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Appalachian Excellence

Appalachian Excellence

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 Appalachian Excellence: Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity features faculty research, scholarship and creative activity that creates solutions and inspires change. In each episode, Karen Fletcher and Dave Blanks talk with faculty and their students to explore the incredible research happening at Appalachian State University.Copyright 2026 All Rights Reserved Science
Episodes
  • Beth Davison and Jesse Barber | The Art and Evolution of Appalachian Documentary

    Beth Davison and Jesse Barber | The Art and Evolution of Appalachian Documentary
    Mar 18 2025
    On this episode of Appalachian Excellence: Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity, Karen Fletcher, director of grants resources and services in the Office of Research and Innovation, interviews Dr. Beth Davison, App State professor of interdisciplinary studies, and Jesse Barber ’22 ’24, a photojournalist and documentary photographer and an alumnus of App State’s interdisciplinary studies and Appalachian studies programs. They discuss their work on the South Arts grant-funded “In These Mountains” project and how they use documentary techniques to tell the story of the Appalachian culture and region. Guests-at-a-Glance Name: Dr. Beth Davison and Jesse Barber What they do: Dr. Beth Davison is a Professor in the Appalachian Department of Interdisciplinary Studies; Jesse Barber is a photojournalist and documentary photographer. Connect with them: Beth Davison: davisonb@appstate.edu Jesse Barber: photo@jesse-barber.com Links Boone Docs: https://www.apptheatre.org/events-and-tickets/boone-docs-2025 Find some of the films here: https://vimeo.com/user2646545 Beth Davison’s website: https://sites.google.com/appstate.edu/davisondocs/home Appalachian State University’s Special Collections: https://collections.library.appstate.edu/ Jesse Barber’s website: https://www.jesse-barber.com/ Jesse Barber's photo coverage of Hurricane Helene At least 213 dead as search-and-rescue efforts continue after Helene (Photo by Barber) The Washington Post ‘Completely and entirely erased’: How Helene swallowed one mountain town (Photos by Barber) The Washington Post Food reaches homes in flood-ravaged North Carolina by foot, horse and ATV (Photo by Barber) The Washington Post Hurricane Helene barreled into uncharted territory. It won’t be the last. (Photo by Barber) The Washington Post ‘They are not slowing down’: The rise of billion-dollar disasters (Photos by Barber) The Washington Post Photographers recall the Hurricane Helene scenes they’ll never forget (Writing, Photos by Barber) The Washington Post North Carolina Photographer Points His Lens Toward Hope Amidst The Devastation Of His Home State (Story on Barber, Photos by Barber) Southern Living Not By Ourselves: Showing Up in Western North Carolina (Writing, Photos by Barber) Southern Cultures Chimney Rock As We Know It is Gone. Long Live Chimney Rock (Photos and contributed reporting) The Assembly North Carolina grapples with holding election in hurricane disaster zone (Photos) The Guardian After a hurricane, Democrats try to snatch rare victory in swing state North Carolina (Photos) The Guardian Transcript Karen: Welcome to Appalachian Excellence, a show where we feature Appalachian State University research, scholarship, and creative activity that creates solutions and inspires change. We're here to bring you stories of incredible work happening right here in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. I'm your host, Karen Fletcher, where my day job has me working in the Office of Research and Innovation here at App State. And I've got my producer, Dave Blanks in the studio with me. Dave: Hey Karen. Karen: Hey. Dave: How's it going? Karen: Going good. I'm excited today. Dave: Me too. Karen: We've got two guests in our studio today, Dr. Beth Davison and Jesse Barber. Dr. Beth Davison has been a professor at Appalachian State University since 1997. Dr. Davison evolved from teaching sociology and research methods to becoming an award-winning documentary filmmaker. Now in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, she teaches documentary studies courses and produces films that have screened at festivals, museums, and on PBS stations. She's coordinator of AppDocs. Her ongoing collaboration with the National Park Service creates historical content for the Moses H. Cone Manor House here in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. As lead organizer of the Boondock Film Festival and co-principal investigator on the South Arts In These Mountains grant, she champions Appalachian storytelling through film. Jesse Barber is a photojournalist and documentary photographer whose work appears in the New York Times, Washington Post, Rolling Stone and Wall Street Journal. Barber captures the soul of Appalachia through his lens. An Appalachian State University alumnus earning his Bachelor of Arts in 2021 and his master of Arts in 2023, his work explores themes of faith, memory, and resilience in mountain communities. Through photography, writing, and video, Barber documents the complex narratives of Appalachian life, giving voice to underrepresented stories and illuminating the region's rich cultural landscape. Jesse is currently collecting oral histories for the University Library special collections here at App State. Although generations apart, both Beth and Jesse grew up in neighboring Caldwell County. Both have worked together on the South Arts In These Mountains grant, and we are lucky today to...
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    35 mins
  • Brett Taubman | Culture and Chemistry: The Impact of Fermentation Science

