Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵapp

Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵapp Chancellor Kelli R. Brown has been named the recipient of the 2026 Jackson County Distinguished Citizen Award, presented by Scouting America’s Daniel Boone Council in recognition of her outstanding leadership, service, and commitment to the community.

Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵapp has once again been selected by the Institute of International Education to receive an IIE American Passport Project grant—marking the university’s second time earning the competitive award.

Caitlin Torrence, professor in Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵapp’s College of Health and Human Sciences, recently received an $840,000 grant to fund a Health Policy Research Consortium over the next two years.

Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵapp construction management students carefully piloted a drone this fall to record every angle of the REACH of Haywood County shelter and surrounding property. Their mission: create a detailed 3D interactive model to help REACH leaders and supporters visualize and plan a renovation and expansion of its shelter for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, elder abuse, and human trafficking.

A study by a Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵapp economist indicates that Jackson County saw more than $144 million in total economic impact from the $770,000 that county government invested in the local Department of Social Services to administer Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits last year.

WCU professors are helping Jackson County's youngest learners embrace STEM and understand how science is embedded in rural communities.

Earlier this month, Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵapp Athletics welcomed more than 1,000 Jackson County Public Schools students to campus for its annual Education Days basketball games—bringing early holiday cheer and an unforgettable afternoon of hoops.

Amidst the devastation left by Hurricane Helene, Taylor Schenker spent her time looking for memories along the river. Photos floated down the current, creased, ripped and water damaged, lost from those whose lives were shaken by the storm.

The aroma of sawdust filled the air for weeks on end inside the construction management lab in Belk. Hammers were banging, drills were squealing and six different teams were looking to make their mark on the College of Engineering and Technology — while helping local dogs in the process.

While our habits and hobbies outdoors may vary, it’s a point of pride for most in Western North Carolina that nature is never far out of reach.