The 2023 CFAA State of the College was our kickoff event for the fall semester where we had the opportunity to celebrate the remarkable achievements of our students, faculty, and staff from the past academic year. Dean Shannon Campbell presented the ways we have collectively made a deep and meaningful impact on our local, state, national, and global communities, lasting impressions on students and friends of the college who continue to serve as our best goodwill ambassadors, and the ways we have supported one another as a unified college.
"CFAA is on a very special journey, one that we have agreed to take together to a destination that repositions and strengthens our college and our constituents. And that destination ends at a place where excellence and innovation converge." - Dean Shannon Campbell
Here are some of the highlights from Dean Campbell's presentation:
Our leadership team, including the addition of Dr. Shanshan Lou as the interim Art Chairperson for this AY, is made up of dedicated individuals who work tirelessly to make our college more equitable, just, sustainable, and strong.
We are an extraordinary college and our unapologetic embrace and promotion of inclusive, accessible, and sustainable approaches to storytelling, problem-solving, creative and artistic expression, community organization, and engagement at local, regional, state, national, and global levels are what unifies us and is our calling card.
We do different, differently. Difference is a part of our college DNA. In our college, difference isn't only tolerated, it's foundational. In our college, learners are encouraged to think differently, approach problems from different perspectives, seek different solutions to longstanding issues, amplify different voices, and honor the different lived experiences of community members and influencers. And, in doing so, we position ourselves to be national leaders in engaging, transformative, relevant, and experiential education.
Here are a few of the CFAA standouts from the past AY that were acknowledged at the State of the College event:
Ila Prouty - creating one-of-a-kind experiences for students with the Study Away Semester at Penland.
DigiFab - an interdisciplinary collaborative group of faculty and staff members from our Art and Applied Design programs who came together around a shared interest in 3D design and digital fabrication technology.
Tom Reeves - led GCM students to their first-place finish in overall excellence nationally at the Phoenix Challenge.
George Gilsan and John Craft are making a difference in our student's lives - five App State students were awarded over $16,000 in financial assistance from the Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation.
Noah Cornelius, one of our college's Mighty Mountaineers, represents the very best our department has to offer. He not only received second place in the student sports competition at the National Broadcast Education Association conference, but he also recently completed a prestigious broadcast news and sports internship with CBS Philadelphia and Paramount.
Frontline to Farm has helped military veterans over the past two years to transition to careers in sustainable farming. F2F also helps veterans reconnect with the land, help mitigate climate change, and build community. Drs. Anne Fanatico and Lynn Gibbard are instrumental in providing leadership for this vital community engagement work.
Sustainable Development's Rural-to Rural Partnership Grant with Ghana- Dr. Jacqueline Ignatova worked with a Ghanian colleague to bring a contingent from the U.S. to Ghana and to bring a contingent from Ghana here to work in an equitable and collaborative way to address (1) food security and sustainable agriculture (2) conflict development and communication and (3) Climate resilience and public health.
Carol Coulter Inducted into WNC Agricultural Hall of Fame - Carol is an instructor in SD and is the owner of Heritage Homestead Goat Dairy; she was instrumental in creating the High-Country Food Hub, the founding mother and former executive director of Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture, and is on the executive board of Farm Café.
Additional Honors
R.O.T.C. Pershing Rifles, First Place Overall, Awarded Varsity Rifles
Mountain Man Memorial March, Female Full Marathon - 2nd place to Cadet Soucek & Male Full Marathon, 1st place
Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, The Moors earned Four National Awards
BEA National Award- Award of Excellence for WASU at 50: College Radio As It's Meant To Be
Presidential Citation for Service to Dr. Nina-Jo Moore from the National Communication Association
2022 PAVE Frito Lay Student Design Challenge, Alli Lackey & Jasmine McElroy
STBE, ZCAP FabLab + Timber in Collaboration with IDEX Lab Awarded $200,000 from USDA- Forest Services
STBE Wins Solar Decathlon Design Challenge Retrofit Housing Division
Watch the Full Presentation Here
2023 State of the College
2023 State of the College