On Memorial Day, the Appalachian Community — including faculty, staff, student and alumni veterans — reflect on the importance of the occasion.

App State staff member David H. Cook and his wife, Christy M. Cook ’18, a faculty member in the Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management, were selected by Chancellor Sheri Everts to lay a wreath at App State’s Veterans Memorial to commemorate Memorial Day — a day honoring those who have died in service to their country. The couple reflects on their careers in the U.S. Air Force and at App State.

App State is among more than 70 national and international higher education institutions that have joined the Universities Studying Slavery consortium. Participating schools collaborate to address historical and contemporary issues around race and inequality in higher education and campus communities.

Jamie Parson, J.D., assistant professor in the Department of Finance, Banking and Insurance at App State, has been named interim chief diversity officer for the university. Her new position becomes effective May 10.

App State’s 2021 Diversity Celebration marked the 20th anniversary of this annual event and featured a full slate of virtual and in-person events designed to showcase diverse cultures through art, ideas and entertainment.

App State’s Dr. Gregory Perreault, assistant professor of multimedia journalism, has been awarded a 2020–21 Fulbright to teach and perform research at Austria’s University of Vienna this spring and summer. Through his research project, he is comparing the differences in journalistic values and practices between Austrian digital journalists and their American counterparts.

Lynn Patterson ’89, university program specialist in App State's Belk Library and Information Commons, considers her relationships with students as an important part of her job. The alumna has mentored many students over her 30-year employment at the university.

App State has earned the No. 6 spot among large public schools receiving the Top 10 Military Friendly® Schools honor for 2021–22. This designation, awarded by VIQTORY, recognizes U.S. higher education institutions for their support of and resources for student veterans and active-duty military members. App State has been named among the nation’s Military Friendly Schools for more than a decade.

As a child, Cashae Cook ’14 said she was always glad to see police officers arrive at her house — because it meant she and her siblings would be safe. Now, as Appalachian Police Department’s new diversity, inclusion and community engagement officer, Cook wants to make sure the Mountaineer community also experiences positive interactions with police officers.

Dr. Lubna Nafees, assistant professor in App State’s Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management, studies how social media influencers shape the attitudes, perceptions and buying habits of consumers.

The Appalachian Police Department has developed the Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement Unit to help build meaningful relationships and trust between APD officers and campus and community members from underrepresented groups. Read on to learn more about the unit and Cashae Cook ’14, who was appointed diversity, inclusion and community engagement officer in January.

App State awarded four faculty teams with a 2020 Scholarship of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Grant. These grants support research projects that explore issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion.

I have been reflecting on the words of President Biden when he addressed the nation last week, and in particular when he spoke about the vicious hate crimes against Asian Americans. One phrase in particular has stayed with me — when he said, “they are forced to live in fear for their lives just walking down streets in America. It’s wrong, it’s un-American, and it must stop.”

Looking to transfer to App State? You’re in good company, and you’ll find support to help you succeed. One in four students at App State is a transfer student, whether they come from a community college, a four-year institution, the military or years spent in the workforce.

App State seniors Chris Zaman, of Cary, and Myia Spivey of Rocky Mount, have each received a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to study or intern abroad — virtually or in person — in 2021. Spivey is planning to intern in Singapore this summer, and Zaman is slated to study abroad in Japan this fall.

Wendy Wilt was pulled out of traditional schooling in the seventh grade. Years later, she earned her high school diploma and is now on her way to a B.S. in public health at App State. She also serves as a full-time staff member in the university’s Advancement Services.

For the second consecutive year, App State General Counsel Paul Meggett has been selected for membership in The National Black Lawyers Top 100. He is one of 13 North Carolina attorneys recognized this year for promoting diversity and equality.

Generations of Black Mountaineers — from innovators to motivators — continue to inspire the Appalachian Community and beyond with their hard work, vision and dedication. Read on to learn about some of App State’s most prominent and influential Black figures.

As App State has adapted academic delivery methods to help slow the spread of COVID-19, more learning content than ever has migrated online. This response to the pandemic has moved the dial on accessibility awareness — and raised the demand for proactive accessibility and accommodations.

In this Q&A, App State alumna Shirazette Tinnin ’02 shares details about her life as a professional musician in New York City, some of her experiences as a Mountaineer, the trials she has encountered and the lessons she has learned along the way.

Dr. Leah Hamilton, an associate professor in App State’s Department of Social Work, gives historical context to the idea of a guaranteed income in the U.S. to help eradicate poverty. The 1960s notion is gaining traction again in some cities, where mayors are implementing pilot programs.

As I consider our ongoing work on App State’s diversity and inclusion initiatives, I recall some words of wisdom the late Cicely Tyson, a pioneering woman in the Black community, shared from her mother: “You come here to go there.” For me, this speaks to the great responsibility we have as a university to “come here” to “go there” regarding our work toward inclusive excellence and the necessity of having a unified effort to create and foster communities of excellence and inclusivity. We must ask ourselves the very question that quote provokes: Where do we go from here to foster greater inclusivity on our campus and beyond?

App State alumnus and Grammy winner Danny Combs ’03 left a successful music career to found Teaching the Autism Community Trades (TACT), a nonprofit organization that provides trade and technical skills to children and young adults on the autism spectrum.

Four award-winning authors — Anna Deavere Smith, Charles Dodd White, Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle and Carter Sickels — will pay a virtual visit to App State this spring as part of the university’s Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series. Novelists White, Clapsaddle and Sickels will read from their work and give talks on the craft of writing, and playwright Smith will give a storytelling presentation.

App State’s Department of Theatre and Dance will offer a variety of virtual performing arts events during the spring 2021 semester to help keep campus and local community members safe during the pandemic.

App State’s ACT Office suggests a variety of options for how to be service-focused this Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

App State senior Steven Klingler applies discipline developed in his military career to excel as a student studying applied physics.

