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WCU Stories

Art students

Harris Regional Cancer Center features display of works by School of Art and Design

Original artwork created by students, faculty and alumni from the School of Art and Design is now on display at Harris Regional Hospital’s cancer care center.  

Screenshot of a woman with a sign that says 'votes for women'

19th Amendment Centennial Celebration

2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, guaranteeing women’s right to vote. To celebrate that milestone of democracy, the School of Stage and Screen has assembled a team of women to present Rosemary H. Knower’s “Failure is Impossible”. The short script is taken from Congressional and other public records, commemorating the fight for women’s suffrage. “Failure is Impossible” has an all-female cast of performers, and an entirely female film crew from the Film and Television Production Program in the School of Stage and Screen.  

Students in a classroom

Pandemic Drives Demand for Professional and Graduate Programs

As Asheville’s population and economy look to recover from months of slowdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, regional professionals are increasingly seeking ways to develop their skills, increase their credentials and stand out among the competition for new opportunities and career advancement. Increased demand resulted in a record enrollment this fall for Western Carolina University’s Asheville-based programs, with a 10 percent growth in students served compared to fall 2019.   

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Close up of a touchless candy despenser

Engineering Treats

Engineering students find creative ways to distribute Halloween candy. The traditional ways to celebrate Halloween will be the next victim of the global pandemic, COVID-19.  

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A photo of the overpass on I-40

Alumna Helping Local Wildlife

Anyone who has ever traveled along Interstate 40 through the Pigeon River Gorge near the North Carolina-Tennessee border knows how dangerous that stretch of highway can be. With its narrow lanes, twisting and winding curves through the mountains, rockslides, and speeding drivers, that portion of highway has been notorious for accidents. Well, just imagine what it must be like for wildlife living in those beautiful mountains that make up Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and Pisgah and Cherokee national forests.  

Michaela Schmidlin

WCU Alumna Blends Project Management with Hospitality

Michaela Schmidlin, MPM ’18 can put your fear of hosting holiday company in perspective. As Entertainment and Event Programming Manager for Asheville-based The Biltmore Company, Schmidlin serves as the project manager for a number of estate events, the largest undertaking being Christmas at Biltmore and Candlelight Christmas Evenings.   

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A black background with white text that says

The Historical Significance and Contemporary Relevance of Juneteenth

Adam Thomas is an assistant professor of history at Western Carolina University whose research examines questions of slavery, anti-slavery warfare, emancipation, race, gender, memory, childhood and kinship in colonial North America and the early U.S. We asked Dr. Thomas to provide some insight into the historical significance of Juneteenth and what the event means during these times of civil unrest and protest.  

Students teaching

New flexible, online program at WCU makes it easier to be a teacher

Becoming a teacher through Western Carolina University just got a little easier for people wanting to switch careers and enter high-demand fields of education. The College of Education and Allied Professions is offering new comprehensive education master of arts in teaching concentrations for people who already have bachelor’s degrees and want to become a teacher.  

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David Walton, photo courtesy of UNC Pembrook

A Promise Fulfilled: David Walton was hired as director of WCU’s African American Studies minor

With the hiring of a director to create an African American Studies minor program, Western Carolina University has come one step closer to fulfilling its promise to add the offering to its curriculum. David Walton, an assistant professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, has been named the director of WCU’s African American Studies minor. Walton will begin his new role, which includes being an assistant professor in the Department of History, Aug. 1.  

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