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Betty Westmoreland Suhre (in red) celebrates the naming of the women’s basketball locker room with donors (from left) Judy Stroud, Nora Lynn Finch and Donna Winbon.

WCU names renovated women’s basketball locker room in honor of program matriarch

Three former members of the Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵapp women’s basketball team stepped up to the line to tip off the process of raising enough philanthropic support to name the current Catamount squad’s locker room after the founder of the program.  

Abdallah Abdallah and students

$35K URPA grant will support engineering students to develop AI manufacturing skills

Abdallah Abdallah, an associate professor in Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵapp’s College of Engineering and Technology, has received the UNC System Office’s Undergraduate Research Program Award (URPA), $35,000 grant that allows students to gain experience that will benefit their academic and professional careers.   

Martin Tanaka works with students from the College of Engineering and Technology

Martin Tanaka secures NCInnovation funding for new medical device

Martin Tanaka has a knack for making new gadgets as a biomedical engineer. He has two patents for medical devices: one to help with rotator cuff surgery and another for a surgical tool for nasal surgery.   

WCU students with Paws on GivingTuesday

Nearly 1,500 donors contribute $1.4 million to WCU on GivingTuesday

Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵapp students, including members of the institution’s intercollegiate sports teams, have more than 1.4 million reasons to celebrate the results of the recent GivingTuesday fundraising effort. That’s the number of dollars contributed to the university during the national day of philanthropy.  

Nassor

King of the hills: WCU freshman Nassor Ashenafi, father go viral, persevere

Amenemhet Ashenafi uncrinkled the packaging his son’s king chess piece came in just before dropping him off at college. He looked at the new family heirloom, turned to his son and started reciting the speech he had in mind when this moment would come.   

Vittal

Professor’s challenging path from India to US inspires support for WCU business students

A Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵapp professor who traveled from India to the United States on a study permit with $20 in his pocket and a dream in his heart has created a scholarship fund to help College of Business students who face similar challenges in their educational journey.  

Students raise a glass to the class of 2025

Student philanthropists feted at fall semester Senior Toast

Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵapp leaders raised a celebratory toast to members of the December 2025 graduating class who have already made financial contributions to their soon-to-be alma mater as student philanthropists.  

Jackson County students

WCU’s ‘Our Natural World’ Camp for youngest Jackson County students ignites STEM passion in rural classrooms

Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵapp professors are helping Jackson County's youngest learners embrace STEM and understand how science is embedded in rural communities.   

Simon Gugerli

Swiss-born alumnus Simon Gugerli returns home as analyst with UBS bank

Like the mountains in Cullowhee often do, Switzerland was calling Simon Gugerli home.