App State alumnus and former NFL head coach Steve Wilks ’92 and his wife have made a gift to the university’s Keep Climbing initiative that includes establishing the Steve and Marcia Wilks Post-Graduate Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship. The yearly scholarship will support one student-athlete from an underrepresented population who is pursuing a graduate degree at App State.

Throughout the COVID-19 global pandemic and the social justice unrest brought to light this year, I have been amazed at the resilience, the gracious acknowledgement of our interdependence and the interrelatedness evidenced by acts of courage and generosity among our App State community. We have been challenged and our humanity has shown through. I applaud the work of the individuals and groups on our campus and across the UNC System, and so many others, who prevailed in spite of the odds this year. We have continued on our path of progress.

Revisit key moments, from a landmark fall enrollment of more than 20,000 students to a public health campaign to help slow the spread of COVID-19, that show App State resilience during a year of historic challenges.

App State alumna JoCinda Benjamin ’94 owns a company that provides concierge services to parents of child performers in Hollywood.

Approximately 4,000 Appalachian Community members gathered virtually to celebrate more than 1,700 graduates of App State’s Fall Class of 2020. The keynote speaker for the university’s Fall 2020 Commencement was alumnus and WBTV News anchor John Carter ’79.

App State’s Global Leadership Awards recognize students, faculty and staff who have made extraordinary contributions to global learning by initiating, developing and/or supporting opportunities for global learning at App State and in the local community. Read on to learn the awards winners for 2020.

App State has joined 18 other higher education institutions across the nation in a three-year effort to develop inclusive best practices for recruiting, hiring and retaining STEM faculty, as well as ensuring all STEM faculty engage in inclusive teaching, advising and research mentoring.

As we continue our work to increase underrepresentation at Appalachian, we have reached important milestones for the fall semester.

As we begin a new academic year, we have much to look forward to in regard to diversity and inclusion work on our campus.

Educational opportunities expand efforts to foster greater inclusivity on our campus. Students, faculty and staff from marginalized communities often share that they feel responsible for educating the entire community. While many of these folks have a passion for doing so, we are working to ensure there are a multitude of other ways for our campus community to learn about the importance of inclusive excellence.

Earlier this week, following its response to the BlackAtAppstate petition and its commitment to the university community, the Chancellor’s Cabinet held a meeting to bring together a Diversity and Inclusion Accountability Team. Made up of students, alumni, faculty, staff, administrators and members of the Board of Trustees, this team will help our university remain focused and accountable as we continue our work to foster a more inclusively welcoming environment for underrepresented populations that ultimately benefits our entire campus community.

In my most recent message to campus, I shared information about the Faculty Recruitment Working Group’s efforts to help Appalachian increase representation among its faculty members. This group’s work goes beyond recruitment of more diverse faculty and extends into strategies for retention.

As many of you know, on Monday, a group of students sent a list of demands to Chancellor Everts and members of the administration, as well as Student Affairs personnel and the Board of Trustees. This group also initiated a petition encouraging students to support those demands. Chancellor Everts immediately responded to the group and extended an invitation to meet to discuss these critical issues, as many already have been identified as key university priorities currently underway or very close to fruition, and we have every expectation that many more can be accomplished within a few months.

In recent years, the Chief Diversity Officer’s Advisory Board — formerly called the Chancellor’s Commission on Diversity — and many others across campus have made requests and proposals to enhance the culture of inclusive excellence on our campus, and I am thankful for the opportunity to work with hundreds of faculty, staff and students who understand and elevate this important work. In order to better facilitate ongoing conversations about diversity and inclusion on Appalachian’s campus, I am pleased to share that this fall I will regularly host opportunities for serious dialogue called “Community Conversations.”

As Appalachian’s Chief Diversity Officer, it is my role to provide the vision, leadership, coordination and strategic planning for improving Appalachian’s campus diversity and inclusion so that everyone in our university community is valued, supported and respected.

We cannot allow ignorance, lack of cultural appreciation and racial insensitivity to define who we are.

During spring break of March 2018, 20 Appalachian State University students and three faculty members traveled to Cuba as part of a Walker College of Business international study experience. Travel along with the group and experience Cuba through this photo diary of their trip.

Appalachian’s Global Peacebuilding Project began this spring and continues into 2018-19.

Climate Justice Month, Earth Month and the Diversity Celebration all highlight Appalachian’s commitment to making a difference.

Grant funding from UNC Greensboro will allow an interdisciplinary team of Appalachian and UNC Greensboro faculty members to implement BRIDGES — a project designed to engage diverse groups in STEM learning.

Appalachian has received approval from the UNC Board of Governors to establish a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) program. Students will be admitted beginning in fall 2019. The goal is to provide more practitioners for rural communities.

Appalachian’s Cultural Ambassadors program offers a chance for international students to visit with the local community, inspiring global understanding for everyone involved. International Day at Watauga County’s Mabel School was a recent venue.

Chief Diversity Officer Dr. Willie C. Fleming outlines his goal of “inclusive excellence” at Appalachian State University.

As Appalachian State University endeavors to be an inclusively excellent campus, we understand members of our military community, just like all other minority groups, should know they are respected, supported and valued members of our greater campus community.

Appalachian@s Hispanic/Latino Faculty and Staff Association has received official recognition as an employee organization of Appalachian.

Appalachian State University will honor its rich cultural heritage by providing a gathering space for the National Pan-Hellenic Council’s (NPHC) Divine Nine.

Since 2010, Victory Media has awarded Appalachian the designation of Military Friendly School, which places Appalachian in the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace military students, and to dedicate resources to ensure their success in the classroom and after graduation. This is the first year, however, that Appalachian has made Victory Media’s Top 10 list.

Appalachian alumnus Dr. Harry Lee Williams touts the power of relationships as incoming head of Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

After a 20-year absence from higher education, studio art major Ireri Krueger returned to achieve a lifelong dream. She is among seniors graduating this month.

