Boone, NC – Appalachian State University Chancellor Dr. Heather Norris addressed the 2026 Investing in Rural America Conference in Asheville on Friday, October 2, 2026, highlighting the university's long-standing commitment to strengthening rural communities. Approximately 600 leaders from government, business, education, and community and rural development fields gathered at the national conference to discuss the future of rural areas. As a rural-serving institution, App State collaborates with local business and community partners to tackle growing challenges, including evolving workforce needs and infrastructure.
The university is expanding educational pathways to support North Carolina’s evolving economy. These initiatives include flexible degree programs at the Hickory campus and App State Online Flight Path programs, which are supported by Project Kitty Hawk. New program offerings in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, alongside new degree programs in nursing, health sciences, and occupational therapy, are specifically designed to strengthen rural healthcare services. App State, designated as an R2 research institution, is also leveraging its growing research enterprise and doctoral programs to create opportunities for students and faculty. This allows them to collaborate on projects that address real regional needs, drive innovation, and develop practical solutions for the High Country and beyond.
A clear demonstration of this commitment to rural service was App State’s comprehensive response during and after Hurricane Helene. The storm significantly disrupted daily life across Western North Carolina, yet the university was called to serve on two fronts: caring for its own community while simultaneously helping to meet broader regional needs, working alongside local partners. Two years after Helene, recovery work remains ongoing, with many App State alumni contributing to the region’s long-term recovery efforts. Among these alumni is Forrest Gilliam ’08, who serves as the legislative director of the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina. Gilliam, a political science graduate and former two-term App State student body president, credits his early experiences working with university leaders for shaping his path into public service. Another key alumnus involved in recovery efforts, working closely with the governor’s office and legislative leaders, is NC Sen. Kevin Corbin ’83, a graduate of the Walker College of Business.
Beyond alumni leadership, App State faculty, staff, and students are actively advancing local recovery through the Western North Carolina Research for Recovery and Resilience (WNC R3) initiative. This multidisciplinary effort, funded by the North Carolina Collaboratory and the university’s Office of Research and Innovation, unites project leaders from diverse fields such as energy systems, data coordination, community health, and the arts. These leaders address priority focus areas identified during last year’s WNC R3 Workshop. By combining their expertise with local partnerships, these Mountaineers are applying university research to develop solutions for pressing community needs. The Chancellor expressed gratitude for this deep commitment, noting that the region’s recovery will require years of sustained coordination.
The university’s dedication to its mountain home is also evident in its diverse arts and cultural programming. On Friday, October 2, the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts hosted its First Friday Art Crawl, featuring several exhibitions. This included the closing exhibition, “belonging to place: The Creative Community & Artistic Legacy of bell hooks,” which explores how time spent in Appalachia continues to ground, shape, and inspire regional artists and thinkers. The free event also offered gallery tours, artist talks, poetry readings, and Drop-In Artmaking. These activities are part of a broader lineup of community arts offerings this fall, which also features Paint Nights and Blazing Easels, a hands-on art program designed for young creators. Together, these programs create accessible opportunities for people of all ages and skill levels to engage with the arts and with one another.
In App State Athletics, fall sports teams continue to build momentum as conference competition intensifies. The App State Volleyball team opened its Sun Belt Conference schedule with back-to-back wins at Old Dominion, following a demanding nonconference schedule. Both the Men’s and Women’s Cross Country teams returned home this week for the Fire Tower Project after strong early-season performances. App State Soccer has also maintained a steady first half of the season, achieving seven wins and three ties, completing a program-record unbeaten streak of 10 consecutive games.
As the semester reaches its midpoint, students and faculty will observe Fall Break on Monday and Tuesday, with no classes meeting. This brief pause is intended to provide an opportunity for everyone to step away, return refreshed for the remainder of the semester, and enjoy the beginning of Autumn in the High Country.
