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App State

Appalachian State University’s Fifth and Former Chancellor, Frank Borkowski, Dies at 88

January 22, 2025 Francis T. Borkowski, who served as Appalachian State University’s Chancellor from 1993-2003, died Sunday, January 19, at his home in Valle Crucis following a period of declining health. Better known as Frank, Borkowski was a man of great insight with varied talents, skills and interests. He will long be remembered as an innovative leader who, in one short decade, led ASU through one of its most advanced growth spurts in the school’s history. According to his obituary, compliments of Austin and Barnes Funeral Service, Borkowski’s move from the University of South Florida to ASU offered him “an opportunity to take the reins of an ascendant college while relocating closer to family in the Carolinas.”  By Sherrie Norris `

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Turchin Center Announces Fizzy First Friday Celebration February 7, from 5-8pm

January 22, 2025. The staff at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts invites the community to Fizzy First Friday on Friday, February 7, from 5-8pm. This exciting evening of art, community, and celebration is free and open to all. Brave the winter weather and come inside where it’s cozy! Cultural Resources. “We’re thrilled to celebrate these remarkable exhibitions and to offer our community an inspiring and fun evening of art and connection.” Don’t miss this opportunity to explore contemporary art, engage with artists, and celebrate the creative spirit that makes our community thrive. We look forward to seeing you there!

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Registration is Open for Girls on the Run of the High Country for Spring Season Starting Feb. 10

January 21, 2025. Registration is now open for Girls on the Run (GOTR) of the High Country — a program for girls in third through fifth grades to develop social, emotional and physical skills to successfully navigate life experiences. Registration is also open for the GOTR Heart & Sole middle school program for girls in sixth through eighth grades. Each program is made possible through Appalachian State University’s Appalachian Institute for Health and Wellness. The GOTR spring season will begin the week of Feb. 10. Over the course of 10 weeks, the programs combine physical activity, social-emotional learning and community impact projects. Through dynamic lessons, team-building and fun running games, girls build confidence and important life skills.

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22nd Appalachian Mountain Photography Announces Finalists; Exhibition Opens Feb. 7

January 16, 2025. The Turchin Center for the Visual Arts (TCVA) is excited to announce the finalists for this year’s upcoming 22nd Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition (AMPC) exhibition. With over 500 images submitted by 76 artists, jurors selected 47 photographs to embody the theme “Making Kin: Belonging & Longing in Appalachia”. The 22nd AMPC exhibition will open Friday, February 7, 2025 with a public reception that evening. People’s Choice voting will take place in-person in the gallery, and the winner will be announced at the private Awards Reception on March 22.

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2024 — App State’s 125th Year Was Marked by Resilience, Progress and Opportunity

January 15, 2025. With the close of 2024, Appalachian State University reflects on a year of remarkable growth and achievements — one defined by Mountaineer resilience, innovation and versatility. Milestones from the university’s 125th anniversary year include new pathways to expand education access, record support for research funding, the continued improvement of campus facilities and recovery from Hurricane Helene — a historic natural disaster. The university remained committed to its founding mission of expanding access to higher education, developing new pathways for students to receive a high-quality App State education that paves the way for higher wages and greater opportunities.

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Parent to Parent Family Support Network Launches Survey for Families with Specialized Health Care Needs after Hurricane Helene

December 26, 2024 Appalachian State University’s Parent to Parent Family Support Network (P2P-FSN), a program of the Appalachian Institute for Health and Wellness, is taking action to connect families of children with special health care needs who were impacted by Hurricane Helene with resources to assist with their unique challenges. The survey focuses on identifying urgent requirements, including access to shelter, medical care, special education services and mental health support. The data collected will enable P2P-FSN to prioritize needs and deliver the most effective guidance to families in need. “Our goal is to ensure that families with children who have special health care needs are connected to resources to receive the support they need to recover and rebuild after a disaster,” said Mary Sheryl Horine, director of outreach and education for the Appalachian Institute for Health and Wellness.

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Hellbender Heroes: App State Team Continues Nearly 20 Years of Research to Help Protect NC’s Giant Salamanders

December 20, 2024 Slithering in the rocky streams and rivers of the eastern United States is a rare species of giant salamanders known as hellbenders. Dr. Michael Gangloff, professor in Appalachian State University’s Department of Biology, has been researching the amphibians for nearly two decades. Recently, his lab assisted a team tasked with transferring the giant salamanders from the now removed Shull’s Mill Dam on the Watauga River to a newly restored habitat downstream. “Our goal was to move the hellbenders out of harm’s way before the dam was removed,” said Gangloff, “but it’s also an attempt to see that if we move them into a new habitat where there aren’t as many of these animals, if they will establish populations there.”

