A quick rundown of some of the stories you’ll find at today.appstate.edu
Appalachian Today
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A quick rundown of some of the stories you’ll find at today.appstate.edu
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10/2/2023
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June 5, 2024
Appalachian Today | June 5, 2024
<p>On this episode of Appalachian Today, University Communications’ Dave Blanks provides a quick rundown of some of the latest news stories available at today.appstate.edu. </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Transcript:</p> <p> This is Appalachian today. A quick rundown of some of the stories you'll find online at today.appstate.edu. From Anne Belk Hall on Appalachian’s Boone campus, I'm Dave Blanks. Appalachian State University held its annual Memorial Day commemoration on May 24th, paying tribute to those who died while serving in the U.S. military. The observance took place at the Veterans Memorial, located next to the B.B. Dougherty Administration Building on the Boone campus. Interim Chancellor Heather Norris selected U.S. Army Reserve veteran and App State alumna Caitlin Langley to lay a wreath at the memorial, an App State tradition. Langley, from Prospect Hill, enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2018, serving as a heavy equipment operator and eventually achieving the rank of specialist. She was deployed twice during her time at App State. A first generation college graduate, Langley graduated in May, earning a bachelor's degree in sustainable development, environmental studies. She completed her military service in January.</p> <p>If you've been down River Street in Boone lately, you may have noticed a new sculpture in front of John E. Thomas Hall. The sculpture is of the former chancellor himself, John E. Thomas, seated on a bench outside the building named in his honor. Thomas first came to App State in 1974 as vice chancellor of academic affairs, before serving as the university's fourth leader for 14 years from 1979 to 1993. After retiring, Thomas returned to App State in 94 to teach in the Department of Management in the Walker College of Business for the next decade. Thomas died at the age of 90 on September 2nd, 2021. The sculpture was unveiled on May the 9th. The ceremony included comments from Thomas's close friend. 1985 App State alumnus C. Philip Byers, a member of the UNC System Board of Governors and the sculpture benefactor. Byers shared stories of his time as a student at App State under Thomas's leadership, and the lasting impact the Chancellor made on his life, calling Thomas a hero and a mentor. Several of Thomas's family members were present at the event, including his wife Jan Thomas and their sons, both App State alumni, Brandon Thomas and Department of Physics and Astronomy lecturer Dr. Scott Thomas, along with the structures creator, local artist Suzie Hallier, and members of the App State Board of Trustees.</p> <p>Appalachian State University recently announced the Student Teacher of the year. The honor went to Mount Airy’s Gracie Bullington, who earned a Bachelor of Science in history social studies education in December of 2023. Bullington said as long as she could remember, she had dreamed of working as a teacher, saying that she was honored to be recognized by state for the work and love she poured into her students and the school during her student teaching time. As an undergraduate, Bullington took advantage of the accelerated master's program at App State. She's currently completing her Master of Arts in history with a concentration in teaching, all while substitute teaching for Watauga County Schools.</p> <p>Appalachian State student athletes extended their streak of 24 consecutive semesters with a cumulative GPA over 3.0. The Mountaineers ended the spring with a 3.20 semester GPA for all student athletes. In September, when the Sunbelt Conference last announced academic honors for its members, App State ranked in the top four among the 14 football playing member institutions.</p> <p>More news from Athletics. For the third consecutive year, App State has sold out of football season tickets. Home games this coming season include matchups against East Tennessee State, South Alabama, Liberty, Georgia State, Old Dominion and James Madison. All five FBS teams traveling to Boone made bowl appearances a year ago. According to ESPN, the mountaineers returned 68% of their overall production from a nine win season that included a Sun Belt East Division title and Cure Bowl victory under the direction of head coach Sean Clark in 2023. App state set program and Sunbelt season attendance records for the third straight year in 2023, with an average crowd of 34,734 fans at the Rock, with official capacity listed at 30,000, App State led the nation by filling the stadium to 116% capacity. For the most up to date ticket information, go online to appstatesports.com.</p> <p>You can see some fantastic pictures of the John E. Thomas sculpture and the ceremony, find the link for the 2025 football season ticket waitlist and get complete details on these and other app state stories, podcasts and videos by going online to today.appstate.edu. For Appalachian Today, I'm Dave Blanks.</p> <p> </p>
