Research Facilities

College Research Facilities

William C. and Ruth Ann Dewel Microscopy Facility

The William C. and Ruth Ann Dewel Microscopy Facility serves undergraduate, graduate students and faculty at Appalachian State University offering a wide variety of services in light and electron microscopy and image analysis. The CAS Microscopy Facility supports both research and teaching, and provides instruction and assistance on the use of state of the art imaging equipment.

College of Arts & Sciences Vivarium

The College of Arts & Sciences is committed to providing the Appalachian academic community with a safe, clean, humane, and efficient Animal Resource Facility. For information on the scope of activities, please consult the Vivarium Facility User’s Manual (274 KB, PDF).

Computation & Visualization Lab

The Visualization Lab is an interdisciplinary computer lab which provides high-end processing and graphic rendering capabilities in support of education, research and outreach activities. The lab is located on the second floor of Rankin Science West.

Dark Sky Observatory

Appalachian State University's Dark Sky Observatory is the research facility used by faculty and their students to conduct observational research in astrophysics. It is equipped with four telescopes, each used regularly for CCD imaging and photometry, with spectrographic instrumentation also available at the 32-inch.

Rankin Observatory

Rankin Observatory is the instructional facility on the main App State campus and is used for teaching advanced undergraduate astronomy courses in observational techniques. The RSO is next to the rooftop GoTo Lab Facility, used in Introductory Astronomy courses.

Zooarchaeology Lab 

Zooarchaeology Lab is dedicated to research and teaching with a focus on zooarchaeology and southern Appalachian archaeology. The lab is home to the department's zooarchaeological comparative collections, which include thousands of skeletons of vertebrates and shells of mollusks to aid in the identification of animal remains recovered from archaeological sites.  

I.W. Carpenter, Jr. Herbarium

The Herbarium at App State contains approximately 29,000 specimens. The three main functions of the facility are teaching, maintenance of vouchers and development of a research herbarium with a focus on the flora of the Southern Appalachians.

Greenhouse

The Biology Department maintains the Greenhouse and Conservatory which supports a wide variety of outreach, teaching, basic and applied research efforts and holds more than 800 species across more than 100 families in plant inventory.

Other Research Labs

In addition to the Microscopy Lab and Vivarium, members of the science faculty maintain their own individual labs for research, usually involving both graduate and undergraduate students.

Grants & Research News

SAFE Student Spotlight: Annie Sylvester

SAFE Student Spotlight: Annie Sylvester

Annie Sylvester, B.S. Physics (Secondary Education)Student and Faculty Excellence (SAFE) Fund Recipient: Spring 2022Project: “Automated Tracking Sol...

Dr. Cathy Marcum, department chair and professor in the Appalachian State University Department of Government and Justice Studies

Dr. Cathy Marcum appointed editor of criminal justice journal

BOONE, N.C. — Dr. Cathy Marcum, department chair and professor in the Appalachian State University Department of Government and Justice Studies, has...

SAFE Faculty Spotlight: Trevor McKenzie

SAFE Faculty Spotlight: Trevor McKenzie

Trevor McKenzie, Director, Center for Appalachian StudiesStudent and Faculty Excellence (SAFE) Fund Recipient: Spring 2022Project: “Visits with Regi...

Olivia Adams, a senior applied physics and english major from Raleigh, at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, AZ. Photo submitted.

Physics, English major Olivia Adams selected for prestigious internship in Switzerland

BOONE, N.C. — Olivia Adams, a senior applied physics and English major from Raleigh, has been selected for the University of Michigan - CERN Summer ...

Research in the College

The College of Arts and Sciences understands the value of research for our students and faculty. We support, encourage and aid our students and faculty in their research and scholarly pursuits. For more information about research through individual departments, please visit each department website