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Appalachian State University College of Arts and Sciences Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences logo featuring a block "A" Mountaineers mark above the department name on a black background.
Joshua Allen (left) and Brock Long (right)

Former FEMA administrator Brock Long '97 '99 and wife establish emergency management fellowship at App State
Oct 14, 2026

Former Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator and Homeland Security Today Editorial Board member Brock Long and his wife, Mandi, have established an endowe

Alumni, Students, Support
App State alumnus Forrest Gilliam ’08, GROW NC legislative director, second from right in foreground, addresses community members in downtown Marshall following Hurricane Helene. Photo courtesy of GROW NC

Forrest Gilliam ’08 among App State Mountaineers working to rebuild Western NC 2 years after Helene
Oct 2, 2026

BOONE, N.C. — When Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina in September 2024, the Appalachian State University Community rallied to support the region alongside local partners — from providing immediate assistance to helping with the long process of rebuilding.

Alumni, Outreach & Community Engagement, University News
Tammy Sexton

Influential Women features Tammy Sexton [alumna featured]
Oct 2, 2026

Winston-Salem, North Carolina – For more than four decades, Tammy Sexton has played an important role behind the scenes of scientific discovery, providing the specialized histology expertise researchers depend on to turn tissue samples into meaningful data.

Alumni
Sammy Osmond and the No-Hellers. From left: Chase Arden, Jackson Lewis, Sammy Osmond, Natalia Catalan, Ben Gertner, Grayson McGuire, and Trevor McKenzie

Boone native records new album inside historic Todd Mercantile [alumni featured]
Sep 22, 2026

Sammy Osmond is a Boone native and purveyor of all things banjo, Appalachian history and pointing people back to their Appalachian roots. He now calls Brooklyn home — but has never forgotten where he comes from.

Alumni, Arts & Cultural, Faculty & Staff
Laney Wise meets with department heads and residents to secure funding where it is needed most. Photo by Lorelei Roberts

How a pandemic-era job search led a local to help build her hometown's communications [alumna featured]
Aug 4, 2026

BOONE — When Laney Wise took a job with the town of Boone, she thought of it as “just a resume builder.” Five years later, she’s helped build the town’s entire communications operation from the ground up while writing grants to support community projects.

Alumni
A headshot of College of Arts and Sciences Advising and Support Services Hub (CASSH) Academic Advisor and Student Records Coordinator Kaela Bray ’20 ’24. Bray is wearing glasses and a black shirt with a tan blazer. The background is bright blue.

Kaela Bray ’20 ’24 joins College Advising and Support Services Hub
Jul 28, 2026

BOONE, N.C. — Kaela Bray ’20 ’24 has joined the College of Arts and Sciences Advising and Support Services Hub (CASSH) as an Academic Advisor and Student Records Coordinator.

Alumni, College News, Faculty & Staff
Dr. Donna Lillian (left) and Maxine Cooper McCall ’60 ’65 (right)
Maxine Cooper McCall ’60, ’65. Photo submitted.
Mark Byrd ’92 ’94 ’15

Mark Byrd ’92 ’94 ’15 posthumously inducted into Reich College of Education Rhododendron Society
Jun 11, 2026

Appalachian State University alumni Mark Byrd ’92 ’94 ’15, Barbara Daye ’59 ’61 ’86, Dr.

Alumni