BOONE—Dr. Jesse Taylor will serve as the interim chair of the Department of Art at Appalachian State University during the 2013-14 academic year, according to an announcement from the College of Fine and Applied Arts. Taylor will serve in the position while the department conducts a national search for a chair. [more]

BOONE—Brian Clee heads to Kazan in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, this summer. The Appalachian State University sophomore has received a U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) to study Russian. He is one of 32 students to receive the summer scholarship from a competitive applicant pool. [more]

BOONE—The building that houses Appalachian State University’s Reich College of Education has received LEED® Silver certification established by the U.S. Green Building Council and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). LEED is the nation’s preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. [more]

BOONE—Three individuals with close ties to Appalachian State University received a Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa during May commencement. They are George G. Beasley of Naples, Fla., F.P. Bodie Bodenheimer of Greensboro and Eric Carle of Blowing Rock and Tavernier, Fla. [more]

BOONE—Graduates of Appalachian State University heard words of wisdom before embarking on careers in North Carolina, the nation and the world. Ceremonies were held May 10-12 for each of the university’s degree-granting colleges or schools. [more]

BOONE—Could there be higher praise for an educator than this?

“She made me enjoy college and regain my joy for learning, she helped me get into and enjoy research, and she helped me succeed as a student and as a person. Dr. Jennifer Burris is the ideal recipient of this award because she is the definition of an educator.” [more]

BOONE—After stumbling at the end of 2012, the regional economy began to regain its footing in the first quarter of the year, according to the Western North Carolina Economic Index, compiled by the Center for Economic Research and Policy Analysis at Appalachian State University. Regional economic activity increased 0.4 percent during the first quarter of 2013. [more]

By Jane Nicholson

BOONE—With more than 55,000 books in print about the Civil War, one might assume that there is no new information to be gleaned about the event that separated states, communities and families. But there is a topic that has received scant attention – the environmental history of the Civil War. [more]

BOONE—Entrepreneurship and emerging technologies, as well as the science and ethics of accelerating inequality and climate change are the focus of the “Business Ethics in the 21st Century” conference Friday, Oct. 19, at Appalachian State University. [more]