    Brett Taubman | Culture and Chemistry: The Impact of Fermentation Science
    Feb 10 2025
    On this episode of Appalachian Excellence, we explore the fascinating world of fermentation with Dr. Brett Taubman, professor and director of the Fermentation Sciences program at Appalachian State University. In his latest book, Southern Culture on the Fizz, An Effervescent Guide to Fermented Foods and Beverages from the American South, Taubman discusses the science behind fermentation, its historical and cultural significance in the American South and groundbreaking research on its applications—from improving food safety to addressing Alpha-gal syndrome, a tick-borne meat allergy. We also delve into the role of native Appalachian yeasts, innovative brewing techniques, and the future of fermentation in both academia and industry. Show Notes Contact: taubmanbf@appstate.edu Dr. Taubman's latest book from UNC Press: Southern Culture on the Fizz, An Effervescent Guide to Fermented Foods and Beverages from the American South Transcript: Karen: Welcome to Appalachian Excellence, a show where we feature Appalachian State University research, scholarship, and creative activity that creates solutions and inspires change. We're here to bring you stories of incredible work happening right here in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. I'm your host, Karen Fletcher, where my day job has me working in the Office of Research and Innovation here at App State, and I've got my producer in the studio with me. Hey, Dave. Dave: Hey, what's up Karen? How's it going? Karen: It's going pretty good. Dave: I was just about to turn on the light because I'm just sitting here in the dark, so you guys can't see me over here. But yeah, happy to be here again. Karen: Yeah, I'm excited with our guest today we- Dave: Me too. Karen: ... have Dr. Brett Taubman. Dr. Taubman is a professor in the A.R. Smith Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences at Appalachian State University. He earned Bachelor of Science degrees in finance and chemistry from the Pennsylvania State University and Montana State University respectively, and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Maryland in 2004. Following his graduate studies, he worked as a postdoctoral research associate at the Pennsylvania State University before joining the faculty at App State in 2007. Dr. Taubman's research focuses on the chemistry of fermentation as it relates to beer filamentous fungi, also known as mold and the removal of anti-nutritional compounds in foods and beverages. He has successfully developed an instructional fermentation facility at Appalachian State University and serves as president of Ivory Tower Inc, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation with the mission of supporting research and education with fermentation sciences. Dr. Taubman helped to develop the four-year degree program in fermentation sciences at Appalachian State University for which he's currently the director. I'm really excited to talk to you about your work today. So hello, Brett. Brett: Hi, Karen. How are you? Karen: I'm doing great. I thought we'd start out today by laying the groundwork of what exactly is fermentation. Brett: You got to start with the hard question, don't you? And I wish I had an easy answer for that, and in fact, that's the way that I start my book is trying to answer that question, which you would think as a fermentation scientist and somebody who's been doing this for a long time would have an easy answer for that, but I don't. Typically, it's viewed as an anaerobic process, so in the absence of oxygen, and typically it's done by microbes, although not all the time for either of those, there are certainly aerobic fermentation processes. So in the presence of oxygen, like about those filamentous fungi as you mentioned, or molds, which is the lay term for them. And also you can extract the enzymes from the microbes to do the same processes without the microbes being present. So it doesn't have to have microbes present either. But one thing that most people can agree on as far as what fermentation is, is breaking down larger biomolecules to smaller molecules that typically make them easier to consume by us, for example, although it doesn't need to be done on food sources either. So that's where it gets a little squirrely again, but it's not an easy process to define. But like I said, typically microbes typically in the absence of oxygen, but almost universally you're using those microbes or the enzymes in the microbes to degrade larger molecules to smaller molecules that are more useful for one purpose or another. Karen: So fermentation can be done in the lab, but is also something that naturally happens? Brett: Absolutely. And in fact, rotting as we call a lot of processes when foods break down or other organisms break down, those are fermentative processes. So it's microbes breaking down different organisms and the molecules in those organisms to smaller material that then other can work on like other fungi like mushrooms, for example. Karen: Okay. Yeah...
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    55 mins
  • Will Canu | ADHD in College: Research, Realities and Resources