Three Appalachian students — Laurel Roser, Rhiannon Reed-Kelly and Keylen Renteria — are the recipients of the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship and will study abroad during the 2018 spring semester. Named for retired Congressman Gilman, the scholarship program aims to diversify the students who study and intern abroad and the countries and regions where they go.

The flag of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee now hangs in a place of prominence alongside the American, Chinese and Israeli national flags — and a variety of others — in Plemmons Student Union (PSU) on Appalachian State University’s campus.

Representing people who may not conform to the mainstream is important to Judson MacDonald, the 2016-17 Outstanding Student Teacher of the Year at Appalachian State University.

Senior Maheder Yohannes emigrated from Ethiopia at age 10. Now a U.S. citizen, the first-generation college student is helping underprivileged children in her native country stay in school.

Jordan and his guest Sarah Levine discuss the death of their fathers, Roscoe Jordan and Marty Levine. They share what their fathers taught them during their time on earth, as well as what they have learned by living without them. This episode is dedicated to Roscoe and Marty.

Presented by the Office of International Education and Development, the IEW Photo Contest is an opportunity for our students, faculty, and staff to share their photos that demonstrate their understanding of international cultures and places.

Appalachian has a debut ranking on the Military Times Best: Colleges 2018 list, an annual survey now in its eighth year. The survey assesses two- and four-year colleges, as well as online and nontraditional colleges and career and technical schools, based on their suitability for service members, military veterans and their families.

“Our students here in the Appalachian Mountains don’t have many opportunities to meet people from other countries and cultures,” says Dr. Maria Anastasiou at Appalachian State University. But a recent visit by 21 science and English teachers from 16 different countries has been changing that, both for the university and the surrounding community.

A crowd of approximately 150 gathered beside the B.B. Dougherty Administration Building on the Appalachian State University campus, Friday, Nov. 10, for a Veterans Day ceremony.

In honor of Veterans Day, we take a look at how Appalachian’s student veterans transition to civilian life and work toward their college degree.

The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), the nation’s largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community, awarded Dr. Harry Lee Williams '86 '88 '95 its Educational Leadership Award and announced him as the new TMCF President and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Williams will end his distinguished tenure as president of Delaware State University.

Three of the four newest 2017-18 Fleming Scholars were recognized in a traditional pinning ceremony Friday, Oct. 6, on the Appalachian State University campus. The new scholarship recipients are Jonathan Winbush of Winston-Salem, Tamia Gowens of Greensboro, Ayah Hatcher of Raleigh and Jordan Moore of Indian Trail. Gowens was not present at the ceremony.

The Teaching Excellence and Achievement program (TEA), now in its seventh year, brings teachers from other countries to Appalachian State University to enhance their skills in teaching science and English as a foreign language.

About 50 people gathered for the unveiling of a historic marker at the Old Boone Cemetery on Sunday, Oct. 1. The cemetery contains the graves of over 160 African-Americans which had laid nearly forgotten in the open field behind Appalachian State University's Cone Residence Hall.

For many years, the graves of over 160 African-Americans laid in the open field below Old Boone Cemetery behind Appalachian State University’s Cone Residence Hall unknown and mostly forgotten. They’re a secret no longer.

In this first episode of What's Your Truth, Jordan gets real with Chief Diversity Officer Dr. Willie Fleming and Associate Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Compliance Jordyne Blaise. They talk about pivotal moments in their lives, the legacies they want to leave, and answer the question: "What's your truth?"

Dr. Nikolas Jordan, Associate Dean of the Reich College of Education and licensed marriage and family therapist, gets real about getting real, taking risks, screwing up and - very importantly - staying in relationship.

Research by Drs. Zach and Alisha Farris is sustaining ecosytems, improving animal and human health and providing learning opportunities. They are ‘living like they mean it.’

Robert Haswell and Dr. Darrell Kruger, geography scholars from South Africa who now hold leadership positions in local government and academia, respectively, discuss the unifying power of rugby, monuments to a nation's troubled history and lessons learned from Nelson Mandela.

In August, Appalachian State University welcomed 18,811 students to campus, including 3,306 first-year students who comprise the largest and most diverse first-year class in the university’s history.

Appalachian donates fresh produce to local organizations for residents in need

Immigration, executive orders, DACA, international students, faculty and staff, law enforcement, travel, visas, study abroad… How is a university to sort these matters out and share sound information? Where there has been a void of clear, concise information about what we can and can’t do, we’ve consulted our own internal experts, done some homework and gathered it here, as a reference for our campus.

Appalachian State University has earned the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education’s highest “green light” rating for protecting student and faculty free speech, a distinction held by only 35 institutions nationwide.

Five Appalachian students have been chosen to participate in the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) program for 2017-18. JET is a competitive employment program that gives young professionals a chance to live and work in Japan while representing the United States as cultural ambassadors.

At Appalachian State University we embrace “Inclusive Excellence.” One could say that excellence is inclusive. Our goal, as is the intent of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, is that, “a high-quality, practical liberal education should be the standard of excellence for all students. The action of making excellence inclusive requires that we uncover inequities in student success, identify effective educational practices, and build such practices organically for sustained institutional change.”

We can be a model of justice and fairness. Pass it on.

This fall semester, Appalachian State University will become one of 79 sites to provide full access to the USC Shoah Foundation Visual History Archive. The archive contains 55,000 testimonies of survivors and witnesses of the Holocaust, the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda (1994), the Nanjing Massacre (1937), the Guatemalan Genocide (1978-1996), the Armenian Genocide (1915-1923) and the Cambodian Genocide (1975-1979).

Whether she's turning a landfill into an award-winning 3 million-dollar park, or transforming a neglected streetscape into a picturesque, Parisian-cafe inspired greenspace, Majora Carter's vision and drive for sustainable, local living is potent and compelling.

The Mandela Washington Fellows are highly accomplished young professionals from sub-Saharan Africa who are expanding their leadership skills at Appalachian, while also inspiring the campus community.

