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A white humanoid robot with glowing green eyes stands in a hospital hallway as staff line the corridor, smiling and watching with warm curiosity.

CAS-supported Robotics Lab advances AI research while creating student opportunities
Oct 28, 2026

BOONE, N.C. — Students in Appalachian State University's Robotics Lab (YeRo Lab) are exploring how robots can learn, adapt, and collaborate with hum...

A fire burns as police officers in riot gear stand guard during civil unrest in Paris October 18, 2026, the day after a national day of demonstrations against the cost of living and rising fuel prices (OSV News photo/Abdul Saboor, Reuters).

Dr. Michael Behrent analyzes French politics in Commonweal
Oct 28, 2026

Extraordinary scenes of social unrest and urban violence in France have been interpreted in ways that are exasperatingly predictable. Progressives den...

Dr. William Hicks is the chair of the Appalachian State University Department of Government and Justice Studies.

Dr. William Hicks discusses Nevada voter ID measure in the Las Vegas Sun
Oct 28, 2026

When voter ID proposals first spread after the disputed 2000 presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore, they drew support from both par...

Studio headshot of a smiling man wearing a light blue button-down shirt against a black background.

App State's Joseph Gonzalez shares expertise on U.S.-Cuba relations with international media audiences
Oct 27, 2026

BOONE, N.C. — Joseph Gonzalez, called “Joe” by his students, can often be found inside the local coffee shop, Espresso News, catching up on the ...

Digital illustration of two figures in black hoodies and white masks, one standing behind the other, against a dark red background.

Horror, electronic music and Russian politics: Brittany Roberts connects them all [faculty featured]
Oct 19, 2026

Brittany Roberts, an assistant professor with the App State English department, gave a talk on how Russian electronic music duo IC3PEAK uses horror im...

Dr. Melissa Birkhofer and Dr. Paul Worley at Sanford Hall Oct. 8. Photo by Isabella Castillo

‘People need to know about this’: App State professors champion Indigenous voices [faculty featured]
Oct 16, 2026

On a trip to the ancestral Catawba town of Joara with students in fall 2019, App State professors Paul Worley and Melissa Birkhofer heard from a colle...

Fermentation Sciences lab manager Daniel Parker (left), and lab director Brett Taubman (right) stand in App State’s Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences Service Lab in Mountain Laurel Hall Sept. 30.

The newest dairy alternative comes from sweet potatoes [faculty featured]
Oct 15, 2026

Two professors in the Fermentation Sciences Program founded a sweet potato milk startup company, seeking to promote nutrition and combat food waste....

Watercolor of a playful, bearded man in sunglasses and a red bandana, giving a thumbs-up in an autumn forest; his Bigfoot shirt adds humor.

English professor Mark Powell reflects on Halloween, folklore, and wonder in WNC Magazine
Oct 15, 2026

There’s nothing quite like autumn in the mountains. The air crisps, and by September, you can feel fall in the deeper shade. By October, the forests...

Dr. Matthew Robinson

Dr. Matthew Robinson quoted in Los Angeles Times article on capital punishment
Oct 12, 2026

Matthew Robinson, a criminal justice professor at Appalachian State University and author of a book on U.S. capital punishment titled “Death Nation,...

A biologist holds an Eastern hellbender, which can grow up to two and a half feet. USFWS

App State biologist Michael Gangloff featured in Grist coverage of endangered species protections
Oct 12, 2026

According to Michael Gangloff, who studies freshwater life at Appalachian State University, human development is the biggest threat to hellbenders. Bu...

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