Research Facilities

College Research Facilities

William C. and Ruth Ann Dewel Microscopy Facility

The William C. and Ruth Ann Dewel Microscopy Facility serves undergraduate, graduate students and faculty at Appalachian State University offering a wide variety of services in light and electron microscopy and image analysis. The CAS Microscopy Facility supports both research and teaching, and provides instruction and assistance on the use of state of the art imaging equipment.

College of Arts & Sciences Vivarium

The College of Arts & Sciences is committed to providing the Appalachian academic community with a safe, clean, humane, and efficient Animal Resource Facility. For information on the scope of activities, please consult the Vivarium Facility User’s Manual (274 KB, PDF).

Computation & Visualization Lab

The Visualization Lab is an interdisciplinary computer lab which provides high-end processing and graphic rendering capabilities in support of education, research and outreach activities. The lab is located on the second floor of Rankin Science West.

Dark Sky Observatory

Appalachian State University's Dark Sky Observatory is the research facility used by faculty and their students to conduct observational research in astrophysics. It is equipped with four telescopes, each used regularly for CCD imaging and photometry, with spectrographic instrumentation also available at the 32-inch.

Rankin Observatory

Rankin Observatory is the instructional facility on the main App State campus and is used for teaching advanced undergraduate astronomy courses in observational techniques. The RSO is next to the rooftop GoTo Lab Facility, used in Introductory Astronomy courses.

I.W. Carpenter, Jr. Herbarium

The Herbarium at App State contains approximately 29,000 specimens. The three main functions of the facility are teaching, maintenance of vouchers and development of a research herbarium with a focus on the flora of the Southern Appalachians.

Greenhouse

The Biology Department maintains the Greenhouse and Conservatory which supports a wide variety of outreach, teaching, basic and applied research efforts and holds more than 800 species across more than 100 families in plant inventory.

Other Research Labs

In addition to the Microscopy Lab and Vivarium, members of the science faculty maintain their own individual labs for research, usually involving both graduate and undergraduate students.

Grants & Research News

App State students are pictured in a fermentation sciences lab on the Boone campus, working under the direction of Dr. Folarin Oguntoyinbo, associate professor and research mentor in the Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences. Photo by Chase Reynolds

App State earns R2 designation for high research activity and doctorate production

BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University has received a Research Activity Designation of Research 2 from the Carnegie Classification of Institutio...

Dr. Brett Taubman, professor and director of the Fermentation Sciences program at Appalachian State University

Dr. Brett Taubman featured on Appalachian Excellence podcast

On this episode of Appalachian Excellence, we explore the fascinating world of fermentation with Dr. Brett Taubman, professor and director of the Ferm...

Sarah Ulrich '24 (left) and Dr. Maggie Sugg (right) are co-authors of a new paper published in the high-impact scientific journal The Lancet Regional Health - Americas.

Sarah Ulrich '24 and Dr. Maggie Sugg publish study in The Lancet

BOONE, N.C. — Sarah Ulrich '24, an alumna of the graduate geography program, is the lead author of a new paper published in the high-impact scientif...

Steven Vogel, Dr. Herman van Werkhoven, Sean Doherty, Jonathan Culpepper and Dr. Sharareh Shirzad at Appalachian State University's 13th annual Three Minute Thesis competition on Friday, January 24, 2025. Photo by Kyla Willoughby

CAS students participate in 13th annual Three Minute Thesis competition

BOONE, N.C. — Following a delay caused by Hurricane Helene, Appalachian State University’s Cratis D. Williams School of Graduate Studies held the ...

Research in the College

The College of Arts and Sciences understands the value of research for our students and faculty. We support, encourage and aid our students and faculty in their research and scholarly pursuits. For more information about research through individual departments, please visit each department website