Message from Chancellor Heather Norris: November 14, 2025
On Tuesday, despite the snow and cold, we were pleased to celebrate our veterans during our annual recognition ceremony. Veterans Day has been set aside, nationally, to recognize veterans and their families. At Appalachian State University, you have our respect and our thanks every day. Thank you to the veterans of our nation’s military — for your service, your many sacrifices and your selfless dedication to our country — and thank you to your families for their sacrifices as well.
At this year’s ceremony, we welcomed two-time alumnus and Army veteran Dan Blakeley ’15 ’18. Dan is a former U.S. Army Special Operations Ranger who served in the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment and was deployed six times in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He shared his perspective on what his service taught him, how it shaped him into who he is today and his accomplishments since leaving the Army — including leading the first teams of Team Sunergy, the university’s solar vehicle team, and his work to support veterans and help them share their stories. Ten years after earning his first App State degree, Dan remains an inspiration to our students, faculty and staff. Watch a video of highlights from this year’s ceremony.
This is also National Nurse Practitioner Week, and we take this opportunity to extend our appreciation to nurse practitioners everywhere for their significant contributions to patient-centered health care. At Appalachian State University, we thank our nurses in Student Health Service, who provide direct care to our students, as well as our nursing faculty, who are teaching and mentoring the next generation of nurses. Our nursing program is known for its excellent graduation and first-time national licensure exam pass rates, as well as for its exceptional nursing students, who care for patients in hospitals and clinics — applying the skills they’ve learned in the classroom while also learning from seasoned professionals.
We are continuing to grow our nursing program to help meet the needs of our region. Most recently, we’ve added a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree to our academic offerings, which will begin in fall 2026. Designed to meet the needs of practicing registered nurses and those who want to advance to the highest level of nursing education, this online degree includes weeklong intensive clinical trainings that will take place in-person at our Hickory campus. Our investment in our nursing program will help address critical health care shortages — and help answer the call to alleviate an expected statewide shortage of more than 12,000 registered nurses by 2033.
On Wednesday, more than 1,350 children from Watauga, Avery, Ashe, Burke, Caldwell and Wilkes counties arrived on the Boone campus to watch the acrobats of Cirque Kalabanté: Afrique en Cirque perform incredible feats and showcase the beautiful artistry of African culture with scenery, costumes and staging inspired by daily life in Guinea. Powered by private donations, our APPlause! K–12 Performing Arts Series serves more than 8,000 public, private and homeschool students in grades K–12 across 11 counties in Western North Carolina, offering the opportunity to experience live performances that range from high-energy acrobatics, to Appalachian music, to international dance, to literary classics brought to life through theatrical productions. It’s such a joy to see the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts filled with children, excited for a field trip and awed by the live performances on the stage. Thank you to the donors who help provide educators with access to arts programming that sparks creativity and inspires a love of learning in thousands of children across our region.
Last Saturday, nearly 400 runners and volunteers took part in the 15th Annual Spooky Duke Race for Families, which supports the Appalachian Institute for Health and Wellness’ Parent to Parent Family Support Network program. Students, faculty, staff and community members raised more than $13,000 to support local families who have children with special needs. Participants enjoyed the beautiful weather (before the snow set in!) at the annual 5K/10K race, which included a costume contest and fun and games for kids. Thank you to everyone who participated in this important community event and to the nearly 100 volunteers who organized and staffed the event, including App State’s Kappa Delta chapter, as well as students from Watauga High School and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Morganton.
Throughout the academic year, members of my leadership team and I spend time with members of the Faculty Senate Advisory Committee — these are informal opportunities to share ideas and discuss ways we can work together to support the university and the success of our students. This week, we continued a conversation about ways faculty can enhance their engagement with our student recruitment process and help develop strategies for increasing summer enrollment.
This week, the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce hosted leaders from the university and municipal leaders from Boone and Blowing Rock for a community partners meeting. Thank you to chamber CEO David Jackson for providing this opportunity for us to come together in a casual setting to share key updates from each of our areas, along with ideas about ways we can continue working together to support the communities we collectively serve.
Next week, Savannah Dada-Mascoll will make App State Tennis history, becoming the first App State women’s tennis player to compete in singles at the NCAA Championships. This weekend, App State’s Volleyball team will close its regular season with home court matches against Troy tonight and tomorrow. App State faculty and staff can attend tonight’s game free of charge as the team celebrates its graduating seniors, and tomorrow, the team will recognize milestones from the season and follow the match with an autograph session. The Mountaineer Football team will be on the road at James Madison University tomorrow, and we will be cheering on our team for a win over the Dukes!
Whether you’re taking in the milder weather following the week’s cold and snowy beginning, catching a comedy show at the Schaefer Center, spending time in the library, engaging in club events, or attending one of the many athletics events taking place this weekend, I wish you a wonderful weekend.
Heather Norris
Chancellor
From left to right: Nearly 400 runners and volunteers came out to support the 15th Annual Spooky Duke Race for Families, including runners Max Mathues, left, and Nolan Walls, right, who also dressed up for the event’s costume contest. You can watch this fun video from the event, shot by Troy Tuttle in University Communications. Public, private and homeschool students have the opportunity to enjoy live performances several times a year through our APPlause! Series. In this photo from October, students are entranced by a science comedy presentation. Class of 2025 graduates Eli Dowler, left, and Scarlett Jobe, right, practice nursing skills during a clinical rotation at Watauga Medical Center in Boone. Thanks to University Photographer Chase Reynolds and App State staff member and Spooky Duke volunteer Marta Saylors for these photos!
