Last Updated on November 6, 2026 6:25 pm
At Appalachian State University, our strongest partnerships begin with listening — understanding the opportunities and challenges before us, and then bringing our knowledge, expertise and resources together to help advance what is possible and address what stands in the way. That approach is at the heart of the Lumbee River Archaeology Project, through which App State students and faculty are working alongside Lumbee Tribe members and the Tribal Historic Preservation Office to document and preserve ancestral sites in Robeson County. Led by Dr. Seth Grooms in App State’s Department of Anthropology, 12 App State undergraduate researchers joined Lumbee citizens for an archaeology field school, helping uncover and document artifacts they are now studying in university labs. The work is contributing to the tribe’s cultural heritage initiatives while giving students applied, project-based experience in archaeological methods, ethical research and community engagement — all grounded in relationships that respect the people, history and land at the center of the research. You can read more about the project in this Appalachian Today news story.
This week, live performance and visual art are bringing students, faculty, local schoolchildren and area neighbors together across our campus venues. On Wednesday, world-renowned ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro performed for local school students at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts as part of the APPlause! K–12 Performing Arts Series. Known for expanding the ukulele’s range across jazz, rock, classical and traditional Hawaiian music, Shimabukuro introduced young listeners to the instrument’s unexpected versatility through an engaging live experience.
Creative engagement continues tonight during the November First Friday Art Crawl at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, which marks the opening of the App State Department of Art’s Faculty Biennial in the College of Fine and Applied Arts. Featuring original works from 35 artists across art and design, the exhibition offers a direct look into the creative and scholarly research that drives the department. For our students, the showcase provides a valuable opportunity to engage with the active studio practices of their faculty, and it invites regional neighbors to explore contemporary visual art.
Last week, I shared that our Men’s Cross Country team was pursuing a fourth consecutive Sun Belt Conference title — and these Mountaineers gave us plenty to cheer for. App State captured its fourth straight Sun Belt Cross Country Championship, earning the conference’s first men’s four-peat in nearly 40 years. Thomas Wlazlowski led the way as App State’s first Sun Belt individual cross country champion, while seven Mountaineers finished among the top 10 and the team posted the best championship score in program history. This is a tremendous achievement for these student-athletes and a proud moment for App State. Congratulations!
Winter competition is off to a strong start as well. App State Wrestling opened its 2026–27 season Sunday at the Southeast Open in Salem, Virginia, with 14 Mountaineers earning places on the podium. Senior Tomas Brooker led the way with a runner-up finish, including an overtime victory against a top-15 opponent, while four Mountaineers earned third-place finishes in the Open Division. The team heads to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, this weekend for its first duals of the season. What a strong start for these student-athletes, and best wishes as they build on this momentum.
Last week, our university community wrapped up October’s statewide Cyber Bowl competition. Appalachian State claimed the Cyber Bowl’s top spot for total participation in our first year competing, with 3,438 students, faculty and staff participating — more than any of the other nine competing North Carolina universities. App State also finished second for participation as a percentage of our university population. The monthlong competition offered a fun way to heighten awareness of password strength, phishing, online privacy and other practices that help keep our App State Community safe. Thank you to everyone who participated and who continues to do their part every day to protect our university community online.
Heather Norris
Chancellor