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Perseverance Pays Off: Over 1,500 App State Graduates Achieve Degrees This Fall

December 18, 2024 Appalachian State University celebrated graduates’ achievements during Fall 2024 Commencement ceremonies on Dec. 13, marking the culmination of their academic journeys amid such challenges as a global pandemic and a natural disaster. Over 1,500 students applied to graduate this fall, including 1,373 undergraduate students from seven colleges and schools and 191 graduate students and nine doctoral candidates from the Williams School of Graduate Studies. Recordings of the three commencement ceremonies are available on App State’s commencement website.

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App State’s Fall Commencement Ceremonies are on Friday, December 13

December 9, 2024 Appalachian State University will recognize fall 2024 graduates during commencement ceremonies on Friday, Dec. 13. Ceremonies will take place at 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. in the Holmes Convocation Center on App State’s Boone campus. During the events, graduates will walk across the stage in Holmes Convocation Center and be professionally photographed receiving their diploma covers.

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Dowell Loggains Will be the New Head Coach for App State Football

December 8, 2024 A respected offensive play-caller at both the NFL and college levels, Dowell Loggains has been chosen as the next head coach of App State Football, Director of Athletics Doug Gillin announced Saturday. Loggains (pronounced LOG-ans), 44, is the 23rd head football coach in program history. His five-year contract, which runs through the 2029 season, was approved Saturday afternoon by Interim Chancellor Heather Norris and the Appalachian State University Board of Trustees. Most recently the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the top-15 ranked South Carolina Gamecocks, Loggains will be formally introduced Monday during a noon press conference at Kidd Brewer Stadium’s Grandview Ballroom that is open to the public and will also be streamed live on App State Football’s YouTube, Facebook and X pages.

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Shawn Clark Released as App State Head Football Coach After Five Season at the Helm of the Mountaineers’ Program


December 2, 2024 . App State Director of Athletics Doug Gillin announced Monday that football head coach Shawn Clark has been released from his contract following his fifth full season at the helm of the Mountaineers’ program. “I want to thank Shawn for all he has done for the App State football program,” Gillin said. “Shawn is a true Mountaineer. He has given his heart and soul to his alma mater. He has navigated numerous challenges in his tenure and done so with class and integrity. This was a difficult decision, but after an evaluation of the program, we decided to make the change now.

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App State Football Ends Season with Road Loss to Georgia Southern 29-20

December 2, 2024 STATESBORO, Ga. — App State Football kept working to erase an early deficit, finally gaining possession with a chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter, but Georgia Southern used a late touchdown to produce additional separation in a 29-20 home victory Saturday night. Needing a victory to become bowl eligible, the Mountaineers finished an 11-game season at 5-6 overall and 3-5 in the Sun Belt Conference. They had one home game canceled by the impact of Hurricane Helene in late September.

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Turchin Center Hosts Winter Exhibition Celebration During Festive First Friday Dec. 6

November 26, 2024 Downtown Boone will be aglow with holiday spirit as the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts invites the community to its Winter Exhibition Celebration on Friday, December 6th, 2024, from 5–8 PM. This special evening, held in conjunction with Festive First Friday, promises an unforgettable experience filled with art, music, and holiday cheer. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet the artists, explore six galleries of thought-provoking art, and enjoy holiday refreshments while listening to live music by the acclaimed Pansy Club Band.

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Ring in the Holidays with the Legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band Thursday, Dec. 12

November 26, 2024 The Schaefer Center Presents (SCP) performing arts series, presented by Appalachian State University’s Office of Arts Engagement and Cultural Resources, welcomes NOLA’s legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band in Creole Christmas, a seasonal celebration of New Orleans classics as well as some of the best-loved holiday selections with a twist. The performance takes place Thursday, Dec. 12 at 7:30pm at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets range from $15-$45, and may be purchased at TheSchaeferCenter.org, in person at the Schaefer Center box office (733 Rivers Street), or by calling 828-262-4046.

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Strong Finish Propels App State to Emotional Senior Day Win over JMU

November 25, 2024 A late-week snowstorm, plus a crowd-pleasing celebrity appearance, added to the storylines surrounding an already meaningful game. That’s how a Senior Day and Black Saturday game should feel in the High Country, with excitement over the wintry weather outweighing any discomfort. All those elements just made App State Football’s 34-20 home win Saturday over James Madison even sweeter. The Mountaineers (5-5, 3-4 Sun Belt) improved to 3-0 in Kidd Brewer Stadium since returning to The Rock roughly one month ago, overcoming a 14-0 deficit against an 8-2 opponent thanks to big plays from the offense, defense and special teams.

