BOONE, N.C. — The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Dean's Office welcomed a new student employee, Aubrey Bews, this semester. A Greensboro native, Bews is often the first friendly face visitors meet when they arrive at the office. In her role, she greets guests, answers the phone, and supports day‑to‑day administrative tasks that keep the CAS Dean's Office running smoothly.
Bews is majoring in anthropology, minoring in biology, and pursuing a certificate in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). She is also a member of the Honors College and the Anthropology Club. Her academic interests center on primatology, a subfield of biological anthropology focusing on non-human primates.
Bews is gaining hands-on experience in the field through her work in Dr. Susan Lappan's Primate Lab. Lappan, a professor of biological anthropology in the Department of Anthropology, studies primate behavior and ecology — a focus that aligns closely with Bews’ career goals. Bews described her current project as “looking at recordings from Malaysia for agile gibbon calls and creating a selection table from the calls.” She added, “Eventually this data will be used to estimate the population of paired gibbons in their habitat in Malaysia, which is threatened by many things including deforestation.”
Her work in the lab has also come with meaningful mentorship. Bews shared that Lappan “has talked to me about my plans, and I work in her lab. She has also suggested many different classes for me to take that would help prepare me for a future in primatology that don't directly relate to primates, which has been super helpful.”
When she’s not in class or the lab, Bews enjoys spending time outdoors. Her favorite spot on campus is Durham Park. “I love going there on a nice day and setting up my hammock, or just sitting on the rocks by the water and chatting with my friends,” she said. She also enjoys reading, hiking, crocheting and playing cards with friends.
Some of her most memorable App State experiences have taken place beyond Boone. Bews studied abroad in Ireland and Northern Ireland for a week last summer. “It was an amazing experience and I got to learn so much more than I would've if I was just there as a tourist,” she wrote. “I also met so many wonderful people on that trip, some of whom I still talk to.”
Looking ahead, Bews hopes to turn her passion for primates into a meaningful career. “After graduation, I hope to get a job working with primates, specifically gorillas. However, I'm not sure in what capacity yet,” explained Bews, who plans to graduate in May 2028.
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About the Department of Anthropology
The Department of Anthropology offers a comparative and holistic approach to the study of the human experience. The anthropological perspective provides a broad understanding of the origins as well as the meaning of physical and cultural diversity in the world — past, present and future. Learn more at anthro.appstate.edu.
About the College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) at Appalachian State University is home to 17 academic departments, two centers and one residential college. These units span the humanities and the social, mathematical and natural sciences. CAS aims to develop a distinctive identity built upon our university's strengths, traditions and locations. The college’s values lie not only in service to the university and local community, but through inspiring, training, educating and sustaining the development of its students as global citizens. More than 6,800 student majors are enrolled in the college. As the college is also largely responsible for implementing App State’s general education curriculum, it is heavily involved in the education of all students at the university, including those pursuing majors in other colleges. Learn more at cas.appstate.edu.
Compiled by Lauren Gibbs
April 9, 2026
BOONE, N.C.
A person standing beside a glass display case containing the taxidermy model of an Irish Wolfhound.
Aubrey Bews standing next to the Irish Wolfhound at the Ulster Museum in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Photo submitted