Today we held the seventh annual Research and Creative Activity at Appalachian (RECAPP) Event, a celebration of research, scholarship and creative endeavors taking place at Appalachian State University. The breadth and depth of the research that takes place at App State is remarkable, and when we were officially placed among the nation's doctoral universities with high research activity, the Research 2 classification affirmed what each of us has known since we set foot on this campus — that we are on a continued trajectory of academic excellence and success. Thank you to Chase Reynolds in University Communications for creating this collage, highlighting just a taste of the incredible work that takes place at Appalachian State University each day.
Message from Chancellor Heather Norris: September 19, 2025
This week, I traveled to Raleigh to attend the September meeting of the University of North Carolina System Board of Governors. These 24 leaders are responsible for the planning, development and overall governance of the UNC System. It’s always my privilege to attend these meetings — the compassionate and pragmatic approach these leaders apply to their roles shows how deeply they care about the faculty, staff and students of the UNC System, and how seriously they take the charge placed upon them by the State of North Carolina.
Among the many important discussions that took place, UNC System President Peter Hans noted that our state’s public higher education system is, per capita, among the top five in the nation for state funding. My leadership team and I hold as paramount our responsibility to steward the resources provided to us by the taxpayers of our state, and I’m proud that our university was recently recognized among 25 Best-in-Class Colleges named to Washington Monthly’s “2025 Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars” rankings list.
While in Raleigh, I was honored to spend time with State Auditor Dave Boliek. We discussed our shared commitment to sound fiscal policies and ways that Appalachian State University can continue to partner with his office. I shared stories from our campus and was interested to learn more about the vital role he fills for North Carolina. I left inspired by his energy and encouraged by his enthusiasm for teaching, research and service across the state.
As the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene approaches, we continue advancing community-driven research endeavors focused on recovery from Hurricane Helene and building long-term resilience for the future. Ongoing applied research projects include investigations into installing microgrid energy systems for schools, storm impacts on private well contamination, using AI to enhance flood models that take into account the unique topography of our region, emergency preparedness for families who have children with special health care needs, mental health tolls on disaster responders, and challenges with rebuilding after natural disasters.
Dr. Christine Hendren, App State’s Vice Chancellor of Research and Innovation, has been working with the North Carolina Collaboratory — a network established by the North Carolina General Assembly in 2016 to utilize and disseminate the research expertise across the UNC System for practical use by state and local government. Through this partnership, App State convened the Western North Carolina Research for Recovery and Resilience Workshop this spring, which brought together nearly 100 government, civic, academic and business leaders to prioritize the post-Helene needs of our region and help organize resources to respond to those needs. On Sept. 27, 2024, App State staff, faculty and students began working in many ways to support the communities we serve in their recovery efforts, and we remain committed to this purpose through our mission of teaching, research and service. Collaboration with our partners will ensure we can build back stronger and be better prepared for any challenges ahead. You can read more about these efforts in this news story.
This afternoon, I joined faculty and staff — representing every App State academic school and college — at the seventh annual Research and Creative Activity at Appalachian (RECAPP) Event, a celebration of research, scholarship and creative endeavors taking place at Appalachian State University. As I reviewed the list of projects that will be showcased, I was struck by the remarkable breadth and depth of the research, scholarship, and creative activities that takes place here — and by how much of it is practically applied to solve real-world problems, and how much of it offers opportunities for active involvement by undergraduate and graduate students. The work of these incredible scholars is helping ensure we are on a continued trajectory of academic excellence and success.
Through strong collaborations — across the UNC System, with our state leaders and with our local and regional partners — we are working to uplift our university and surrounding communities, building a foundation for innovative progress that will affect countless lives and endure for many years to come.
Heather Norris
Chancellor
On Sept. 17, students, faculty and staff at Appalachian State University came together for a public reading of excerpts from the U.S. Constitution, in celebration of Constitution Week. Thanks to Student Body President Nicole Tran for joining this event, and Troy Tuttle and Garrett Ford in University Communications for capturing excerpts and creating this video
This week Director of External Affairs and Community Relations Matthew Dockham and I spent time with State Auditor Dave Boliek, sharing stories and learning about how we can work together. Thank you to Matthew for snapping this quick photo of me and Dave!
At today’s seventh annual RECAPP event, Dr. Rahman Tashakkori, awardee of the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity, joined me for a quick photo after he delivered the event’s keynote speech. Thank you to Chase Reynolds in University Communications for taking this photo of the two of us.
