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A bat displaying signs of white-nose syndrome — a fungal disease that, according to the National Park Service (NPS), has killed millions of U.S. bats since its discovery in 2006. Dr. Mark Spond, Appalachian State University’s liaison to NPS, recently conducted studies of bats along North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Parkway as part of an NPS grant-funded project — data from which will help expand NPS knowledge of the parkway’s rare and WNS-affected bat populations. NPS image

App State funded to study rare bats along Blue Ridge Parkway area, investigate disease
Jan 8, 2021

With grant-funded assistance from Appalachian State University, the National Park Service (NPS) is expanding its knowledge of rare bat species found along North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Parkway, as well as parkway species that may be infec

College News, Faculty and Staff, Students, Grants and Research, Outreach and Community Engagement
During fall 2020, Appalachian State University students developed and supported peer accountability programs to encourage members of the Appalachian Community to comply with safety precautions related to COVID-19. Pictured are Wellness Ambassadors Melina Tirrell, left, a sophomore social work major from Pineville, and Jessica Phillips, a sophomore finance and banking major from Charlotte, handing out face coverings. Photo by Chase Reynolds

Reflections on a year defined by COVID-19
Jan 6, 2021

Three hundred and thirty-five days ago, Appalachian State University began its COVID-19 campus planning discussions, and on March 1 it formally activated its emergency operations center to coordinate preparedness, response and recovery efforts.

College News, Students, Faculty and Staff, Then and Now
global-leadership-awards-graphic

4 Appalachian Community members awarded for global leadership and engagement
Dec 16, 2020

Appalachian State University conferred its 2020 Global Leadership Awards as part of the annual Appalachian Global Symposium, held virtually this fall due to COVID-19 and hosted by the Office of International Education and Development (OIED).

College News, Awards and Honors, Faculty and Staff, Global Learning
Appalachian State University’s Dr. Tracie Salinas, left, and Dr. Susan Colby are the lead faculty on App State’s participation in a three-year effort to develop diverse and inclusive STEM faculty at the university. This effort is known as Aspire: The National Alliance for Inclusive & Diverse STEM Faculty. Salinas is a professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences and the director of the Reich College of Education’s Math and Science Education Center. Colby is a professor in the Department of Curriculu

App State joins national alliance to develop more diverse, inclusive STEM faculty
Dec 10, 2020

Appalachian State University is one of 19 universities joining a three-year effort — known as Aspire: The National Alliance for Inclusive & Diverse STEM Faculty — to increase the div

College News, Faculty and Staff, STEM
Dr. Rahman Tashakkori, Professor and Chair, Department of Computer Science explains the zoombox capabilites over a zoom call.

A New Way to Zoom: App State Computer Science Professor’s Design
Dec 9, 2020

Dr. Rahman Tashakkori, department chair and professor in the Department of Computer Science, has helped design and build an inexpensive way to read documents over Zoom calls.

College News, Faculty and Staff, Grants and Research, STEM, Sustainability
Displayed in front of the Appalachian State University sign, located in Founders Plaza on App State’s campus, are the university mace and banner, along with the banners for App State’s College of Arts and Sciences, Beaver College of Health Sciences, College of Fine and Applied Arts, Hayes School of Music, Reich College of Education, Walker College of Business and Cratis D. Williams School of Graduate Studies. The state flag is shown at far right and the U.S. flag is pictured at far left. Photo by Marie Free

Fall Commencement
Dec 7, 2020

As 2020 comes to a close — a year marked by the global pandemic — Mountaineers near and far will celebrate more than 1,700 Class of 2020 graduates during Appalachian State University’s virtual Fall 2020 Commencement.

College News, Events, Students, Faculty and Staff, Alumni
A worm on the carapace of a New River crayfish. Photo by Wayne Van Devender.

Worm and Crayfish mutualism affects entire stream ecosystems
Dec 3, 2020

A recent paper by researchers at Appalachian State University and Virginia Tech, published in the journal Ecology, titled: “Strong effects of a mutualism on freshwater community structure,” shows how some small worms can influence entire

College News, Faculty and Staff, Alumni, Grants and Research, Sustainability
Graduate student Stella Harden and Dr. Maggie Sugg, professor, in the Department of Geography and Planning. Harden photo submitted. Sugg photo by University Communications.

Researching the Spread of COVID-19 in Nursing Homes
Dec 2, 2020

The spread of COVID-19 has threatened nursing home residents and employees across the United States for the past several months. Two Appalachian State University researchers have determined which factors play the largest role in nursing home virus transmission.

College News, Grants and Research, Faculty and Staff, Students
Jules Bott, executive chef in Appalachian State University’s Campus Dining, preps food for one of the meals offered through App State’s Meals for Mountaineers program. The meals will be available for pickup on weekdays by students, faculty and staff Dec. 11–Jan. 14, 2021. Photo by Rachel Butts

Free meals for App State faculty, students and staff in need over extended winter break
Dec 1, 2020

A longer-than-usual winter break during the pandemic and an outpouring of support from the university and community have spurred Campus Dining at Appalachian State University to offer free, chef-inspired meals to those in need in the Appalachi

College News, Faculty and Staff, Students, Outreach and Community Engagement, Sustainability
A 3D rendering of a tardigrade — a microscopic, eight-legged animal found in water and/or damp moss. Appalachian State University alumnus Harrison Esterly ’19 is a co-author of recently published research that shows a tardigrade-specific protein is safe for injection in mice and may therefore be suitable to stabilize vaccines at room temperature, which would eliminate the need for costly refrigeration during storage and transport. Shutterstock/3Dstock image

Out of cold storage — App State vaccine and drug research could speed delivery, cut costs
Nov 24, 2020

Co-authored research by three members of the Appalachian State University Community could yield a more cost-effective storage and delivery method for life-saving drugs and vaccines — including a future COVID-19 vaccine.

College News, Grants and Research, Faculty and Staff, Alumni, Students, STEM