March 14, 2024
Appalachian Today | March 14, 2024
<p>On this episode of Appalachian Today, University Communications’ Dave Blanks provides a quick rundown of some of the latest news stories available at <a href='http://today.appstate.edu'>today.appstate.edu</a>. </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Transcript</p> <p>New Atlantic Contracting hosted representatives from Appalachian State University and distinguished guests, including North Carolina Sen. Ralph Hise and state Rep. Ray Pickett, at a Feb. 22 topping out ceremony — a centuries-old tradition — for the Holmes Convocation Center Parking Deck, which is scheduled for completion this summer. The six-level parking deck will offer 600 stalls, increasing the number of parking spaces available for faculty, staff and students by 460. This additional parking will also support special events at the Holmes Convocation Center and the 30,000-seat Kidd Brewer Stadium. App State selected New Atlantic and Little Diversified Architectural Consulting to design and build the deck, breaking ground on the project the week of June 12, 2023. The deck replaces the former Holmes surface parking lot and is located adjacent to the Holmes Center’s Northwest and Southwest entrances. One of the planned features of the project is a covered pedestrian bridge that will be available from the deck’s second level and connect to the paved concourse area outside the Holmes center’s Southwest entrance.</p> <p> </p> <p>Appalachian State University has been recognized by Fortune in its list of “<a href='https://fortune.com/education/information-technology/best-masters-in-data-science/'>Best Master’s in Data Science Programs for 2024</a>.” App was ranked 11th in the nation for its <a href='https://www.appstate.edu/academics/graduate/id/applied-data-analytics-ms'>Master of Science in applied data analytics</a> program. The 36-hour degree program, offered by App State’s <a href='https://business.appstate.edu/'>Walker College of Business</a>, was created in 2016 and provides students with the technical skills to work with data — and to do so within a business context. Graduates of the program understand and can apply data analytics concepts, techniques and tools to promote effective organizational decision-making and problem-solving. According to the <a href='https://www.bls.gov/'>U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</a>, data science is the third-fastest growing occupation in the country, and many companies are willing to pay competitive salaries even for entry-level candidates. The bureau reports that the current mean salary for data scientists is $115,240.</p> <p> </p> <p>App State’s <a href='https://cel.appstate.edu/'>Office of Community-Engaged Leadership (CEL)</a> held its second annual Mobilize the Mountains Day of Service on Feb. 24. Dozens of student and faculty volunteers contributed over 111 hours of community service to two local nonprofit organizations: Volunteers assisted the Volunteers-in-Parks program with work at Sims Pond on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The work included trail maintenance along the overlook trail. Also, at Grace Builders Woodlots, volunteers collected, cut and split wood and distributed firewood to community members — identified and vetted by the Hunger and Health Coalition — to heat their homes during the winter months. During the 2022–23 academic year, six Days of Service provided 699 volunteer hours to 16 local organizations whose missions directly impacted Watauga County. According to a recent <a href='https://today.appstate.edu/2023/11/20/economic-impact'>economic impact study</a>, App State student and employee volunteers generated an annual impact of $3.4 million in added income to the local five-county region of Watauga, Ashe, Avery, Caldwell and Wilkes counties — and $5.2 million statewide — in fiscal year 2021–22.</p> <p> </p> <p>The Mebane Charitable Foundation has donated $100,000 to Appalachian State University to fund the expansion of reading assistance services for K–3 students in Watauga and Catawba counties. These services will provide critical literacy resources to local families, building on the model established at the Anderson Reading Clinic — which is located in the Reich College of Education (RCOE) on the university’s Boone campus and is the oldest university-based reading clinic in North Carolina. RCOE Dean Melba Spooner said the gift will allow the college to improve literacy outcomes for greater numbers of children across North Carolina. The funding is being used to purchase technology and reading materials, as well as to provide professional development opportunities for staff. In addition, this donation will support the development of a digital learning channel, which will be a repository of literacy education materials. The content will be designed for education students at App State but will also be made available to the more than 10,000 App State alumni working in education across the state.