University News

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...

Tucker Terrell ’25, who graduated from App State in May with a bachelor’s degree in geology-environmental geology, far left, shows community members where a single headstone was located by App State researchers trying to determine the position of grave sites in an area formerly covered with brush behind the Fort Defiance site in Caldwell County. Photo by Bret Yager

App State researchers uncover hidden history at Fort Defiance
Jun 23, 2025

BOONE, N.C. — In a newly discovered graveyard at Fort Defiance in Caldwell County, an interdisciplinary effort led by Appalachian State Un...

A young girl looks through a telescope during an Evening at Dark Sky Observatory event held by App State on Aug. 11, 2024. Photo by Cory Dalton

App State awarded $367,088 National Science Foundation grant for telescope upgrades at Dark Sky Observatory
Jun 9, 2025

BOONE, N.C. — Thanks to a $367,088 grant funded by the National Science Foundation’s Major Research Instrumentation Program, Appalachian State Uni...

Haley Herman (left) and Thomas Schwartz (right)

May 2025 College of Arts and Sciences Staff Shout Outs
Jun 5, 2025

BOONE, N.C. — Awarded by the Appalachian State University Staff Senate, Staff Shout Outs recognize staff members for their positive contributions to...

Dr. Zachary Russell, assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at App State, center, works with student researchers Ethan Humphries, a senior in physics major from Kings Mountain, and Hunter Corman ’24, an engineering physics graduate student from Morehead City, pictured in the background, in the Ion Innovations Scientific Instrumentation Development Lab in Boone to assemble 3D-printed components for rapid prototyping of microscope designs. Russell has been awarded a $2.3 million grant

App State awarded $2.3M to advance innovation in NC agriculture
Jun 2, 2025

BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University researcher Dr. Zachary Russell, assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy,...

Students studying in the Solarium at Appalachian State University.

Spring 2025 Dean's and Chancellor's Lists Released
May 19, 2025

BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University has released the Dean’s and Chancellor’s lists for the spring 2025 semester.863 students in the Colle...

Excited Mountaineer graduates turn their tassels, signifying their transition from students to graduates of Appalachian State University. App State honored more than 4,200 graduates during six Spring 2025 Commencement ceremonies, held May 9–10 in Holmes Convocation Center on the Boone campus. Photo by Kyla Willoughby

App State awards degrees to over 4,200 graduates ready to shape the future
May 13, 2025

BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University celebrated the resilience and achievements of more than 4,200 graduates during its Spring 2025 Commenceme...

Addison Pollock, of Winston-Salem, a senior biology-cellular/molecular biology major at App State, right in foreground, accepts her award from Dr. Ross Gosky, associate dean of the Williams School of Graduate Studies, at the university’s 28th Annual Celebration of Student Research and Creative Endeavors, held April 16 on the Boone campus. Pollock’s research involves the study of how cancer cells respond to oncolytic viruses. Photo by Kyla Willoughby

Student research and creative projects spotlighted at App State’s annual showcase
May 8, 2025

BOONE, N.C. — Gun violence correlated with heat waves. History uncovered with ground-penetrating radar. The benefits of chemical site cleanup for ch...

Alice Fisher (left) and Brian Zimmer (right)

April 2025 College of Arts and Sciences Staff Shout Outs
May 2, 2025

BOONE, N.C. — Awarded by the Appalachian State University Staff Senate, Staff Shout Outs recognize staff members for their positive contributions to...

App State senior Juan Pablo “J.P.” Neri stands to be recognized at App State’s 2025 Awards of Distinction ceremony, held April 24 on the Boone campus. Neri’s father, Eduardo, sits in front of him, capturing the moment with a selfie. Neri is a recipient of the 2025 W.H. Plemmons Leadership Medallion. Photo by Kyla Willoughby

App State honors 29 students, faculty and staff with 2025 Awards of Distinction
Apr 30, 2025

BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University held its third annual Awards of Distinction ceremony April 24, honoring 29 students, faculty and staff fo...