Boone, NC - Appalachian State University's College of Fine and Applied Arts recently hosted its 3rd annual Celebration of Excellence, an event dedicated to recognizing its faculty, staff, and students' outstanding achievements, dedication, and innovation over the past year. This gathering served as a moment of reflection and celebration, reinforcing the importance of honoring the incredible work accomplished within the college community.
A key highlight of the event was the announcement of this year's "Outstanding" Award recipients. The honors were bestowed across several categories, including Outstanding Service, Scholarship/Creative Activity, Advisor, Staff, two awards for Teaching, and the Junior Faculty Innovation Grant Award. These awards underscore the college's commitment to fostering excellence across academic, creative, and service domains, and they celebrate the remarkable contributions made by individuals across the college.
The event also allowed the college to come together as a community to learn about one another's efforts, share successes, and express appreciation for the collaborative work being achieved. Acting Dean Douthit delivered a welcoming address, in which he acknowledged the resilience and perseverance of the college community during a semester impacted by Hurricane Helene. He expressed his deep gratitude for the dedication shown by faculty, staff, and students throughout this challenging period. Concluding his remarks, he extended warm holiday and winter break wishes to all attendees.
The Celebration of Excellence continues to highlight the values of innovation, collaboration, and dedication within the College of Fine and Applied Arts, reinforcing its mission to inspire and recognize the extraordinary contributions of the entire college community.
"In our College of Fine and Applied Arts Celebration of Excellence, we honor each other and our community by honoring individual achievements. The many accomplishments we highlighted were not achieved in a vacuum. They were completed in a community where the arts and creativity practices flourish. They were achieved in a community that values transferring knowledge and skills to its students. They were achieved in an environment that asks questions, demands answers, and expects change and transformation. Our students will be the direct beneficiaries of these accomplishments, as our faculty and staff engaged in excellent work are motivated by providing an exceptional transformational experience for CFAA students.
As we celebrate these award winners, let us take a moment to reflect on the transformative power of the arts and our professional practices in our own lives. Let us recommit ourselves to the ideals of creativity, advocacy, and inclusion that define our college and impact the world around us." - Acting Dean, James Douthit, D.M.A.
Here are some CFAA highlights from the past year that were shared at the event:
Jeana Klein (ART - fibers) recently co-taught a week-long workshop at Pocosin Arts with Tricia Cooke (BFA-Studio Art, 2011) as co-instructor and Hailey Jordan (BFA-Studio Art, 2024) as assistant. The workshop focused on combining text with textile processes.
Filmmakers, Chip Williams (ART) and Anne Ward (COM) screened their newest documentary, "Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture: Farm, Food and Community" at the Turchin Center on Sept. 6. Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture: Farm, Food & Community" looks at the community impact of this nonprofit organization founded 20 years ago by women to help women farmers in the High Country of western North Carolina. The film explores the 20-year development of this organization and the local food pathways they have created for the Appalachian counties of Watauga, Ashe and Avery.
IlaSahai Prouty's (ART) project Vessels of Slavery: Forget Me Not took place at the Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester, Massachusetts during the month of August. Prouty and her collaborators Susi Ryan and Christle Rawlins-Jackson researched the history of slavery and enslaved people in her hometown, and then created an outdoor installation featuring 6 large sail-quilts raised on blue wooden masts.
App State's Industrial Design program was invited to showcase at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in NYC in May 2024. 12 students displayed their work in conjunction with the Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Bratislava, and also had their work exhibited at DesignBlok in Prague in October 2024.
App State received $333,000 from La-Z-Boy to establish an endowed Applied Design/ Furniture Design professorship.
Led by Applied Design faculty, Devin Waddell, students, Gemma Cullen and Kelly Garoutte traveled to NYC in November for Boutique Design New York where they received their NEWH Green Voice Design Competition awards.
App State Communication lecturer, Chris Moody, along with Andy McLean's (alum) photojournalism appeared on CBS News. App student Ella Adams has articles coming out soon in USA Today and The Assembly with photography from Caleb Hignite soon. App Digital Journalism grad Moss Brennan appeared live on CNN and was just featured in the Columbia Journalism Review.
Nina-Jo Moore (COM) established the Nina-Jo Moore International Travel Endowment for Communication.
The Appalachian, The Peel, and AppTV were recognized with numerous Pinnacle/ College Media Awards this fall.