</p> <p> </p> <p>Former North Carolina Poet Laureate and Appalachian State University Professor Joseph Bathanti has been named to this year’s class of the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame, an honor reserved for five of the state's most beloved and accomplished writers. Established in 1996 under the leadership of Poet Laureate Sam Ragan, the NCLHOF is a program of the North Carolina Writers’ Network. The program celebrates and promotes the state’s rich literary heritage by commemorating its leading authors and encouraging the continued flourishing of great literature. The Hall of Fame is located at the Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities in Southern Pines. Professor Bathanti—along with groundbreaking essayist and educator Anna Julia Cooper, bestselling novelist Kaye Gibbons, poet and professor Lenard Moore, and Appalachian bard Ron Rash—will be inducted into the hall during a special ceremony on Oct. 6 at the Weymouth Center.</p> <p> </p> <p>Keith Werner has been named chief information officer at Appalachian State University, effective March 18. Werner currently holds the position of vice president of information technology strategy and cybersecurity at the University of North Carolina System Office, a position he has held since 2022. From 2018 to 2022, he was vice president for IT and chief information officer for the UNC System Office. In his role as CIO at App State, Werner will lead a team of more than 100 information technology professionals in the areas of academic technologies, enterprise applications, IT support services, information security, infrastructure and systems, and project management. </p> <p> </p> <p>For a video of the parking deck topping off ceremony and the complete details on these and other App State stories, go online to today.appstate.edu. For Appalachian Today, I’m Dave Blanks </p> <p> </p>
December 20, 2023
Appalachian Today | Dec 20, 2023
On this episode of Appalachian Today, University Communications’ Dave Blanks provides a quick rundown of some of the latest news stories available at <a href='http://today.appstate.edu'>today.appstate.edu</a>. <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Transcript</p> <p>Recently released numbers concerning App State’s economic impact. According to a study conducted by labor analytics firm, Lightcast, in fiscal year 2021–22, the university generated an estimated $573 million in added income for Watauga, Ashe, Avery, Caldwell and Wilkes counties. Statewide, the estimated economic impact of App State was $2.2 billion.</p> <p>Some interesting takeaways from the study-</p> <p>For every dollar invested by App State students they will gain $5.80 in higher lifetime earnings. </p> <p>Also for each dollar $1 public funding that taxpayers invest in App State in 2021–22, over the course of students’ working lives, North Carolina taxpayers will gain $3.20 in increased tax revenue and public sector savings from reduced demand for government-funded social services.</p> <p>App State Chancellor Sheri Everts said the statistics demonstrated the power of higher education to change lives. </p> <p> </p> <p>Following 12 years of care and anticipation, Appalachian State University’s rare corpse flower, graced observers with a long-awaited bloom on Friday, Nov. 24.</p> <p>Officially classified as titan arum,the corpse flower’s bloom was its first since arriving at the <a href='https://biology.appstate.edu/facilities/biology-greenhouse'>Department of Biology Greenhouse</a> in 2011.</p> <p>The public was invited to view the flower lovingly referred to as Mongo by the greenhouse staff, firsthand or via livestream and shared updates on social media during the weeks leading up to the bloom.</p> <p>It was estimated that approximately 3,000 people visited the corpse flower at the greenhouse, and at times, the waiting line extended all the way around the greenhouse and past the adjacent compost shed.</p> <p>Most corpse flowers require seven to 10 years to produce their first blooms. Once it reaches maturity, it has an unpredictable blooming cycle, typically blooming once every few years. The average bloom lasts only two to three days, with the peak growth and odor occurring at night into early morning.</p> <p>The Department of Biology Greenhouse located on Dale Street beside the state farm parking lot. has more than 1,400 species of plants from around the world, and Mongo is just one of more than 100 species in the facility’s collection that are considered threatened in their natural habitats. Mongo will be moved to the new <a href='https://www.appstate.edu/appalachians-future/building-physical-infrastructure/conservatory'>Conservatory for Biodiversity Education and Research</a> at App State’s <a href='https://www.appstate.edu/appalachians-future/building-physical-infrastructure/innovation'>Innovation District</a> upon the facility’s completion, which is slated for 2025.</p> <p> </p> <p>This fall, the National Science Foundation awarded three faculty at Appalachian State University a three-year, $531,000 grant to support aerosol research at App State’s <a href='https://appalair.appstate.edu/'>Appalachian Atmospheric Interdisciplinary Research </a>facility and <a href='https://physics.appstate.edu/research/projects/applied-fluids-laboratory'>Applied Fluids Laboratory</a>.