The scholarship recipients are Jonathan Winbush of Winston-Salem; Tamia Gowens of Greensboro; Ayah Hatcher of Raleigh; and Jordan Moore of Indian Trail. The scholarship is named for Dr. Willie C. Fleming, Appalachian’s chief diversity officer.

The Diversity Scholarship is given to students who have demonstrated leadership potential, academic achievement, a willingness to create positive change and a commitment to the principles of diversity. The scholarship covers full in-state tuition and fees for eight semesters, plus special service, leadership and travel opportunities. All first-year students are eligible for the scholarship.

She will begin work July 1, having most recently served as the inaugural director of community engagement and equity at Harvard Law School.

The Task Force on Appalachia is gathering leading experts from around the country and the Appalachia region for four separate roundtable discussions organized around these themes: education and the workforce; entrepreneurialism and job creation; energy and infrastructure; and rural health.

“For those who fight for it, freedom has a taste the protected will never know.” As Eric Gormly began the keynote address at the 2017 Memorial Day ceremony at Appalachian State University, he quoted these words, which he and his fellow U.S. Marines saw painted on the walls of their barracks at combat training.

Part of the NEH’s “Dialogues on the Experience of War” program, this grant project was developed by Dr. Valerie Wieskamp, Department of Communication; Dr. Lynn Searfoss, Department of English; and Dr. Clark Maddux, Watauga Residential College.

Book clubs have had resurgence ever since Oprah launched one 20 years ago, and a program at Appalachian State University that helps students with learning differences has adopted the format with great success. The program supports two clubs, one for faculty and one for students.

Sarah Beth Anderson, who is pursuing a Master of Arts degree in the clinical mental health counseling program at Appalachian, has received a scholarship that includes $8,000 to defray the costs of her education as well as training in the counseling of underserved rural populations.

Through the Appalachian Senior Companion Program and the Appalachian Foster Grandparent Program, area senior citizens assist some of the region’s youngest and oldest residents in five counties: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Watauga and Wilkes.

The 2017 James Beard Humanitarian of the Year Award and a Boone pay-what-you-can cafe tell a story about hunger and the Appalachian Community.

Juliana J. Blanton, who is pursuing a Master of Arts degree in the clinical mental health counseling program at Appalachian, has received a fellowship that includes $8,000 to defray the costs of her education as well as training in the counseling of underserved minority populations, specifically those ages 16 to 25.

In praise of poetry, at a time when the arts and humanities are so under fire, it’s crucial to emphasize the reach and influence of literature and writing, of the arts and humanities — in all their guises — into often uncharted waters among people we don’t often think of as writers or poets or artists. On April 19, The Appalachian Veterans Arts & Humanities Collective at Appalachian hosted a staged reading of “Brothers Like These,” comprised of stories and poems, written by 18 Vietnam combat veterans.

AppX host Liz Pope sits down with Murilo Artese and Lauren Holt to cover life as an International student in Boone, what studying abroad really looks like, and the role INTAPP plays in the Appalachian community.

In her op-ed for Higher Education Works, Chancellor Sheri N. Everts discusses how Appalachian is building upon faculty and staff expertise as well as student passion and creativity to engage our campus and community in innovating a bright future for our region, state and world.

Kaplan hopes to help others remember their family’s connection to immigration through her work, “Passage/s: Lost & Found Photography, Refugee Crises, and Privilege.”

Beginning June 16, 2017, 25 African leaders from 20 countries will come to Appalachian for a six-week academic and leadership institute sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and supported in its implementation by the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX). The university assumed a similar role last summer.

The conversation continues regarding the First Amendment and freedom of expression on our campus. Listen to podcasts with the expert speakers.

In an address to the campus community, Appalachian State University’s Dr. Paul Gates offers reasons universities are the ‘home of ideas’ and why students should not fear free speech.

Dr. David Pilgrim is a public speaker and leading expert on issues relating to multiculturalism, diversity and race relations. An applied sociologist who believes racism can be objectively studied and creatively assailed, he is perhaps best known as the founder and curator of the Jim Crow Museum, a 5,000-piece collection of racist artifacts located at Ferris State University that uses objects of intolerance to teach tolerance.

Appalachian State University’s Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies and the College of Arts and Sciences program in Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies at collaborated with four organizations to create a study abroad research trip in Holocaust studies for Appalachian students during their 2017 spring break.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers fellowships for U.S. graduating college seniors, graduate students, young professionals and artists to study, conduct research and/or teach English abroad.

Appalachian’s two-year Scholars with Diverse Abilities Program creates a more inclusive education for many students.

McLarney is one of the leading lights on today’s poetry scene. On March 2, she will kick off the spring portion of the Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series at Appalachian.

Timothy Hefflinger is living in the remote Himalayan region of Ladakh in the small city of Leh and working with an NGO called Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust (SLC-IT). His main project is the revitalization of Himalayan Homestays, an eco-tourism program that enables tourists to stay in the homes of normal Ladakhi families instead of camping, which is damaging to the high-altitude meadows.

Sarah Mbiki is an advocate for the role academic and professional student clubs play in the Appalachian State University experience. The senior computer science major credits her experience in the Women in Computer Science club for providing her with support and mentorship opportunities as she completes a challenging major and prepares for work in a field that is traditionally male-dominated.

Want to work toward meaningful social change? Ombuds Bob Hill offers five tips for acting on your conscience in challenging times.

Learn how to use conflict as a bridge to greater understanding with these seven tips from Appalachian instructor Skip Rackmill.

Critically-acclaimed comedian and sociopolitical explorer, W. Kamau Bell gets real about humor and social change, and why both are important.

Federal was awarded the prize for “Best Dissertation” in the Masters of Science in Comparative Politics (MSc) program at the London School of Economics for her thesis, “Mind the Gap: Gender in National Elections in Varieties of Capitalism.”

Two hundred students give over 1,200 combined hours of service during Appalachian State University’s 2017 MLK Challenge.

