Outreach & Community Engagement

A corgi eats dog food from a green bowl with the App State Veterinary Technology logo in the upper left corner of the image.

Veterinary Technology program holds 2026 pet food drive January 22 through February 5
Jan 22, 2026

BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University's Veterinary Technology program is collecting pet supply donations to help local pets during th...

Dr. Wendy Xie, professor of Chinese at Appalachian State University, reads Mulan with her students at the Watauga County Public Library International Storytime event. They read Mulan in both English and Chinese for those in attendance. International Storytime is a series of storytelling events by Appalachian State University faculty members and students during the spring 2026 semester, sponsored by the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning for Student Success. The next story time will be Thursday,

Library hosts reading of Mulan for International Storytime series [faculty featured]
Jan 21, 2026

Dr. Wendy Xie, professor of Chinese at Appalachian State University, reads Mulan with her students at the Watauga County Public Library Inte...

The App State hellbender team surveys the New River near Boone. Pictured, from left to right, are biology graduate students Brent Kinser, Aidan Hedges and Hutch Whitman, App State alumna and lab technician Emily Gillikin '24 and recent App State graduate Hunter Comeford. Photo by Chase Reynolds

App State advances community-driven research for recovery and resilience
Sep 22, 2025

BOONE, N.C. — Hurricane Helene’s cascading effects swept through Western North Carolina’s communities, landscapes and institutions. In the month...

Students gather around the table on Sanford Mall during the 2023 Community FEaST. Photo by Chase Reynolds

October 8: 2025 Community FEaST
Sep 2, 2025

2025 Community FEaSTWednesday, October 8, 2025, from 4:30-6:00 p.m.Sanford Mall, Appalachian State UniversityBOONE, N.C. — AppalFRESH, the Appalachi...

Dr. Julie Shepherd-Powell

From one mountain community to another: App State professor delivers warmth to Qwaqwa [faculty featured]
Aug 27, 2025

A spirit of international collaboration and heartwarming generosity filled the air on the Qwaqwa Campus as Prof Julie Shepherd-Powell, ...

A band competes against more than 100 others in the bluegrass band competition during the 89th Annual Old Fiddler's Convention on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025, at Felts Park in Galax, Va. Photo by Allison Isley for NPR

Old Fiddler's Convention is pushing 90 and keeping mountain music alive [faculty featured]
Aug 20, 2025

GALAX, Va. — Ellie Massey, 13, stands inside a giant, yellow tent with dozens of other contestants and practices singing the gospel tune, "I'll Fly ...

People enjoying Guy Ford River in Sugar Grove on July 26, 10 months after Hurricane Helene hit the area. Photo by Emma Green

Stories in the mud: Boone’s rivers after Helene [student featured]
Aug 19, 2025

Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina Sept. 27 with three days of heavy rain, permanently altering the infrastructure and geography of the ...

A Foster Grandparent Program volunteer assists a child with reading.

Foster Grandparent Program seeks volunteers to support Lucy Brock Child Development Lab partnership
Aug 13, 2025

BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University's Foster Grandparent Program is partnering with the Lucy Brock Child Development Lab to provide inte...

The Center for Appalachian Studies at Appalachian State University

Center for Appalachian Studies holds winter coat drive through August 4
Jul 18, 2025

BOONE, N.C. — In an ongoing partnership with the University of the Free State in South Africa, Appalachian State University's Center for Appala...

App State environmental science majors Kyia Wing, a senior from Suwanee, Georgia, left, and Kaden Cusack ’25, an App State alumnus from Cary, take a close look at the new boulder donated to the university’s rock garden by Albemarle Corp. Cusak graduated from App State in May, earning his bachelor’s degree in environmental science. Photo by Chase Reynolds

Rock garden and lab expanded at App State after Helene cleanup
Jul 2, 2025

BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University’s Fred Webb Jr. Outdoor Lab and Rock Garden — a resource for geology students, researc...