</p> <p>The project is funded by NSF’s Major Research Instrumentation Program and supports the development of an Aerosol Chemical Speciation System (ACSS) at AppalAIR.</p> <p>According to associate professor in the <a href='https://dcfs.appstate.edu/'>Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences</a> and principal investigator, Dr. Robert Swarthout, “Having an Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor at the AppalAIR site will improve the world-class data set that App State already produce and it will allow us to figure out how the chemicals that make up aerosols are changing as our country changes the way we use our land and generate energy. Knowing more about changes in aerosol chemistry, along with the other measurements of aerosol size and interactions with sunlight, will help scientists understand how aerosols are impacting our health and climate.</p> <p>Currently, the team also includes contributions from four App State physics students and additional undergraduate and graduate students will have the opportunity to contribute to the projects.</p> <p>Swarthout added that the project will provide opportunities for App State students to train in atmospheric science using state-of-the-art instrumentation which will make them more competitive for high-quality careers in this growing field.</p> <p> </p> <p>A first-year student at Appalachian State University has been named the newest recipient of the Jerri Kent Heltzer and Harry Heltzer Endowed Scholarship for the 2023–24 academic year. Nathanael Cox, a native of Boone who is majoring in history, joins a group of three students who received the scholarship last year.</p> <p>The scholarship — which covers approximately 75% of the students’ tuition and is renewable annually — honors longtime friends of the university, Elizabeth “Jerri” Kent Heltzer and Harry Heltzer, and provides assistance to students who demonstrate financial need.</p> <p>Established in 2021 from funds bequeathed to the university by the estate of Jerri and Harry — who passed away in 2021 and 2005, respectively — the scholarship is a capstone of the couple’s long-standing investment in the App State Community.</p> <p> </p> <p>Appalachian State University has been recognized among the top schools nationwide for military service members and veterans, according to Military Times, which named App State to its <a href='https://bestforvets.militarytimes.com/rankings/colleges/'>2023 “Best for Vets: Colleges” rankings list</a>, released Nov. 6.</p> <p>The university ranked as No. 99 out of 325 nationwide schools included in the overall rankings list, or within the top 30% of schools recognized. Additionally, App State placed as No. 21 among “Best for Vets” schools in the Southeast, or within the top 35% of schools recognized in this category.</p> <p>Of the 173 four-year, public schools named to the list, App State secured the No. 70 spot, placing the university within the top 40% of schools recognized.</p> <p>App State Chancellor Sheri Everts. Called it a privilege to serve military-affiliated students, veterans and their families — and said the recognition affirms App’s universitywide commitment to their success.</p> <p>Military Times compiled the rankings based on surveys sent to colleges and universities about their programs for veterans, as well as public data obtained from the U.S. Department of Education and Department of Veterans Affairs.</p> <p> </p> <p>Class of 1976 alumnus, Robert Thomas "Tommy" Sofield Jr., his wife, Debbie, and the Sofield family have donated a significant gift to Appalachian State University in support of athletics facilities enhancements, including a new multipurpose indoor practice facility.</p> <p> </p> <p>Tommy Sofield, who played football for the Mountaineers and was captain of the 1975 team that went 8-3 with wins over East Carolina, Wake Forest and South Carolina, has been a successful businessman and real estate developer in Boone since graduating from App State. He also currently serves as Vice Chair of the Appalachian State University Board of Trustees among other leadership positions in the community.</p> <p> </p> <p>The Sofields' lead gift will help fund a new indoor practice facility – with a 100+ yard artificial turf surface – to replace the <a href='https://appstatesports.com/facilities/sofield-family-indoor-practice-facility/5'>current Sofield Family Indoor Practice Facility</a> that opened in October 2007, for which the Sofields also donated the lead gift.</p> <p> </p> <p> With his latest gift, the university has raised $41 million toward the $100 million goal for the All for App initiative to invest and build for the future of App State Athletics. Other current athletics facility plans include the construction of a fieldhouse, outdoor tennis courts, softball field and indoor tennis courts at the <a href='https://www.appstate.edu/appalachians-future/building-physical-infrastructure/appalachian-105/'>Appalachian 105 facility</a>.</p> <p> </p>
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