A remarkable year!

Friday, December 16, 2016

Dear Members of the Appalachian Community,

As we wind down 2016, there is much to celebrate! Fall Commencement saw 1,396 new graduates, bringing our Class of 2016 to 4,813 members. Please join me in congratulating the newest graduates of Appalachian State University.

Throughout the year, the university once again earned significant recognition, taking the top spot on the 2016 Sustainable Campus Index, ranking third among the top 40 master’s degree-granting institutions for the total number of students in study-abroad programs by the Institute of International Education, and third among U.S. News and World Report’s Top Public Regional Universities in the South.

As we ushered in the spring semester (or as we call it in Boone, “winter”), we added an exquisite new collection of minerals to Appalachian’s McKinney Geology Teaching Museum, thanks to a gift from the estate of James E. Wilson. Appalachian students also learned about the coffee supply chain through the lens of sustainability with Dr. Ken Corley, professor in the Walker College of Business, and local resident and java entrepreneur Don “Bald Guy” Cox ’93.

This summer, our solar car team showed the world how to come from behind for a significant win, Appalachian style. We broke ground on a new building for the Beaver College of Health Sciences, and celebrated the 5th Annual Appalachian Energy Summit.

And this fall, we welcomed the largest, most diverse and best-qualified incoming class in the history of the institution. This included the awarding of 26 new full-ride scholarships, including 10 new Chancellor’s Scholars, six new Wilson Scholars and 10 new Diversity Scholars. We also opened the university’s first Student Veterans Resource Center. And of course, our student-athletes performed exceptionally on the gridiron, and the Mountaineers are off to Montgomery and the Camellia Bowl once again!

Indeed, it has been a remarkable year for our campus! I hope you will read this December issue of “Inside Appalachian,” where you can learn more about Fall Commencement and many other exciting happenings on our beautiful campus.

With warmest wishes for the holiday season,

/s/ Sheri N. Everts

Sheri N. Everts
Chancellor