Although the artistic talents referred to in the show’s name belong to a tight-knit group of friends that attend Boone Mennonite Brethren Church, the Turchin Center’s Community Outreach Coordinator Pegge Laine can be credited with stoking their creative fires.

Appalachian State University was selected as one of 14 colleges and universities to receive $7,500 to support new study abroad scholarships as part of its commitment to the IIE initiative to double the number and diversity of students who study abroad by the end of the decade. The Office of International Education and Development will match this scholarship funding.

As part of a recent project of Appalachian’s American Cultural Center at Northeastern University (NEU) in Shenyang, China, three Appalachian professors developed instructional videos and other online materials for a website on academic writing in English, the mastery of which is critical for the many Chinese aiming to study or work abroad and/or publish scholarship for an international audience.

Sustained Dialogue is a program that helps people transform differences into strong relationships and design change processes.

Discover how your values and beliefs can lead you to your life's purpose on the latest Smalls Talk.

The designation means that Appalachian is among those colleges, universities and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace America’s military service members, veterans and spouses as students and ensure their success on campus.

Tara Early's poster is aimed at showing evidence of social injustice in Badin to scientists to policy makers.

Standing Rock pipeline protest leads to on-the-ground activist research for Appalachian State University anthropology professor and undergraduate student.

Graphic design faculty member Taekyeom Lee combines typography, ceramics and 3D printing to create artistic texture and structure. His work also bridges a gap for non-artists to pursue artistic endeavors.

Dr. Dana Powell’s Anthropology of Environmental Justice course spent two days on an engaged learning field trip to Halifax County, North Carolina, participating in the annual Summit of the North Carolina Environmental Justice Network and in a site visit with Mr. Gary Grant of the Concerned Citizens of Tillery (one of the original founders of the NCEJN).

The strength of Appalachian State University’s study-abroad programs and student interest in global living and learning has placed the university near the top of rankings released Nov. 14, 2016 by the Institute of International Education (IIE).

Chef, author and food justice advocate Bryant Terry is a 2015 James Beard Foundation Leadership Award-winner renowned for his activism to create a healthy, just, and sustainable food system. He focuses on ways to increase access to healthy, affordable food. A lifelong learner and educator who leads by example, Terry offers practical advice about how to be mindful of ways to eat - and help others eat - differently.

Dr. Doug May, former commissioned officer in the U.S. Marine Corps and retired professor, speaks at Appalachian State University’s Veterans Day 2016 ceremony.

Appalachian State University, bolstering efforts to help veterans succeed in its classrooms and beyond, marked Veterans Day with the grand opening of the Major General Edward M. Reeder Jr. Student Veteran Resource Center.

Want to help build unity through diversity? The Diversity Scholars Program is one of Appalachian’s top scholarship programs.

Learn effective ways to discuss relationships and sex.

Seven Dr. Willie C. Fleming Scholarship recipients were recognized at a ceremony Friday, Oct. 21, in the Solarium of the Plemmons Student Union – four of whom potentially will complete four years at Appalachian State University incurring no in-state tuition and fees.

The Appalachian Alumni Association honors two attorneys and two businessmen—Susan M. Branch ’99, James M. Deal ’71, E. Hayes Smith ’82 and D. Kenan Smith ’84—whose lives are interwoven with the university’s history and accomplishments.

Pooja Adial, a senior cellular/molecular biology major from Four Oaks, was named the inaugural “Top of the Rock” recipient, winning the majority of peer votes after qualifying for the Homecoming Royalty Program based on outstanding academic achievements and exceptional civic engagement to the community.

Dr. Cheryl P. Claassen of the Department of Anthropology has published a new book, Native American Landscapes: An Engendered Perspective (University of Tennessee Press 2016). This collection of essays focuses on what she terms the “multi-vocal” landscape—the idea that different groups and genders look upon the same natural features but perceive different meanings and potential in what they are seeing.

Weaving a tale in such a way that your listeners hang on every word and remember the story well after the tale has been told is not just a talent but an art.

App State fitness hacks and the ultimate workout playlist on a brand new Smalls Talk.

Jason Le, a sophomore from North Wilkesboro who is majoring in computer information systems in the Walker College of Business at Appalachian, is spending the current academic year studying at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan.

From Mountaineer football to the Carolina Panthers, Steve Wilks ’92 steps from center field to the sidelines as defensive backs coach in the NFL.

Eric Gormly, Appalachian’s new coordinator of Student Veteran Services, knows full well veterans are searching for outstanding universities.

Three faculty members in the Department of Communication at Appalachian State University and one of the department’s alumna are now enjoying the benefits of two organizations advocating for them and other early- and mid-career women working in communication fields.

Landing your dream job may be easier than you think.

Appalachian State University’s Board of Trustees adopted a resolution in support of underrepresented students on Friday, Sept. 23. Appalachian’s Faculty Senate adopted a similar resolution on Monday, Sept. 19.

Two of Lohmann’s main areas of emphasis in his first year at Appalachian are to increase the outreach efforts and strengthen student advising for the Office of International Education and Development.

A new Student Veteran Resource Center, slated to open later this year on the campus of Appalachian State University, will serve the needs of Appalachian students who are active duty military personnel and veterans.

Eric Burton, a senior geography major in Appalachian’s Honors College, could be the poster child for the university’s General Education program – a course of study that promotes critical and creative thinking; effective communication; making local-to-global connections and understanding responsibilities of community membership.

Does studying abroad change the way we respond to world news? Fulbright Scholar Dr. Vachel Miller reflects on his yearlong experience in Ethiopia as violence embroils his host city.

How do you find your identity in college? Why is identity important? Saray Smalls welcomes Appalachian State's Associate Director of Multicultural Student Development Lindy Wagner to the studio to discuss the topic of identity.