    Will Canu | ADHD in College: Research, Realities and Resources
    Jan 10 2025
    On this episode, we explore the research and initiatives of Dr. Will Canu, a clinical psychologist and professor at Appalachian State University, focusing on ADHD, particularly in college students. Dr. Canu discusses ADHD's characteristics, challenges with self-diagnosis driven by social media and his innovative intervention, "Thriving in College with ADHD," a skills training program designed to aid students in managing ADHD symptoms. The episode also highlights the Appalachian Adult ADHD Lab's research and collaborations, the unique structure of the university's PsyD program and its mission to address rural mental health needs. Dr. Canu's work aims to bridge gaps in ADHD support and education, emphasizing accessibility and evidence-based strategies. Show Notes Connect with Dr. Will Canu: canuwh@appstate.edu Links Appalachian Adult ADHD Lab Transcript Fletcher: Welcome to Appalachian Excellence, a show where we feature Appalachian State University research, scholarship, and creative activity that creates solutions and inspires change. We're here to bring you stories of incredible work happening right here in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. I'm your host, Karen Fletcher, where my day job has me working in the Office of Research and Innovation here at App State. And I've got my producer, Dave Blanks, in the studio with me. Hey, Dave. Blanks: Hey, Karen. What's up? How's it going? Fletcher: Oh, it's going well. I'm excited to introduce our guest today, Dr. Will Canu, the Appalachian State University 2024 Provost Awardee for Excellence in Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity. Dr. Canu is a licensed clinical psychologist and professor in the Appalachian State University's Department of Psychology and the affiliated Doctor Of Psychology Program, also known as PsyD. He earned his PhD in clinical psychology in 2004 from the University of Texas at Austin and was an assistant professor at the Missouri University of Science and Technology before coming to App State in 2007. While at App State, he has served impressively in one summer as a director of the Appalachian Loft in New York City and also led and taught a group of psychology majors abroad at Keele University in Northern England in the fall of 2015. The main topic of Dr. Canu's research is attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or ADHD. He has published over 50 articles, several chapters, and two books in this area, including an intervention that is aimed to help college students with ADHD to succeed. Dr. Canu lives in Boone with his family. Hello, Will. Canu: Hey, how's it going, Karen? Fletcher: It's going great. Thanks so much for coming out today. Canu: Yeah. Sure. My pleasure. Fletcher: Before we dive into your intervention that I'm very interested to hear about, can you tell our audience a little bit about ADHD and how it afflicts those who have it? Canu: Sure. Yeah. ADHD is a relatively common psychological disorder that emerges in childhood and adolescence. The core characteristics of ADHD really are inattention and hyperactivity. Although, in addition to that, one of the things that's become more and more known about it is that it's also associated with a kind of emotional dysregulation. ADHD is something that affects about 5 to 8% is a fairly conservative estimate of children and adolescents in the United States and it's a disorder that persists longer than a lot of people really realize. For a long time, ADHD was thought of as kind of terminating in adolescence, but the more that we've learned about it, the more we know that this is something that for many people affects them across their entire lives. So when you think about the population of adults in the United States, it may be 4 or 5% overall that might meet criteria for the disorder. Fletcher: So when you say that starts in adolescence, is that something where the adults would just continue through adulthood or is that something where they may develop it in adulthood? Canu: That's a really good question and it's actually a source of some controversy nowadays. In the last decade or so, there have been several papers that on the one hand suggested maybe ADHD is something that could start for people in adulthood, and then on the other hand, reviewing the evidence that suggests that really that's not the case. And the way things have fallen with that is that the broad consensus is that ADHD is something that begins in childhood for people. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders actually says that the symptoms need to have been present before age 12, but some people don't meet the necessary number of symptoms at that age. They become more prominent as they get older, so you definitely have people who are in their late teens, early 20s, even later, who are getting diagnosed with ADHD. But in those cases, there is evidence that you can look back and collect that they did have those symptoms as a child. They just weren't impaired by it at that ...
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    48 mins
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