dec. 9, 2024
A $641,951 NCInnovation grant awarded to App State’s Dr. Rahman Tashakkori and his research team will support the commercialization of four components of the team’s Beemon Hive Monitoring System — an innovative tool designed to decrease honeybee hive die-off and increase hive production.
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.
Dark skies advocates seek celestial views away from human-made lights [faculty featured]
WFDD
Oct. 30, 2024
Dr. Daniel Caton, professor in App State’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, speaks to WFDD about the negative effects of light pollution and the importance of preserving dark skies for educational and environmental purposes. Caton is the director of App State’s Dark Sky Observatory, a research facility equipped with multiple telescopes that is open to the public once a month.
The Solar-Car Competition That Has EV Recruiters Buzzing
The Wall Street Journal
Aug. 31, 2024
The Wall Street Journal features a photo of App State’s solar vehicle ROSE (Racing on Solar Energy) in this article about how the American Solar Challenge (ASC) — an international solar vehicle distance road race — has become a prime source for recruiting talent in the automotive industry. App State’s Team Sunergy placed second in ASC this summer, and has done historically well in the competition since first entering in 2016.
Survey Results: 2024 Trends and Attitudes in Supply Chain and Sustainability [faculty featured]
Supply Chain Now
Aug. 28, 2024
Dr. Dinesh Davè, director and professor of supply chain management at App State, and Evan Junker, chief growth officer at SPARQ360, dive into the findings from the 2024 Supply Chain Trends and Attitudes Report, revealing how companies are prioritizing investments in AI, predictive analytics and supply chain visibility platforms to stay ahead.
App State recognizes 6 faculty and staff with Sywassink Awards for Excellence
Aug. 8, 2024
App State’s Walker College of Business has honored six faculty and staff members with its annual Sywassink Awards for Excellence, which recognize achievements in teaching, research, service and more. The awards are supported by a contribution from honorary App State alumnus G.A. Sywassink.
App State’s student solar vehicle team races to podium finish in cross-country challenge
Team Sunergy also earned the Spirit of the Event Award
Aug. 6, 2024
App State’s solar vehicle team, Team Sunergy, secured second place in its class in the 2024 Electrek American Solar Challenge and also took home the Spirit of the Event Award. The team’s car, ROSE, completed 1,562 miles over the eight-day, cross-country road race.
Find Your Sustain Ability: Britt Wray on the age of climate anxiety
Aug. 2, 2024
Host Laura England, associate director of App State’s Quality Enhancement Plan and practitioner-in-residence in the Department of Sustainable Development, talks with Dr. Britt Wray, a researcher and storyteller focused on the mental health impacts of climate change. Wray, director of the CIRCLE initiative at Stanford Psychiatry, explores the intersection of climate science, psychology and communication, and shares her journey in navigating interdisciplinary fields — including conservation biology, science communication and the ethics of synthetic biology. She highlights the importance of storytelling in climate communication.

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App State among 13 state agencies recognized for significant energy reductions
App State-hosted Energy Summit highlights nearly $2 billion in statewide avoided energy costs
July 23, 2024
App State has been recognized by the NC Department of Environmental Quality for a 48% energy reduction, surpassing the state's goal. This figure, as well as the nearly $2 billion in state energy costs avoided since 2002, was shared at the 2024 Appalachian Energy Summit.
Find Your Sustain Ability: Katrin Klingenberg on high-performance passive building
July 2, 2024
Host Laura England, associate director of App State’s Quality Enhancement Plan and practitioner-in-residence in the Department of Sustainable Development, is joined in studio by 2024 Appalachian Energy Summit keynote speaker Katrin Klingenberg, co-founder and executive director of the Phius (Passive House Institute U.S.). Klingenberg shares her passion for passive building, which uses core building principles to create net-zero structures that utilize renewable energy sources to generate as much or more energy than they consume annually.

Find more App State podcasts at podcasts.appstate.edu and subscribe on your favorite platform.
Scuba-diving scientists capture rare underwater footage of prehistoric-looking hellbenders in North Carolina [faculty featured]
BBC Wildlife Magazine
June 25, 2024
Work is set to begin to remove Shull’s Mill Dam on the Watauga River in July in order to restore a healthy river ecosystem. The project will involve the relocation of eastern hellbenders, a species of special concern in North Carolina, who live in the river near the dam. Dr. Mike Gangloff, professor in App State’s Department of Biology, speaks to the importance of hellbenders, including how they can increase water and habitat quality in rivers. Gangloff is the aquatic lead researcher for the Shull’s Mill Dam removal.
Faculty at App State and Ghanaian university explore sustainable solutions for rural communities
Collaboration between the rural-serving institutions focuses on teaching and research, encourages cultural exchanges
May 13, 2024
App State’s partnership with the University for Development Studies in Ghana continues to connect underserved students and communities in the Appalachian and Northern Ghana regions. The partnership focuses on teaching and research collaborations and encourages cultural exchanges.