For six weeks during summer, Appalachian State University hosted 25 young leaders from 19 African countries from the 2016 Mandela Washington Fellowship Institute. Their time in Boone provided them opportunities to observe, note and discuss practices that allow area nonprofit agencies to flourish.

The Gilman International Scholarship program aims to diversify the population of students who study and intern abroad and the countries and regions they visit.

Hear Jon Ronson on the phenomenon of public shaming via social media. Have we come that far from the stocks in the public square? Is Twitter our new scarlet letter?

Kate Ward, a four-year member of the Appalachian State women’s soccer team, has been navigating between two worlds since her early elementary school days—deftly navigating between the world of the hearing and that of the hearing-impaired.

The outdoor theatre Horn in the West and the Hickory Ridge Living History Museum are undergoing revitalizations beginning this year thanks in part to Carson Sailor, a public history graduate student at Appalachian State University.

Appalachian State University is one of 40 public and private institutions across the nation to host the six-week institute focused on civic leadership.

Three Appalachian State University students are among the recipients of the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE).

Peter Thompson ‘16, a native of Nigeria, wants desperately to make this world a more honest, sustainable and less polluted place.

At Appalachian State University’s Memorial Day ceremony May 30, retired Spc. Anthony Corso told the story of 31-year-old Army Capt. Clayton Carpenter who died when the Black Hawk helicopter he was piloting suffered a hard landing during a routine training mission, just days before he planned to propose to his girlfriend.

Six students have been selected to receive Appalachian State University’s Wilson Scholarship, the university’s most prestigious merit-based scholarship, which provides a full-ride education at Appalachian.

The Center for Appalachian Studies’ feature-length documentary “After Coal” premieres on two continents this spring. It helps answer critical questions: What happens when fossil fuels run out? How do communities and cultures thrive?

Appalachian State University has decided to affiliate with the Workers Rights Consortium (WRC), a group that collaborates with workers, non-governmental organizations and other colleges and universities to improve the conditions of workers producing licensed collegiate apparel.

Thirteen cadets were commissioned as second lieutenants at a ceremony held May 13 on campus. The students are members of Appalachian State University’s Mountaineer Battalion, the Department of Military Science and Leadership’s ROTC program.

This month marks the end of our academic year and provides an opportunity for us to reflect and evaluate the progress on our diversity priorities.

Twenty current students and recent graduates of the Department of Theatre and Dance participated in two different productions performed as part of the “Shakespeare Marathon: 38 Plays in Five Days” at the North Carolina Museum of History.

Professors from Universidad de la Habana visited Appalachian State University recently to learn about Appalachian’s sustainable technology programs. Appalachian was one of only a few campuses the professors toured.

In a recent visit to Appalachian State University’s podcast studio, one of America’s foremost African American voices, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, shares his thoughts on 21st-century activism, and the value of empathy.

Since 1954, Western North Carolina Historical Association (WNCHA) has presented this annual award to recognize the significant contributions of both individuals and organizations in preserving and promoting the history of the Appalachian mountain region.

By Joseph J. Gonzalez, assistant professor in Appalachian's Department of Cultural, Gender and Global Studies. Today, most Americans have forgotten the Maine and the Spanish-American War. Cubans, however, have never had an opportunity to forget. The year 1898 was the moment they traded one colonial master for another.

Anthropologist and author Nina Jablonski posits human evolution has taken off like the world’s fastest sprinter, dramatically changing the human face of the earth. She explores skin color and race and the roles they’ve played socially, biologically and from a health perspective over the last 200,000 years.

Mae Jemison was a NASA astronaut for six years, in which time she flew on the Space Shuttle Endeavor and was NASA’s first science mission specialist.

Keeping Appalachian a “welcoming and safe” place requires constant vigilance, exploration and innovation. Assuring the wellness, health and safety of our students, faculty and staff is one of our top priorities.

One percent of high school basketball players make it to Division I, according to NCAA statistics — but that’s nothing compared to the odds that Joe Keys has already beaten in life.

How do you take your coffee? After Costa Rica Experience Walker College of Business Students take their java seriously and want you to as well.

Joseph Bathanti had one of the last lottery numbers for the Vietnam draft, but was never called to serve. “But other guys went so I could stay at home. There’s always someone taking your place, and we owe them a kind of debt.”

During his tenure, Bathanti will teach and co-lead two eight-week creative writing workshops devoted to the recovery of Vietnam veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Following a national search, Sonyé Randolph has been hired to serve as Appalachian’s first full-time Equal Opportunity/Title IX investigator in the Office of Equity, Diversity and Compliance (EDC).

Chancellor Everts discusses Appalachian’s progress in increasing diversity with 88.5 WFDD’s Neal Charnoff in this Feb. 8 interview.

Students make a difference while honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during Appalachian’s MLK Challenge.

Appalachian State University has entered a partnership with Wenzhou University in Wenzhou, China, that will facilitate collaborative activities, including student and faculty exchanges, joint academic programming and research collaboration.

Opportunities for international travel and study are rife at Appalachian State University. At at any given time students and faculty may be found in Brazil, Africa, Western Europe, Cuba or Asia. In spring 2015 Chancellor Sheri N. Everts accompanied a Walker College of Business group on a three-week faculty/student delegation to China. Simultaneously, Dr. Heather Dixon-Fowler, who leads study-abroad programs for the college, took a group of students for a business- and social entrepreneurship-focused trip through Cambodia and Vietnam.

Transforming higher education can be a slow, laborious process – even more so if the institution is located in a country surrounded by armed conflict and regional unrest.

The Appalachian Journal has published its first special edition on Appalachian music. This double issue (vol. 42, nos. 3-4) is the largest one in the journal’s 42-year history, with 300-plus pages and 60-plus contributors.

Are sustainability and social justice answers to the same question? Hear what Bindu Kolli Jayne, chief diversity officer and associate vice chancellor for equity, diversity and compliance, shares with the university's director of sustainability.