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UNC System Board of Governors Approves App State’s New Doctor of Nursing Practice Hybrid Program

November 22, 2024 Beginning in fall 2026, Appalachian State University will welcome its first cohort of students to a hybrid Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree program, designed to educate family practice nurse practitioners and respond to health care provider shortages, especially in rural areas. The DNP program, which received approval from the University of North Carolina System Board of Governors on Nov. 14, holds the distinction of being the university’s first doctoral degree program in the field of health sciences. App State currently offers doctoral programs in clinical psychology (PsyD) and educational leadership (EdD).

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Banff Mountain Film Festival Returns to App State for 28th Year; Tickets Go on Sale Nov. 20

November 20, 2024 The Banff Mountain Film Festival returns to Appalachian State University at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts from Thursday, March 20, through Saturday, March 22, 2025. Tickets go on sale this Wednesday, Nov. 20. Hosted by University Recreation at App State, the festival’s World Tour has been making stops in Boone for 28 years, inspiring audiences with the world’s best films that highlight mountain adventure, culture and the environment.

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App State’s Civil War Speakers Series presents Dr. David K. Thomson Nov. 11

November 6, 2024 Appalachian State University’s Department of History — with support from the College of Arts and Sciences — welcomes Dr. David K. Thomson for its 2024 Civil War Speaker Series.  Thomson will present “Bonds of War: How Civil War Financial Agents Sold the World on the Union” on Monday, Nov. 11, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Room 114 of Belk Library and Information Commons, located at 218 College St. in Boone. Thomson is an associate professor of history at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut

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Defense Stands Tall in Dramatic 28-20 Win over Old Dominion at Kidd Brewer Stadium

November 4, 2024 The main takeaways from App State Football’s dramatic 28-20 win against Old Dominion on Saturday: the Mountaineers produced plenty of big ones. App State’s defense recovered three fumbles and sealed the victory with a fourth turnover via Zyeir Gamble’s last-minute interception against the Monarchs, who led 17-7 in the second quarter but added only a chip-shot field goal the rest of the way. A fourth-and-short stop also was part of a strong defensive effort that included five sacks from the Mountaineers (4-4, 2-3 Sun Belt) in front of 34,954 fans at Kidd Brewer Stadium.

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College Students Impacted by Hurricane Will Receive Extra Scholarship Support

October 31, 2024 In response to the hardships caused by Hurricane Helene, the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority is awarding additional financial aid to eligible students at Appalachian State University, University of North Carolina Asheville and Western Carolina University, and to eligible students from impacted counties at the other UNC institutions. North Carolina resident students with family incomes below $80,000 will receive an average of $850 in additional grant aid to help offset some of the unexpected costs from Helene’s disruption. Financial aid recipients at affected community colleges are also eligible for the one-time increase in funding.

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App State Students Dedicate 500+ Hours Toward Hurricane Helene Relief and Recovery Efforts During “Day of Service”

October 28, 2024 Nearly three weeks after Hurricane Helene hit Boone, Appalachian State University welcomed its students back to campus — and they returned with a desire to serve. On Saturday, Oct. 19, App State’s Office of Community-Engaged Leadership held its Student Day of Service – Together We Are Mountain Strong event, coordinating the volunteer work of around 175 students who collectively completed over 500 hours of community service at 15 organizations and locations across the High Country. All volunteer work directly benefited hurricane relief and recovery efforts in local communities, with students providing services in a variety of ways, from river and trail cleanups to sorting relief supplies at distribution centers.

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App State’s 14th annual Spooky Duke Rescheduled for Saturday, Nov. 16 at 9:30 a.m.

October 28, 2024 Appalachian State University’s 14th annual Spooky Duke 5K/10K Race and Costume Contest has been rescheduled for Saturday, Nov. 16. Races start on the Boone campus at 9:30 a.m. and the costume march starts at 10:30 a.m.  Spooky Duke benefits Parent to Parent Family Support Network-High Country, a nonprofit that serves families who have a premature baby, are grieving the loss of a child, or have a child with special needs. The program, housed in the Appalachian Institute for Health and Wellness, serves Alleghany, Ashe, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey counties. Last year’s Spooky Duke raised a record $31,600 for the organization. Spooky Duke is a USA Track & Field certified 5K and 10K race.

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