Last Updated on August 4, 2026 10:18 am
Friday, July 31, 2026
As the calendar turns toward August, Appalachian State University continues a busy and eventful summer, propelled by progress on major capital projects, the development of a statewide academic partnership and dynamic arts and entertainment events.
At our Boone campus, visible construction progress continues every day for Peacock Hall, home to the faculty, staff, and students of our nationally acclaimed Walker College of Business. Construction work for Peacock Hall’s four-story, 70,000-square-foot addition and partial renovation is now more than halfway completed, with exterior glass and brick columns nearly in place and interior mechanical, electrical and framing work advancing rapidly toward the addition’s scheduled 2027 opening. The project will create modern classrooms and spaces for study and collaboration, as well as interactive learning labs and campus event spaces. We are deeply grateful for the state and donor funding support that is bringing this project to fruition.
A new statewide articulation agreement between App State and the North Carolina Community College System marks an important step forward in expanding educational access across our state. More than 20,000 North Carolinians are currently enrolled in health-related Associate in Applied Science (AAS) programs, reflecting strong statewide demand for healthcare education, but AAS credits often do not fully transfer toward bachelor’s degrees. This first-of-its-kind initiative includes nearly all of the state’s community colleges and establishes a clear, credit-bearing path for students holding health-related AAS degrees to transfer into App State’s Bachelor of Science in health sciences program. This flexible, accelerated pathway can be completed online or in person in two years or less, preparing graduates for careers in management, public health and higher education.
Reflecting that same focus on practical, career-oriented learning, App State Football linebacker Colton Phares and offensive lineman Cayden Sweatt spent their summer gaining invaluable hands-on experience, completing internships with Hickory-based David E. Looper and Co. — the contractor for our new Sofield Family Indoor Practice Facility. The building sciences majors learned the day-to-day operations of running a job site, developing construction management skills that will serve them throughout their careers. Located adjacent to Kidd Brewer Stadium, the approximately 106,000-square-foot facility is nearly 70% completed, with its 100-plus-yard turf field set to open early this fall ahead of full project completion in December — providing expanded practice space for athletics programs while supporting campuswide events and public–private healthcare collaborations.
Summer in the High Country continues to bring our campus and local community together through art and music. On Saturday, we welcomed thousands of visitors to Kidd Brewer Stadium on a beautiful evening for a concert by country hitmaker Jon Pardi, hosted by App State Athletics. Watch this brief video to see highlights from the event and Pardi’s high-energy performance. And yesterday, the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts hosted the Fifth Annual Lucy Brock Art Gala, presented in partnership with the Reich College of Education’s Lucy Brock Child Development Laboratory program. The exhibition invited guests to experience learning through the eyes of children — celebrating how questions became investigations, materials became languages, relationships shaped discovery and the process of learning became art. Tomorrow evening, the 42nd season of An Appalachian Summer Festival comes to a close with a finale performance by Americana legends The Jayhawks at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts.
With the fall semester fast approaching, anticipation is building as we prepare to welcome students, faculty and staff back to our campuses. I look forward to a promising new academic year and the discoveries, achievements and meaningful connections that await the Mountaineer community.
Heather Norris
Chancellor