The internationalization of higher education has become an imperative, according to the associate vice chancellor for international education at Appalachian State University. Speaking at a luncheon during International Education Week on campus, Jesse Lutabingwa said providing global learning opportunities has become part of the university’s fabric.

Melinda Hayton, an Appalachian State University student, has been interning with Wine to Water since January. Wine to Water, a nonprofit that provides clean water in sustainable and repeatable ways to as many people as possible, began relief efforts in Nepal after the earthquake in April.

Professor Al Harris from Appalachian State University’s Department of Computer Information Systems and Supply Chain Management has received the Walker College of Business’s Lifetime Achievement Award for devoting his career to providing students with international opportunities.

AIESEC at Appalachian State University is looking for support to start its international volunteer program, Global Citizen. Support may include offering volunteer opportunities with High Country nonprofits, becoming a host family, or providing monetary sponsorships.

The strength of Appalachian State University’s study abroad programs and student interest in living and learning in a different culture has placed the university near the top of rankings released Nov. 16, 2015 by the Institute of International Education.

Words from veterans across North Carolina were transformed into the acclaimed theatrical production “Deployed” and now are the focus of a new video released by the North Carolina Arts Council. This video celebrates the service of veterans of all ages as Veterans Day is observed on Wednesday, Nov. 11.

William M. Hutchins, a professor in Appalachian State University’s Department of Philosophy and Religion, has received the National Translation Award from the American Literary Translators Association in the prose category. The award recognizes his Arabic to English translation of “The New Waw: Saharan Oasis” by Ibrahim al-Koni.

Appalachian State University senior Kelsey Trevethan has been recognized for outstanding leadership and service by North Carolina Campus Compact, a statewide network of colleges and universities with a shared commitment to community engagement. At Appalachian, Trevethan stands out as a passionate advocate for the special needs community.

Appalachian State University has been designated a 2016 Military Friendly® School by Victory Media, a leader in connecting the military and civilian worlds, and publisher of G.I. Jobs®, STEM JobsSM and Military Spouse.

Ask any college student about their goals and the most likely response is finding a good job and supporting themselves after graduation. Students with intellectual disabilities are no different.

Renowned journalist and author Ray Suarez talks about culture change anxiety, why it's important to increase the number of black and brown college graduates and what Appalachian can learn about family from Hispanic/Latino cultures.

Helping former soldiers transition to farming to help meet the nation’s food system needs is a goal of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Appalachian State University is part of that effort.

From the Winston-Salem Journal. During his five years at Appalachian State, Doug Middleton has gotten used to the conversation.

Bonnie Schaefer is the owner of the world-class Westglow Resort and Spa and former CEO and co-chair of the board of Claire’s Stores Inc., the leading international costume jewelry and accessories retailer for tweens, teens and young adults. On October 13, 2015, she was the featured speaker at Appalachian’s Harlan E. Boyles lecture series, presented by the Walker College of Business, and spent some time in the podcast studio talking about becoming a CEO, owning a world-class resort and spa, and giving back to the community.

Dr. Kristen Deathridge's Philosophy of Historic Preservation students, graduate students in the Public History program at Appalachian, are working to add Wilkesboro's Lincoln Heights School to the National Register of Historic Places.

Working for the family business isn’t always easy, but the rewards can be great. Just ask Bonnie Schaefer, owner of Westglow Resort & Spa in Blowing Rock and former co-CEO of Claire’s Stores Inc.

A delegation from the Center for Appalachian Studies at Appalachian State University traveled to Brasov, Romania, recently to present research at the Appalachians/Carpathians: Researching, Documenting, and Preserving Highland Traditions conference.

This 2015 video tribute features Dr. Carolyn Anderson ’69, one of four recipients of Appalachian State University’s Faces of Courage Award.

This 2015 video tribute features Dr. Zaphon R. Wilson ’76 ’77, one of four recipients of Appalachian State University’s Faces of Courage Award.

This 2015 video tribute features Barbara Reeves Hart ’65, one of four recipients of Appalachian State University’s Faces of Courage Award.

This 2015 video tribute features Dr. Willie Fleming ’80 ’84, one of four recipients of Appalachian State University’s Faces of Courage Award.

They might not have realized it at the time, but many former Appalachian State University faculty, staff and students spearheaded the university’s diversity efforts beginning in the 1960s.

More than 50 years after enrolling in college, Lenoir resident Patricia Ferguson Beane now has a diploma. Beane received an honorary bachelor’s degree during Appalachian State University’s Celebration of Integration held Oct. 2 on campus.

Professor Ed Rosenberg, director of Appalachian State University’s gerontology program, and two colleagues from Thailand were honored recently at the 5th annual Political Science, Sociology and International Relations Conference held in Bangkok.

The Fleming Scholarship was established to support qualifying freshmen who demonstrate a desire to promote cultural diversity and demonstrate verifiable need. It was established in part with a $250,000 grant from Wells Fargo in addition to contributions from the university’s black student population, alumni and members of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.

Susan Cernyak-Spatz, who is a Professor Emerita of German Literature at UNC Charlotte, spoke at Appalachian in September 2015. For those who missed the event, the Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies has archived her presentation.

For the past 43 years, Appalachian State University has been part of the federally funded Student Support Services Program (SSS) designed to help increase the number of low-income college students, first-generation students and those with disabilities successfully complete a postsecondary education.

“This funding will allow us to better build a sense of community among our Student Veterans so that we can serve them better,” said Professor Lynn Gregory, who wrote the grant proposal. Mike Mayfield, vice provost for undergraduate education, is the co-manager of the grant with Gregory.

Never take your college education for granted, students at Appalachian State University were told during fall convocation Sept. 3. That caveat was delivered by Ishmael Beah, author of the memoir “A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier,” which was selected for the university’s Common Reading Program this year.

Many gay, lesbian, and transgender students say they face an array of challenges and safety issues on their campuses. The Chronicle of Higher Education interviewed more than a dozen of them to hear more about what keeps them from thriving in college.