On Saturday April 20th, 53 students from Appalachian State ROTC competed and supported the Mountain Man Memorial Marathon in Gatlinburg TN. The program's heavy category five-man team finished in first place for the 9th year in a row. Completing the 26.2-mile distance while wearing field uniform and pack weighing 35lbs.
7 ROTC Seniors earned Distinguished Military Graduate status, placing them in the top 15% of the 5700 Cadets nationally. This continues the trend of high performers from the program.
To meet training and academic demands following the hurricane; the ROTC program conducted 5 major training events in November including the regional Ranger Challenge Competition in Virginia, two large training exercises at the App State farm and weeklong training events for the Pershing Rifles and Commando clubs.
Led by SD Dr. Rick Rheingans, students are experiencing a cloud forest, mangroves, dry forest, and a sub-alpine forest on the side of a volcano! Costa Rica is one of the most fascinating places to explore the relationship between forests and the communities that surround them.
Frontline to Farm, a sponsor of the Carolina Meat Conference, supported five farmer veterans to attend. This conference was a great showcase for our SD program. Dr. Fanatico also exhibited at the conference to discuss opportunities for military veterans and beginning farmers, as well as the SD program.
Frontline to Farm: Sustainable Farming Training for Military Veterans and Beginning Farmers published in ScienceDirect. Authors include Dr. Anne Fanatico (SD) and Dr. Lynn Gibbard (COM).
Construction, Design & Sustainable Technology Fair - serving students and alumni in STBE, the event is host to over 115 organizations across the construction, design, and sustainable technology industry that are ready to network with students and introduce them to valuable internship and job opportunities, while also creating a pipeline of potential future interns and new hires.
Started in 1984, the Appropriate Technology program has evolved into the Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment with over 800 students whose primary focus is clean energy and efficient buildings. The 40th Anniversary, 3-day event took place July 12-14.
Esme Hernandez-Alvarez, of Durham, is a senior building sciences major with a focus on construction management and a minor in general business. As a member of App State's Honors College, Hernandez-Alvarez has maintained a 3.93 GPA and has made the Chancellor's List each semester from 2021 to 2023. Hernandez-Alvarez currently serves as treasurer for the Student Builders Association and as co-director of App Builds a Home (ABAH) — a campus partnership with Watauga County Habitat for Humanity to help local families build safe and affordable homes.
Dr. Arezou Sadoughi (Principal Investigator, Assistant Professor) and Dr. Ok-Youn Yu (Co-Principal Investigator, Chair of the Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment) have been awarded a $299,986 grant from the USDA Forest Service to support their lab, "Zero Carbon Advanced Prefabrication." The total funding for the project amounts to $599,976, which includes a matching contribution of $299,986 from App State.
Rob Howard (STBE) earns HELP Grant Award, $60,000, to support and invest in programs that address the ongoing needs in residential construction training. The goal of HELP is to encourage academic institutions to provide and/or develop programs in residential construction that respond to current issues affecting the home building industry and provide graduates with the tools and skills needed to prepare for the future.
Theatre and Dance celebrate 35th Anniversary Season with the theme, "A Monstrously Exciting Season." Appalachian Dance Ensemble notes its 50th academic year showcasing student and faculty design, choreography, and performance.
TD Professor, Dr. Ray Miller, was honored at the Drama Book Shop with a book signing of his latest book, "Dance on the American Musical Theatre Stage: A History" in New York City this past spring.
The Appalachian Musical Theatre Club raised funds for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. AMTC was named "Outstanding General Club or Organization" last year at the Black and Gold Leadership Awards, due in no small part to the club's altruism.
CFAA Associate Dean, Jason Miller co-authored the fourth edition of Architectural Detailing: Function Constructability Aesthetics. This is Jason's first edition and collaborated with Patrick Rand, a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects.
Outstanding Award Winners:
Outstanding Advisor
Dr. Kate Wurtzel, Assistant Professor, ART
Outstanding Scholarship and Creative Activity
Dr. Volha Kananovich, Assistant Professor, COM
Outstanding Service
Mr. Kevin Warner, Professor, TD
Outstanding Staff
Amanda Pittman, AD
Outstanding Teaching
Dr. Matthew Ogwu, Assistant Professor, SD
Outstanding Teaching
Mr. Kevin Gamble, Senior Lecturer, STBE
Jr. Faculty Innovation Grant Award Recipient
Dr. Sohad Abu-Elzait, Assistant Professor, STBE
CFAA Block Logo 2024
CFAA Block Logo 2024