Appalachian Today

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, more than 900 volunteers with App State’s Appalachian Medical Reserve Corps (APP MRC) assisted with recovery efforts, including staffing a 24/7 nonemergency call center to field questions and triage requests. APP MRC continues to support rural public health, resilience and preparedness in the region.

App State alumni Preston Powell ’01 and Adam Scherer ’01 are leveraging their Boone business, Mountaineer Mania, to give back to their alma mater — providing T-shirts to first-year students, supporting Helene disaster relief and donating proceeds from the sale of Mountain Strong apparel to critical university needs. Together, these efforts have contributed $130,000 to the university.

App State faculty experts break down the climatological and topographic factors that made Hurricane Helene a historic and devastating storm in Western North Carolina.

Brad Cooper, CPA, CGMA, has been appointed chief financial officer at Appalachian State University, Chancellor Heather Norris announced. The appointment is effective Oct. 6.

Three App State faculty teams have been awarded grants of up to $25,000 each as part of the 2025 Chancellor’s Innovation Scholars Program. Their winning projects aim to increase the number of special education teachers in NC’s public schools and better quantify flood–health risks by fusing data, AI and community input.