Faculty & Staff

Dr. Brett Taubman holds a glass of Rootsii.

This App State Researcher is Taking Wasted Sweet Potatoes — And Turning Them Into Milk [faculty featured]
Jun 4, 2026

North Carolina may be famous for its beaches and Blue Ridge Mountains, but the state has a lesser-known claim to fame.

Faculty & Staff, Grants & Research
Jennifer Serling

What Vet Techs Wish They’d Known: Advice from the NAVTA President [faculty featured]
Jun 3, 2026

Veterinary technology is growing at three times the national average (3 percent). The Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025) reported approximately 134,200 veterinary technologists and technicians.

Faculty & Staff
Dr. Zackary Vernon

Book Feature: Eating on a Mountain at the End of the World: How I Found Love, Humor, and Beauty in My Quest for Ethical Food [faculty featured]
Jun 1, 2026

When Zackary Vernon moved to Boone to begin teaching at Appalachian State University, he took on the personal challenge of trying to make ethical food choices: gardening, raising chickens, buying food from local farmers and volunteering at a certified organic farm.

Faculty & Staff, Grants & Research
Dr. Denise Edwards-Forde is the new Travel Coordinator in Appalachian State University's College of Arts and Sciences. Photo submitted

College of Arts and Sciences announces Dr. Denise Edwards-Forde as Travel Coordinator
May 29, 2026

BOONE, N.C. — The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) has welcomed Dr. Denise Edwards‑Forde to the Dean’s Office as Travel Coordinator, effective May 2026. In this role, Edwards‑Forde is responsible for reviewing and approving travel requests for all CAS units.

College News, Faculty & Staff
Dr. Harvey R. Durham sits at his desk in the 1985–86 academic year, when he served as chief academic officer at App State. Photo courtesy of Appalachian State University Historical Photographs Collection

Dr. Harvey R. Durham remembered for decades of leadership at App State
May 25, 2026

BOONE, N.C. — Dr. Harvey R. Durham, a former acting chancellor and provost at Appalachian State University, died on Friday, May 15, at the age of 88.

Faculty & Staff, University News
Pathways to Resilience Quality Enhancement Plan logo

Carla Ramsdell and Marta Toran recognized with inaugural Resilience Pathmaker Awards
May 20, 2026

BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University's Pathways to Resilience Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) hosted its End-of-Year Awards and Celebration on Friday, May 1, 2026.

Awards & Honors, College News, Faculty & Staff, Sustainability
App State professor Dr. Brett Taubman, left, and Fermentation Sciences Lab manager Daniel Parker have developed the sweetpotato milk Rootsii in fermentation lab facilities at App State. The locally sourced, sustainable and allergy-friendly product received $1.82 million in funding from NCInnovation, with a goal of bringing the milk from proof of concept to store shelves over the next two years. Photo by Chase Reynolds

From the field to the fridge: $1.82M NCInnovation grant supports sweetpotato startup at App State
May 15, 2026

BOONE, N.C. — Backed by a $1.82 million NCInnovation grant, Appalachian State University professor Dr.

University News, Faculty & Staff, Grants & Research
Dr. Marc Kissel

The story of the first human tool: the humble container [faculty featured]
May 12, 2026

In the prehistoric opening of 2001: A Space Odyssey, the first tool is a club: a long limb bone that proves handy for killing prey animals, murdering the leader of a rival hominin group and, finally, for throwing into the air ready for a dramatic jump cut.

Faculty & Staff, Grants & Research
Dr. Paul Worley

Monday Rockpile: Paul Worley gives Rockies prospects real-world English practice [faculty featured]
May 12, 2026

If you were a college student studying Spanish, you’d probably want to take a class with Dr.

Faculty & Staff, Outreach & Community Engagement