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Appalachian Features

  • The Value of Undergraduate Research
    The Value of Undergraduate Research
    Chemistry major Allison Newell and biology major Morgan Thompson present their undergraduate research findings at a professional conference in San Diego, Calif.
  • Snowfall prediction research
    Snowfall Prediction Research
    Researchers from Appalachian State University, UNC Asheville and NC State University are collaborating on a project to improve snowfall predications in the higher elevations.
  • On the Rock Face
    On the Rock Face
    The region's cliff faces harbor rare plant species dating back to the last ice age. Appalachian researchers are working to understand and protect this special ecosystem.
  • Seven Girls, Seven Dreams
    Seven Girls, Seven Dreams
    Seven girls have greater hope for achieving their professional dreams because they chose to participate in Upward Bound's college preparation activities.
  • Dancing with the Dragon: Contemporary Art from Beijing
    Dancing with the Dragon: Contemporary Art from Beijing
    The Turchin Center for the Visual Arts presents "Dancing with the Dragon," a multi-disciplinary exchange program featuring contemporary art and artists from China.
  • Gloria Steinem
    Gloria Steinem: A Leader in Social Change
    Appalachian's Forum Lecture Series brings nationally prominent speakers to campus. Their views enliven campus dialogue on a variety of issues. Writer and feminist activist Gloria Steinem opened the 2008 series.
  • Supporting the Best Writers
    Supporting the Best Writers
    The Truman Capote Literary Trust Scholarship in Creative Writing is awarded to Appalachian's best student writers of fiction and poetry. This year's winner is John Stone, a senior from Sanford.
  • Carolyn Clark
    The Power of Mentoring - Carolyn Clark '04
    Two communication majors reach the top of their field in New York City thanks to the mentoring relationships they developed at Appalachian.
  • Appalachian Graduate Student Profiles
    Diverse Educational Journeys
    Four graduate students describe very diverse educational journeys at Appalachian and beyond in their own words.
  • Mountaineers Make History
    Mountaineers Make History
    The Mountaineers seal their reputation as a national model for college football success after winning an unprecedented third-straight NCAA Div I FCS Championship.
  • Appalachian and the Community Together
    Hearts and Hands at Work
    Appalachian students can express their benevolent spirit through community service, service-learning, and community-based research opportunities.
  • Enhancing Diversity: The Faculty Fellows Program
    Enhancing Diversity: The Faculty Fellows Program
    Central to the depth and quality of intellectual life at Appalachian is a diverse faculty.
  • Shades of Green
    Shades of Green
    Professor Curtis Ryan dispels myths and misinformation of Islam and the Arab world.
  • Cultural Exchange
    Cultural Exchange
    15 Pakistanis strengthen their teaching skills and leave behind a better understanding of their culture.
  • A Debt-Free Education
    A Debt-Free Education
    A new scholarship fund called Appalachian Commitment to a College Education for Student Success (ACCESS) brought its first group of recipients to campus this fall.
  • A Friendship Blooms
    A Friendship Blooms
    Art faculty member April Flanders and her student Heather Owens are just one example of how Appalachian's stimulating learning community thrives both inside and outside the classroom.
  • A Beautiful Setting
    A Beautiful Setting
    Spring, summer, fall and winter bring some 30 million visitors to the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Appalachian Trail, both just minutes from campus.
  • Global Climate Change
    Global Climate Change
    Geologist Dr. Ellen Cowan was among a select, international group of scientists who drilled the Antarctic sea floor for indications of how global warming affected our planet in the past.
  • Many Faces, Many Stories
    Many Faces, Many Stories
    Ask someone to tell their story and you'll find that no two students are alike on the Appalachian campus.
  • The Polluting of a Park
    The Polluting of a Park
    Biologist Howard Neufeld has spent 20 years documenting the impact of ozone on native plants in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
  • Champion Cyclists
    Champion Cyclists
    The Appalachian Cycling Team - one of 20 club sports on campus - is a four-time winner of the Atlantic Coast Cycling Conference for road racing.
  • Exercise and the Immune System
    Exercise and the Immune System
    Keeping athletes healthy is a passion for David Nieman, a world-renowned expert in nutrition and exercise science.
  • A Student-run Record Label
    A Student-run Record Label
    In the Hayes School of Music, students expand their knowledge of the recording industry by signing, recording and marketing local bands through their own record label called Split Rail Records.

Diverse Educational Journeys

Appalachian's Cratis D. Williams Graduate School administers more than 40 graduate degree programs and 12 graduate certificate programs, as well as oversees activities related to research and program funding. Currently, more than 2,000 individuals are graduate degree-seeking students. Watch now as four graduate students describe very diverse educational journeys at Appalachian and beyond in their own words.

  • Erin Boyer, Master of Business Administration
  • Hildreth Davis, Master of Arts in Higher Education, concentration in Developmental Education
  • Kyle Laird, Master of Arts in Geography, concentration in Planning
  • Sunny Townes, Master of Arts in History

 

Erin Boyer

Erin Boyer

Master of Business Administration

I’m Erin. I’ll complete my MBA in May and I already have a job with Wachovia Corporation focusing on emerging markets.

I spent three years working in Japan before I went back to school for my MBA. Now I’ll travel internationally with Wachovia. Domo arigatto!

I went to Tulane for my undergrad and visited my parents a lot while they lived in Boone. I fell in love with the campus and the school.

The professors in the Walker College of Business are awesome – truly supportive. And the strength of the alumni network is amazing. Our college alumni helped Wachovia recruit me.

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Hildreth Davis

Hildreth Davis

Master of Arts in Higher Education, concentration in Developmental Education

Hi! My name’s Hildreth and I’m graduating in May with a master’s degree in Higher Ed. Then, I’m starting my doctoral studies right away in Adult Ed. I didn’t have time to take all the classes I wanted before, so I’m going to keep going!

I was a nurse for 26 years before discovering that I LOVE to teach developmental math. Who knew?

I got my undergraduate degree in two years while I continued nursing to pay the bills – hey, whatever it takes.

I want to teach at a community college because that’s where a lot of students like me start out. Appalachian has helped me open the door to my next career. Thank you!

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Kyle Laird

Kyle Laird

Master of Arts in Geography, concentration in Planning

Hi, I’m Kyle and I’m a first-year graduate student in Geography and Planning. I also manage the new Peace Corps office here on campus.

I want to live in North Carolina when I graduate and work in city or state planning. One of my pet peeves is the lack of mass transportation in this country and our reliance on fossil fuels. I take the bus everywhere I go.

I was in the Peace Corps for several years and spent time in Ukraine teaching business courses. I also did several special assignments in the Russian Far East before I decided I wanted to go back to school. Learning to live in a foreign country is fascinating AND addicting.

Appalachian provided 23 Peace Corps volunteers in 2007. That’s a lot for a campus our size. This campus has a culture of service – of giving back to the community. It’s just what people do here.

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Sunny Townes

Sunny Townes

Master of Arts in History

My name is Sunny. I’m an adjunct professor in the Department of History and just completed my master’s thesis on urban labor history in Mexico. I got grants from the Office of Student Research so I could spend a month living in Guadalajara, Mexico, doing research.

Traveling and living in Mexico was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but also one of the most fulfilling. I learned some Spanish but got around using a lot of sign language. I brought stacks and stacks of documents home with me.

My thesis committee believes that my thesis could be turned into an article. Wow. I’d like to apply to doctoral programs, but I’ll probably wait a year.

I love the mountains, I love teaching, and I love history!

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