Topic: Sustainability

Displaying 37 - 54 of 687

At App State, sustainable purchasing is a collective effort — and a key climate strategy
May 12, 2023
App State continues to implement its sustainable purchasing initiative as part of the university’s Climate Action Plan, which guides App State’s progress toward climate neutrality. Sustainable purchasing is the practice of buying goods that mitigate negative effects on human health and the environment.
App State digital textbook rentals boast 99% participation rate, save students $5M in 2022–23
University wins national award for its e-book programming
May 5, 2023
Since its launch in 2021, App State’s award-winning digital textbook rental system — one of the first of its kind in the nation — has been utilized by 99% of the student population. The program has saved students over $5 million in the past academic year.
Where to Find the Energy to Save the World [alumni featured]
Wired Magazine
May 4, 2023
This feature in Wired Magazine follows the journey of App State alumna Jamie Beard in her mission to make geothermal a leading renewable energy source. The article takes a personal look into Beard’s life as an environmental advocate and how she balances her passion for work as the mother of a son with a rare metabolic disorder known as Hunter syndrome. Beard graduated from App State in 2002 with a degree in industrial technology and a focus on alternative energy.
App State students unveil new solar array near State Farm Road
May 3, 2023
App State’s student-led Renewable Energy Initiative hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony April 14 for the university’s new State Farm solar array, which has the capacity to collect data and provide performance updates. The 100-kilowatt array is visible from the Boone Greenway Trail.
App State small business centers assist 1,000 clients with $65M in capital formation
Small Business and Technology Development Center serves 14 counties with offices in Boone and Hickory
April 11, 2023
The App State-affiliated Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) is a valued asset in the economic development infrastructure of North Carolina, serving as an advisory resource for growing and developing businesses. Learn more about two Hickory area small businesses that have worked with SBTDC to pursue their business goals.
From waste to wear: App State alumna develops sustainable pigments for fashion, printing industries
Jane Palmer's LA-based company produces black pigments made from wood waste
March 24, 2023
App State alumna Jane Palmer ’98 started her Nature Coatings business in 2017 to transform wood waste into high-performing black pigments. The company provides an environmentally friendly alternative to petroleum-based carbon blacks.
Gas stoves: We’ve got hybrid cars. Why not a plug-in hybrid kitchen? [faculty featured]
The Charlotte Observer
March 18, 2023
In this opinion piece, Carla Ramsdell, an instructor in App State’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, explains how a hybridized kitchen can be an environmentally positive solution for gas stove users. Ramsdell suggests that along with a gas stove, having a single-burner electric induction cooktop provides another cooking option that helps improve indoor air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Honoring women’s leadership and history at App State
March 8, 2023
This Women’s History Month, learn more about a few of the App State administrators, alumni, students, faculty, staff and campus visitors who are leading the way and inspiring others, as well as university events and initiatives focused on women’s history.
Since 1958, App State's Southern Appalachian plant collection has aided research, teaching and conservation
I.W. Carpenter Jr. Herbarium houses 30,000 plant specimens
Feb. 24, 2023
For nearly 65 years, App State’s herbarium has served as a vital record of the flora biodiversity in the Southern Appalachian Mountains region. Faculty and students engage with its 30,000 specimens for teaching, research and plant conservation.
App State’s Day of Service honors legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Feb. 20, 2023
App State’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service — now called Mobilize the Mountains — was held Feb. 18, with more than 50 students volunteering for a day of reflection, education and service. Mountaineers have been taking part in this event for more than two decades.
Mountain hares are built for snow. That may become a problem. [faculty featured]
National Geographic
Feb. 20, 2023
Dr. Marketa Zimova, assistant professor of biology at App State, explores how climate change has negatively impacted mountain hares in the Scottish Highlands. Zimova explains that mountain hares have turncoat capabilities — changing from a brown coat to a white coat during winter months to blend in with the snow — but with less snow each year, they are becoming more easily exposed to predators.
NC State scientists want less phosphorus use, and the White House is paying attention
The News & Observer
Feb. 13, 2023
Arati Prabhakar, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, toured the Science and Technologies for Phosphorus Sustainability (STEPS) Center, headquartered at N.C. State, in February 2023. App State is one of nine institutions across the U.S. that are partners in the center, which aims to facilitate a 25% reduction in human dependence on mined phosphates and a 25% reduction in phosphorus losses to soils and water resources within 25 years.
Celebrating Black History Month at App State
Feb. 1, 2023
This Black History Month, learn more about a few of the Black leaders, alumni, students, staff and campus visitors who enrich the App State Experience every day of the year, as well as university events, initiatives and research endeavors focused on Black history.
6 App State students observe world climate policymaking at UN climate conference
Jan. 23, 2023
App State students and campus leaders traveled to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to attend the 27th annual Conference of Parties (COP27) in November. The trip marked the second consecutive year that App State was represented at the event, which is held by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
2022 marks milestone year in App State’s 123-year history
Dec. 19, 2022
With another year in the books, App State has much to celebrate. Take a look back at the university’s accomplishments in 2022, including a return trip to Mount Everest, a three-hour feature on ESPN and the best fundraising year in more than a decade.
Dr. Shea Tuberty named director of 5-year Quality Enhancement Plan
Plan proposes to train climate-literate workers and leaders to shape a just and resilient future
Dec. 14, 2022
Dr. Shea Tuberty has been named director of Appalachian State University’s 2024–29 Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) — a five-year plan to enhance institutional quality and effectiveness by focusing on an issue considered important to improving student success.
2 App State degree programs among 17 recognized by U.S. Department of Energy
Building sciences, technology programs earn new Zero Energy Design Designation
Nov. 22, 2022
2 App State degree programs in the Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment — an undergraduate building sciences program and the master’s program in technology — have earned the new Zero Energy Design Designation by the U.S. Department of Energy.
On the roof of the world, water is life. Or a sign of it, thanks to eDNA
Mongabay
Oct. 14, 2022
Research by several partners, including Dr. Anton Seimon, research assistant professor in App State's Department of Geography and Planning, employed environmental DNA (eDNA) in mapping the biodiversity of the top 14,700 feet of Mount Everest. The team identified DNA from organisms belonging to 187 taxonomic orders, which constitutes 16.3% of the total known orders.