Last year, Chancellor Everts charged the Chancellor’s Commission on Diversity to provide recommendations focused on the recruitment and retention of students, staff and faculty from underrepresented groups. At the end of the spring 2015 semester, the Chancellor’s Commission on Diversity, after a year of thoughtful work, presented the Chancellor with fourteen proposals.

The American Cultural Center (ACC) established at Northeastern University (NEU) in Shenyang, China, by Appalachian State University continued a second year of sustainability activities that included presentations and film discussions led by faculty from Appalachian.

Abigail DeWitt of Burnsville, a visiting assistant professor in the creative writing program at Appalachian, will work on a collection of linked short stories titled “The Sex Appeal of the French & Other Stories” based on her mother’s experiences as a French teenager living under Nazi occupation, and on Dewitt’s and her siblings’ experiences growing up half-French in Chapel Hill during the 1960s.

Members of the 2015 class of Wilson Scholars will soon arrive at Appalachian State University. Appalachian’s leadership and service scholarship is also the university’s most prestigious full-ride, merit-based scholarship.

Gaurav Dubey, Jugal Hemnani and Dhruv Gupta join Joe Klein in India to discuss stammering, the power of self help, growing up stuttering, treatment experiences, college, speaking with the opposite sex, the Indian Stammering Association (TISA) and much more.

China, Ethiopia, Poland and Austria are the upcoming destinations for four professors at Appalachian State University. Each has received a Fulbright award to teach and/or conduct research at their host institution.

Representatives from the two universities recently signed a memorandum of understanding that promotes the exchange of information and materials that are of mutual interest; develop joint short courses, summer courses, and semester study abroad programs; and exchange academic, research, and administrative staff, visiting scholars, and graduate and undergraduate students between the two institutions, according to Dr. Jesse Lutabingwa, vice chancellor for international education and development at Appalachian.

A faculty member and graduate student from Appalachian State University and in partnership with the Boone-based, non-profit agency Wine To Water are helping provide clean water to earthquake victims in Nepal.

Dr. Maria Anastasiou has been named executive director of the Office of International Education and Development (OIED) at Appalachian State University. Anastasiou came to Appalachian in June 2014 as director of international student and scholar services and outreach in OIED. She was appointed OIED executive director April 1, 2015.

Nineteen Appalachian State University graduates were commissioned as second lieutenants during a ceremony held May 8, 2015. The students will soon begin their military careers with the infantry, military intelligence, military police, engineer corps or other branches of the U.S. Army.

Doing business in Cuba won’t be as simple as some people think, but that isn’t stopping governors, state legislators, U.S. business owners and others from exploring economic opportunities that might be available to them in the near future.

John Kavulich, president of the non-profit U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council Inc., said that while President Obama has announced plans to re-establish diplomatic relations with the socialist country, members of Congress have introduced legislation to “derail and dismantle” actions that would increase travel, commerce, and the flow of information to and from Cuba.

Everyone has a story. If we each knew these stories, would we have more understanding and compassion toward others? Fifty-five Appalachian State University students participated in a three-day INTERSECT Social Justice Retreat to understand concepts of social justice and leadership by exploring their own stories, the stories of their classmates and issues of oppression and privilege.

Students in an architectural design studio course worked on a community challenge this spring: Can an early 20th-century homestead be rehabilitated into a new life for a local neighborhood?

Ishmael Beah, born in Sierra Leone in 1980, was still a young boy when his country descended into a horrific civil war. Forced to flee his village when rebels attacked, Beah was picked up as a young teenager by the government army and pressed into service as government guerrilla soldier.

Offices and programs at Appalachian State University are partnering with the non-profit agency Wine to Water to help provide clean water and additional emergency supplies to earthquake victims in Nepal.

A new program at Appalachian State University called As-U-R is helping college students with special challenges adjust to a new learning environment. As-U-R is a support program for students with executive function challenges (EFC), which are chronic difficulties in starting projects, planning, organization and decision-making. These types of learning challenges can have long-term implications for academic and personal success.

Officials from 20 North Carolina colleges, universities, statewide organizations, as well as state and local health agencies met recently to formally create a state-wide alliance to increase minority representation in the health professions.

Last semester I requested the Chancellor’s Commission on Diversity develop specific, actionable plans to recruit - and retain - students, faculty and staff of color to our campus. I am pleased to inform you the commission is finalizing new recommendations that add to earlier recommended action steps. There has been much good work done and I commend the commission for its efforts.

Lee Sanderlin: When thinking of solutions, or ways to fix the problem, I found the issue runs deeper than sexual assault. How our society defines gender is the real issue...

Civil rights leader Julian Bond recalls lessons from his experiences as an activist, and talks about the importance of finding – and acting on – opportunities to effect change.

We use the word community a lot on the Appalachian State University campus, so we thought we’d ask what it means to our students.

Hear award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien and a first-generation student from Appalachian State University define success and what can bring more opportunity to young people.

Learn what Pakistani and American teenage girls talked about during a recent educational exchange.

Local farmer and Appalachian alumnus Cory Bryk, a Marine veteran, finds healing in a new kind of mission: feeding the community.

In the community of Elk Knob, NC, Art has the ability to preserve the community’s heritage and connect individuals to their rich history.

Twenty-one teachers from 17 countries come to Appalachian to boost their skills in teaching English as a second language.

After graduating from Appalachian in 1978, Edna W. Cummings embarked on a distinguished career in the U.S. Army. The first commissioned African-American female ROTC graduate at Appalachian, Cummings rose through the military ranks to that of colonel, retiring in 2003.

Riding down the mountain through the waning sunlight of a January’s Sunday afternoon to interview Pat Ferguson Beane, I tried to imagine how it would feel to be the first Black living on an all-white campus in an isolated community. Beane had entered Appalachian State University as a freshman in 1963. Since that time, she has held the position of “first” frequently in her life—and for all the right reasons.