App State students are expanding their academic and professional horizons this summer through immersive study abroad programs in numerous locations around the world. Pictured, from left to right: Department of Communication students engaged with industry professionals and small business owners while in Greece; students from the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences are participating in a six-week field camp in Italy; and students in the Walker College of Business’ Angers Summer Business Program recently studied international business and marketing in France. Thank you to our campus partners in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, College of Arts and Sciences and Walker College of Business for providing these images.
Message from Chancellor Heather Norris: June 5, 2026
Appalachian State University is committed to enhancing health and wellness in our state’s rural communities. We are proud to serve as the educational partner on a federally funded initiative led by Vaya Health, which was recently selected as an NC ROOTS Hub for the state’s Rural Health Transformation Program. Collaborating closely with Vaya Health and Partners Health Management, the university will support critical efforts to improve access to care and strengthen the healthcare infrastructure across 12 North Carolina counties. This vital work brings together interdisciplinary expertise from the Beaver College of Health Sciences and its Appalachian Institute for Health and Wellness, as well as the Office of Research and Innovation.
As local K–12 schools conclude their academic year this week, I am reminded of the profound responsibility and privilege that App State shares with these schools in fostering a lifelong curiosity and love for learning in young students across our region. This brief video, created by our University Communications team, captures the spirit of App State’s enduring dedication to teacher preparation, with a focus on elementary education alumna Hannah Brackett’s first grade classroom experience at Hudson Elementary in Caldwell County. With one of the largest undergraduate teacher preparation programs in the state, App State graduates approximately 500 educators a year, who go on to inspire the next generation of learners in nearly every North Carolina county.
The learning experiences that define an App State education extend well beyond the boundaries of our Boone and Hickory campuses. By taking part in dynamic App State study abroad opportunities this summer, Mountaineer students are gaining a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them, developing the independence and adaptability that will distinguish them in their future careers. Examples of recent and current study abroad opportunities include:
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Students from the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences are participating in a six-week field camp in Italy, where they are analyzing the stratigraphy of the Northern Apennines and building geologic maps.
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Students in the Walker College of Business’ Angers Summer Business Program recently returned from France, where they studied international business and marketing while experiencing French culture firsthand.
- Students from the Department of Communication traveled to Greece, where they engaged with industry professionals and small business owners while learning best practices in organizational communication on a global scale.
Back in Boone, we are connecting with our local community through an array of summer arts programs. The Department of Theatre and Dance has officially launched the return of its popular Summer Dance Series after a six-year hiatus, with free classes held Tuesdays through Thursdays during June on the Boone campus.
Additionally, tonight marks downtown Boone’s First Friday Art Crawl, and the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts is opening two new exhibitions: “Community Contours in the Southern Appalachian Mountains” by Jill Pelto, who will give an ARTtalk during the First Friday event, and “Stitching the Natural World” by fiber artist Nancy Hershberger. Attendees can explore these and other Turchin Center gallery exhibitions, enjoy drop-in artmaking and join a guided tour of the center’s Moskowitz Gallery, led by summer Turchin Center intern Emily Suit, a senior photography student.
And the Mountaineer Spring Tour crossed the finish line this week, after moving through eight stops, including final gatherings in Hickory on Monday and in Asheville on Thursday. This collaborative initiative by the Mountaineers Athletic Fund and the Office of Alumni Engagement connected university leaders directly with more than 900 passionate alumni and Mountaineers supporters. Thank you to everyone who joined us along the way and for your continued dedication to the success of our student-athletes — and our university.
Heather Norris
Chancellor
From left to right: App State’s Summer Dance Series, offered by the Department of Theatre and Dance, began this week, returning after a six-year hiatus. Accompanied by live drummers, associate professor of dance studies Sherone Price (pictured in foreground) led the first class; App State’s undergraduate teacher preparation program equips future educators to inspire and empower young minds — across our state and beyond. Alumna Hannah Brackett ’26, who earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education this spring, is pictured working with a first grade student at Hudson Elementary in Caldwell County; It was so energizing to visit with App State alumni and steadfast athletics supporters on Monday, during the Hickory stop of the Mountaineer Spring Tour. Thank you to Chase Reynolds and Kyla Willoughby in University Communications for capturing these images
