The expansion of Peacock Hall continues to show visible and significant progress, and we are looking forward to its completion in 2027. Thank you to University Communications’ Wes Craig and Troy Tuttle for finding a few breaks in the wind to capture this aerial photo of the construction, as well as this video of a “time capsule” steel beam being installed yesterday, which was edited by Electronic Media/Broadcasting major Malia McAllister.

Message from Chancellor Heather Norris: October 24, 2025

Friday, October 24, 2025

With Fall Break behind us, this week’s gusty winds and cold mornings are a reminder that the last day of classes for the fall semester is less than six weeks away, and winter is ahead.

With the changing of the seasons, we’re reminded of the joy of being together, and the many opportunities before us. As our region continues to look forward and provide outreach and support for those who are still facing challeges from Hurricane Helene, our arts community has been a beacon of hope. Recently, the university published this article about how the App State Community of students, faculty, staff and alumni have engaged in a variety of creative endeavors after the storm to find beauty, hope and healing — producing works of art ranging from paintings and sculptures to essays, photojournalism, theater productions and documentaries.

I applaud App State faculty Dr. Katie Biddle in the Department of Counseling, Family Therapy and Higher Education; Josh Platt, in the Department of Geography and Planning; and Jewel Davis, in University Libraries; and alumnus and documentary photographer Jesse Barber ’22 ’24, for their work in helping members of our communities share their stories and continue to recover.

I’m also so proud to offer congratulations to App State Police Officer Cashae Cook ’14 for her selection as the Woman of the Year by the North Carolina Law Enforcement Women’s Association. Cashae is the first police officer at a University of North Carolina System institution to receive this honor. Dedicated to protecting and serving our students and campus community, Cashae was recognized for many accomplishments with this award, including:

  • coordinating and participating in more than 100 community engagement events for the App State Police Department;

  • teaching self-defense tactics to more than 125 women, helping them achieve both the skills and confidence needed to protect themselves against imminent threats;

  • serving on the Board of Directors for the American Children’s Home to support vulnerable youth in residential foster care; and

  • mentoring police recruits and training officers as a Strategies and Tactics of Patrol Stops officer and a general instructor for basic law enforcement training.

Cashae will complete a Master of Public Administration this semester — her second App State degree — and I look forward to congratulating her at our Fall Commencement as she walks across the stage.

The Boone and Hickory campuses are bustling with activity, and this week offered me a special treat — the chance to get back into the classroom and spend time with students. I had a delightful visit with Charlie Ciaramita’s Business-to-Business Buyer Behavior class. Being able to spend time with our students is always enjoyable, and I particularly appreciated our conversations about career progression and leadership development. Thank you to Charlie and the members of his MKT 3280 class for preparing insightful questions!

Construction of the Peacock Hall addition is showing visible progress and is a preview of the brand new space and modern classrooms the facility will offer for students in the Walker College of Business. More than 20% of the university’s total enrollment are students in the Walker College, which has the largest enrollment of full-time undergraduate business students in the UNC System — enrolling more than 4,500 undergraduates in 11 majors and a total of nearly 5,000 students, including graduate students.

I recently had an opportunity to sign a beam that will be placed in the addition’s third floor. This “time capsule” beam was signed by students, faculty, staff and alumni, and it was my honor to add my signature alongside those of the many extraordinary individuals who teach, learn and work in the building and who are working on the project.

One of my favorite parts of our construction projects is getting to connect with the many Mountaineers who intern and work for our contractors. In the last few days, I was able to spend time with Project Manager Thomas May ’16, Project Superintendent Justin Foster ’02, App State senior Troy Fisher and App State alumna Anne-Marie Zenger ’23, all of whom currently work for our building contractors and are using their degrees — in building sciences and industrial technology — every day in their jobs. It was wonderful to learn how the academic and practical experiences these remarkable Mountaineers gained during their time at App State are shaping their careers.

This afternoon, I’ll also have an opportunity to visit with faculty during today’s Faculty Club. It is always a pleasure to spend time with our faculty members as they come together from all areas of campus. Their energy and genuine enthusiasm for teaching as part of our campus community create an inspirational atmosphere on a Friday afternoon.

With many of our Mountaineer athletics teams on the road this weekend, I hope everyone has an opportunity to support our Mountaineer student-athletes, whether it’s our Football team at Old Dominion, our Field Hockey team at Ball State and Wake Forest, our Soccer team at Southern Miss, our Volleyball team at Coastal Carolina — or all of the above! We’ll always wear our black and gold with pride, because it’s always great to be a Mountaineer!


Heather Norris
Chancellor