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App State will return to pre-pandemic operations for the Fall 2021 semester, with safety precautions in place. All students, faculty and staff should get vaccinated for COVID-19. Read the latest updates.

Research at Appalachian

Research at Appalachian

Appalachian’s location in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina provides unique opportunities for research and scholarship. Passionate and creative faculty come here to stay, and students learn in academically challenging settings under their close mentorship. Small communities, access to diverse natural resources and significant weather patterns combine with a university culture that supports innovative, interdisciplinary pedagogy, making our location one that is not only stunningly beautiful, but also intellectually stimulating.

Student and faculty research stories

What kind of research could you undertake as an Appalachian student? Read about what our students and faculty are doing in their fields, where and how they learn, and share their work.

stduent with professor handling chemicals

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Office of Research

The Office of Research provides support for the research, creative and scholarly endeavors of Appalachian faculty, staff and students. The office offers assistance with finding funding, writing and submitting proposals, preparing budgets, beginning and managing projects and continued fiscal management of awarded projects.

chemistry student working with professor

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Research News

More research news: Appalachian Today

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Degrees

Professional Development Opportunities from the Office of Research

View the Office of Research calendar of events

Appalachian faculty actively engage in research

Find out more about our Research Centers and Institutes here:

The value of undergraduate research

Working with professors on meaningful research or creative endeavors gives Appalachian students the skills they need for career or graduate school success.

Graduate Research Associate Mentoring Program

The Cratis D. Williams School of Graduate Studies has a competitive assistantship program, which pays a stipend to graduate students who collaborate with faculty members on their research projects.

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The North Carolina Research Campus - a public-private research center

Appalachian partners with the North Carolina Research Campus, providing our students with extraordinary opportunities to engage in collaborative and multidisciplinary research in human health, nutrition and agriculture.

North Carolina Research Campus

Energy research

International research & development

When individuals from countries and cultures across the globe can share knowledge and experience with one another, all nations benefit. Find out more about the research in which our faculty, staff and students are engaging in crosses boundaries and borders for the betterment of all.

Resources and support

Are you a faculty member, staff member or student looking for resources for your research endeavors? Start here to find some terrific resources available to help.

News

App State higher education professor helps create, co-directs Alliance for Research on Regional Colleges
April 9, 2021
App State’s Dr. Andrew Koricich is one of four co-founders and co-directors of the Alliance for Research on Regional Colleges — a grant-funded initiative aimed at increasing appreciation for and understanding of U.S. regional, or rural-serving, colleges and their contributions. To date, the project has received more than half-million dollars in support.
App State Fulbrighter Dr. Suzanna Bräuer explores microbes’ impact on climate change
March 26, 2021
App State’s Dr. Suzanna Bräuer, professor of biology, has been awarded a 2020–21 Fulbright to research how methane-producing microorganisms known as archaea impact global climate change. Her Fulbright assignment takes her to Finland, where she is also teaching graduate courses at the University of Eastern Finland.
App State Fulbright awardee Dr. Eric Karchmer researches adapting traditional Chinese medicine to treat emerging illnesses
March 26, 2021
App State’s Dr. Eric Karchmer — a 2020–21 Fulbright awardee — has embarked on a Fulbright expedition to Taiwan, where, for the next 10 months, he will research how Taiwanese families are using traditional Chinese healing practices to manage the health of their children. He is joined by his wife, App State’s Dr. Dana Powell, and their children.
How New River got its flow back: App State’s NRLP completes Payne Branch environmental restoration project
January 25, 2021
App State’s New River Light and Power has completed its grant-funded project to remove the historic Payne Branch dam from the New River’s Middle Fork, helping to restore this river corridor to a more natural state — which includes improved water quality and enhanced habitat for the area’s aquatic wildlife. Dive in to learn more.
Worms–crayfish relationship affects entire freshwater stream ecosystems, App State research finds
January 8, 2021
Published research co-authored by three members of the Appalachian State University Community is the first to find that some small, aquatic worms can have ecosystem-level impacts on freshwater streams due to their relationship with crayfish. Dive in to learn more.
More than $1 billion in NC energy costs avoided, Appalachian Energy Summit reports
January 8, 2021
The Appalachian Energy Summit reports, from 2002–03 to 2018–19, the UNC System, together with industry partners, has saved North Carolina more than $1 billion in avoided energy costs — including water use reductions. App State has realized more than $30.3 million in avoided energy and water costs over the same time period.
Meteorological factors may influence COVID-19 transmission and spread in the US, according to research by App State and NCICS
July 2, 2020
A climate-health study conducted by Appalachian State University researchers shows a significant association between COVID-19 transmission and low humidity.
App State researchers scale Mount Everest to conduct climate research as part of National Geographic expedition
June 14, 2019
Dr. Baker Perry and Dr. Anton Seimon were part of a multidisciplinary expedition that installed the world’s two highest weather stations (at 8,430 meters and 7,945 meters), examined soil samples and glacial lakes to better understand the range of life surviving on Earth’s highest peaks, and more.