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App State has returned to pre-pandemic operations for the Fall 2021 semester, with safety precautions in place. There are no current plans to move in-person classes online. All students, faculty and staff should get vaccinated against COVID-19. Face coverings are required in all indoor campus locations for students, faculty, staff and visitors, regardless of vaccination status. 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

>> Featured research stories

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

App State team studies brain stimulation for ankle sprain rehab
October 19, 2021
How climate change is affecting fall foliage [faculty featured]
October 12, 2021
How does sleep affect your decisions? App State’s Dr. David Dickinson conducts grant-funded studies to find out
September 29, 2021
App State’s Dr. Patricia Johann researches logics used in software programming
September 16, 2021
App State joins NSF research effort to reduce phosphorus dependence, losses
September 13, 2021
App State’s Dr. Abdelbaset Hamza studies efficiency in internet data centers
September 2, 2021
Digitizing biology!
August 26, 2021
App State's Team Sunergy wins big in US solar racing challenge — No. 1 in Cruiser Class
August 12, 2021
College students race solar cars from Missouri to New Mexico [students featured]
August 7, 2021
App State and Cone Estate connection spans 100-plus years, yields academic and engagement opportunities
August 6, 2021

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’s Dr. Patricia Johann researches logics used in software programming
September 16, 2021
Dr. Patricia Johann was awarded a $510,823 research grant from the National Science Foundation. Her work will enhance verification of computer software — ensuring the programs are correct, secure and reliable.
App State joins NSF research effort to reduce phosphorus dependence, losses
September 13, 2021
Appalachian joins 8 institutions to form the NSF Science and Technologies for Phosphorus Sustainability Center, a national research effort to reduce phosphorus dependence and losses.
App State’s Dr. Abdelbaset Hamza studies efficiency in internet data centers
September 2, 2021
Dr. Abdelbaset Hamza is leading a team in studying ways to make the transfer of information in internet data centers more efficient — with the goal of speeding up the internet and reducing the environmental impact.
App State's Team Sunergy wins big in US solar racing challenge — No. 1 in Cruiser Class
August 12, 2021
App State’s solar vehicle team, Team Sunergy, swept the 2021 American Solar Challenge — finishing in first place for multiple-occupant vehicles (MOV), winning all three stages of the race from Missouri to New Mexico and clocking a total of 964.8 miles.
Researchers support rural-serving colleges and universities from new center at App State
August 4, 2021
The Alliance for Research on Regional Colleges (ARRC) is now housed in App State’s Reich College of Education. The move to App State signals ARRC’s continued growth as the leading research organization focused on regional colleges, according to executive director Dr. Andrew Koricich.
App State professor awarded ADVANCE grant to foster gender equity in information technology
July 27, 2021
Women faculty in the field of information technology are set to benefit from ImPACT IT — a three-year research project aimed at removing barriers to women’s advancement to full professor. App State professor Dr. Lakshmi Iyer is partnering with four other women IT faculty on the project, which is supported by a nearly $1 million National Science Foundation ADVANCE grant.
App State genetic diversity study to inform US Fish and Wildlife conservation efforts for endangered NC plant
June 24, 2021
App State plant geneticist Dr. Matt Estep is working with the Blue Ridge Parkway to examine the genetic diversity of spreading avens — a federally endangered plant native to Western North Carolina. His five-year study, funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, will help inform conservation efforts aimed at preserving and protecting the species.
App State's Dr. Maggie Sugg receives National Science Foundation award for mental health research
June 4, 2021
App State assistant professor Dr. Maggie Sugg has earned a CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation. These awards support early career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education, and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization.

Events

Oct
25
Diane Cherry
October 25, 2021
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
The Sustainable Energy Speaker Series was created to deepen campus and community understanding of contemporary energy issues and spur conversation around energy topics. The series is a joint effort of the Appalachian Energy Center and the Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment.
Oct
26
Film: River’s End: California’s Latest Water War (2021)
October 26, 2021
7:00 pm
“River’s End” reveals California’s complex struggle over who gets fresh water, and how moneyed interests game the system. Constant battling over uncertain water supplies heralds an impending crisis—not just in California, but around the world.
Nov
4
2021 Doctoral Symposium
November 4, 2021
12:00 pm - 5:00 pm
The Reich College of Education’s (RCOE) Doctoral Program in Education Leadership will host the 2021 Doctoral Symposium, which will feature concurrent sessions and professional development from RCOE faculty, doctoral program alumni, and current doctoral candidates. The 2021 Alice Phobe Naylor Dissertation Award will be presented on Friday.
Nov
5
2021 Doctoral Symposium
November 5, 2021
12:00 pm - 5:00 pm
The Reich College of Education’s (RCOE) Doctoral Program in Education Leadership will host the 2021 Doctoral Symposium, which will feature concurrent sessions and professional development from RCOE faculty, doctoral program alumni, and current doctoral candidates. The 2021 Alice Phobe Naylor Dissertation Award will be presented on Friday.
Nov
15
Sophie Mullinax: The Blue Horizons Project: Community Energy Planning in Action
November 15, 2021
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
The Blue Horizons Project was developed by the Energy Innovation Task Force (EITF) in the Asheville area to achieve two primary goals: 1) transition the Duke Energy Progress West Region to a cleaner, more affordable, and smarter energy future and 2) avoid or delay the construction of a new gas-fired peaker power plant planned for 2023.
Nov
16
Film: Gather: The Fight to Revitalize our Native Foodways (2020)
November 16, 2021
7:00 pm
“Gather” is an intimate portrait of the growing movement amongst Native Americans to reclaim their spiritual, political and cultural identities through food sovereignty, while battling the trauma of centuries of genocide.
Nov
17
Appalachian Global Symposium
November 17, 2021
The Appalachian Global Symposium is an opportunity for faculty, staff, and students to share their global work on a professional platform while simultaneously contributing to global learning at Appalachian. Symposium presenters will discuss a variety of topics including science, technology, business, education, music and politics.