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Research at Appalachian

Research at Appalachian

Appalachian’s location in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina provides unique opportunities for research and scholarship. Passionate and creative faculty come here to stay, and students learn in academically challenging settings under their close mentorship. Small communities, access to diverse natural resources and significant weather patterns combine with a university culture that supports innovative, interdisciplinary pedagogy, making our location one that is not only stunningly beautiful, but also intellectually stimulating.

Student and faculty research stories

What kind of research could you undertake as an Appalachian student? Read about what our students and faculty are doing in their fields, where and how they learn, and share their work.

stduent with professor handling chemicals

>> Featured research stories

Office of Research and Innovation

The Office of Research and Innovation provides support for the research, creative and scholarly endeavors of Appalachian faculty, staff and students. The office offers assistance with finding funding, writing and submitting proposals, preparing budgets, beginning and managing projects and continued fiscal management of awarded projects.

chemistry student working with professor

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Research News

Student research and creative projects spotlighted at App State’s annual showcase
May 5, 2025
$2 million grant funds scholarships, supports STEM education for over 50 App State students
April 24, 2025
Appalachian Dance Ensemble marks half-century with over 500 original creative works, 5,700 participants
April 4, 2025
Teaching with heart, vision and an eye for innovation: App State's Dr. Charlie Chen
April 3, 2025
App State-based research alliance awarded $7.2M to launch Rural Talent Lab in 5 states
March 26, 2025
Healthier farmlands: App State’s Dr. Ashley Adams studies soil biotic communities to improve soil quality
March 12, 2025
App State earns R2 designation for high research activity and doctorate production
February 13, 2025
Q&A Series: Learn about NCInnovation-Backed Research in Western NC [faculty featured]
January 22, 2025
2024 — App State’s 125th year was marked by resilience, progress and opportunity
December 20, 2024
Hellbender heroes: App State team continues nearly 20 years of research to help protect NC’s giant salamanders
December 18, 2024

More research news: Appalachian Today

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Degrees

Professional Development Opportunities from the Office of Research and Innovation

View the Office of Research and Innovation calendar of events

Appalachian faculty actively engage in research

Find out more about our Research Centers and Institutes here:

The value of undergraduate research

Working with professors on meaningful research or creative endeavors gives Appalachian students the skills they need for career or graduate school success.

Graduate Research Associate Mentoring Program

The Cratis D. Williams School of Graduate Studies has a competitive assistantship program, which pays a stipend to graduate students who collaborate with faculty members on their research projects.

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The North Carolina Research Campus - a public-private research center

Appalachian partners with the North Carolina Research Campus, providing our students with extraordinary opportunities to engage in collaborative and multidisciplinary research in human health, nutrition and agriculture.

North Carolina Research Campus

Energy research

International research & development

When individuals from countries and cultures across the globe can share knowledge and experience with one another, all nations benefit. Find out more about the research in which our faculty, staff and students are engaging in crosses boundaries and borders for the betterment of all.

Resources and support

Are you a faculty member, staff member or student looking for resources for your research endeavors? Start here to find some terrific resources available to help.

News

App State earns R2 designation for high research activity and doctorate production
February 13, 2025
App State has earned a Research 2 designation through the Carnegie Classification system for high research activity and doctorate production. App State’s research expenditures in fiscal year 2023 were more than $8.4 million and, in 2022–23, the university awarded 20 doctoral degrees.
Hellbender heroes: App State team continues nearly 20 years of research to help protect NC’s giant salamanders
December 18, 2024
Dr. Michael Gangloff and his team work to monitor the populations and habitats of the eastern hellbender, which was proposed for inclusion on the endangered species list in late 2024. The team’s efforts are part of nearly 20 years of research aimed at protecting N.C.’s giant salamanders.
App State team’s beehive monitoring system buzzes toward market with NCInnovation support
December 9, 2024
A $641,951 NCInnovation grant awarded to App State’s Dr. Rahman Tashakkori and his research team will support the commercialization of four components of the team’s Beemon Hive Monitoring System — an innovative tool designed to decrease honeybee hive die-off and increase hive production.
App State Oral History Program preserves the past and present through storytelling
November 18, 2024
App State’s Oral History Program conducts and curates oral history interviews, which are housed in the university’s Special Collections Research Center. The interviews range in date from the mid-1960s to the present day, with a focus on university and regional history.
NCInnovation selects App State as a support hub for applied research commercialization
November 8, 2024
App State will join six other UNC System institutions as a headquarters for NCInnovation’s applied research support. NCInnovation provides grant funding, mentorship and partnership development to university researchers to support innovative, real-world research at North Carolina’s public universities.
App State’s Dr. Adam McKay co-authors study identifying carbon dioxide in distant solar system object
October 8, 2024
App State assistant professor Dr. Adam McKay has co-authored a new study, published in Nature Astronomy, that provides the first detection of carbon dioxide in the centaur known as 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1. According to McKay, studying centaurs — ice-rich bodies that orbit the sun — can yield important insights into the formation and evolution of Earth’s solar system.
Dr. Brooke Christian awarded National Science Foundation grant to study biomolecule stabilization
September 12, 2024
Dr. Brooke Christian, App State associate professor of chemistry, has received a $306,783 Research in Undergraduate Institutions Award from the National Science Foundation to support her research on biomolecule stabilization, which has important applications in numerous areas — from pharmaceuticals to the food industry. These awards support faculty at predominantly undergraduate institutions in research that engages them in their professional field, builds capacity for research at their home institution and supports the integration of research and undergraduate education.
Construction of App State’s Conservatory for Biodiversity Education and Research set to begin Summer 2023
June 9, 2023
Construction for App State’s Conservatory for Biodiversity Education and Research — the first academic building of the university’s Innovation District — is set to begin in July. The facility, offering classroom, office, laboratory and event space, will be built to the rigorous sustainability standards of the Living Building Challenge.