Grants & Research

Dr. Bob Swarthout is an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences and Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences.

Dr. Bob Swarthout co-authors chemical analysis of USS Arizona oil leak
Nov 10, 2025

BOONE, N.C. — Dr. Bob Swarthout, associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences and Department of ...

Dr. Matt Estep is an associate professor and the honors director in the Appalachian State University Department of Biology.

Dr. Matt Estep co-authors study discovering second species of wild ramps
Nov 7, 2025

BOONE, N.C. — Dr. Matt Estep, associate professor and honors director in the Appalachian State University Department of Biology, is the co...

Anna Brown '06 is the administrative support specialist in the Department of Anthropology. Photo by University Communications

October 2025 College of Arts and Sciences Staff Shout Outs
Nov 3, 2025

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

The Appalachian

Doris Morgan Rueda navigates justice system, overlooked history of Latinx community [faculty featured]
Oct 29, 2025

Doris Morgan Rueda was studying criminology and planning to go to law school before slightly changing course. She realized that what she loved so much...

Carla Ramsdell is the practitioner-in-residence in the Appalachian State University Department of Physics and Astronomy and sustainability liaison for the College of Arts and Sciences. Photo by University Communications

Carla Ramsdell debuts hurricane preparation series "The Resilient Kitchen"
Oct 16, 2025

BOONE, N.C. — On the first anniversary of Hurricane Helene hitting Western North Carolina, Carla Ramsdell, practitioner-in-residence in the Appalach...

App State Chancellor Heather Norris, left, with Dr. Rahman Tashakkori, the Lowe’s Distinguished Professor of Computer Science in App State’s Department of Computer Science, at the university’s 2025 Research and Creative Activity at Appalachian event, held Sept. 19 on the Boone campus. Tashakkori is the recipient of the 2025 Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity. Photo by Chase Reynolds

App State spotlights achievements in research, scholarship and creative activities
Oct 10, 2025

BOONE, N.C. — This year’s Research and Creative Activity at Appalachian (RECAPP) event — Appalachian State University’s annual showcase of fac...

Merle the tuxedo cat eats grass that’s likely to snag fur in his stomach. Photo by Nicole Hughes

Gold-covered hairballs may reveal why cats eat grass [alumni, student featured]
Sep 22, 2025

Of the many mysterious behaviors cats exhibit, one of the biggest is also one of the most disgusting: Why do they insist on eating grass, when it only...

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...

Dr. Leo Flores is a professor in and the chair of the Appalachian State University Department of English.

Dr. Leonardo Flores shares digital writing expertise with IIT Jodhpur through Fulbright Specialist Program
Sep 17, 2025

BOONE, N.C. — In August, Dr. Leonardo Flores, professor in and chair of the Appalachian State University Department of English, traveled to India to...

According to the National Weather Service, Hurricane Helene made landfall in the Big Bend area of the Florida Gulf Coast as a Category 4 storm late in the evening of Sept. 26, 2024. The storm reached the Southern Appalachians on Sept. 27, 2024, causing widespread flooding, landslides, downed trees and power outages. Image courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere

What made Hurricane Helene a historic storm?
Sep 9, 2025

BOONE, N.C. — In September 2024, Hurricane Helene brought record-breaking rain and wind to the High Country, leaving a lasting impact across the reg...