edited by Em Acuña
Volume 9, Issue 28
April 15, 2026
Dear Honors College students,
This week’s Memo is about turning curiosity into action. You might find yourself trying something new at a Fulbright drop-in session, getting your hands in the soil at the Roots Garden Workshop, or showing up for your community through events like Climate Stories or Take Back the Night. That same energy carries into the Celebration of Student Research and this week’s thesis defenses where ideas come to life and become part of a broader conversation. Wherever you are in the process, this is a good week to take an idea a step further.
Best wishes,
Vicky
Upcoming Opportunities:
Dr. Klima is happy to help you apply; send her an email at klimavw@appstate.edu
Earth Day of Service
CEL and the Office of Sustainability and Energy Management are collaborating to host the April Earth Day of service on Saturday, April 18 from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. in PSU 138. The group will travel to different sites around Boone serving the community and the planet. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. RSVP via Engage.
Roots Garden Workday
The App State Gardening Club is hosting its weekly Roots Garden workday on Monday, April 20, from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. at Root Garden on Howard Street. All levels of experience are welcome to come weed, harvest, prune, mulch, seed-start, and more.
Drop-In Fulbright Sessions
The Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships is hosting a drop-in session for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program on Tuesday, April 21 from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. in Howard Street Hall room 104. To register for the session, complete this Google form. For any questions, reach out to Dara Carney-Nedelman.
29th Annual Celebration of Student Research & Creative Endeavors
The Office of Student Research is hosting the 29th Annual Celebration of Student Research and Creative Endeavors on April 22 from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on the 4th floor of Plemmons Student Union. This event showcases outstanding research and creative works of students across App State’s campus. The event will consist of poster presentations and platform talks. All members of the campus community are welcome to attend and support student research and creativity.
Honors Peer Mentoring Yoga
The Honors College Peer Mentoring Program will be hosting a de-stress yoga class as their last event of this semester on Wednesday, April 22 at 5:00 p.m. in Appalachian Hall 187. There will be refreshments and fruit for attendees.
Stay in the Know:
Upcoming Performances
The Hayes School of Music (HSOM) and the Department of Theatre and Dance will host performances of “Once Upon a Mattress,” a musical comedy from April 15 – 19 in the Valborg Theatre. Tickets are $10 for students and can be purchased on the department's website. Also in the HSOM on Thursday, April 16 at 8:00 p.m. in The Schaefer Center, the Steely Pan Band will perform; HSOM events are free and available to the public. Visit the HSOM Performance Calendar for details and updates on all events and performances.
ARTtalk: Gretchen Ernster Henderson
The Turchin Center for the Visual Arts (TCVA) hosts “Dear Body of Water” by Gretchen Ernster Henderson until May 2 in the Mayer Gallery. This work explores water as both a life-giving and destructive force. Henderson will be leading a talk on her work on April 17 from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. in the TCVA Lecture Hall.
Pathways to Resilience Climate Events
The Pathways to Resilience QEP and partners across campus host opportunities for students to grow climate literacy. On April 17 from 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. in the Solarium, PSU, there will be a “Climate Stories Showcase.” This festival-style event spotlights creative climate projects from students around campus. This event is free and open to the public. RSVP via Engage.
Drop-In Art Making
The Turchin Center for the Visual Arts (TCVA) will host a drop-in artmaking session on Friday, April 17 from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. in TCVA room 3002. These workshops are open to all students, faculty and community members free of charge; student instructors Zoe Efthymiou and Finn Jones offer welcoming spaces to experiment with art and explore creativity. RSVP via Engage.
Take Back the Night
Wellness and Prevention Services will be hosting their annual “Take Back the Night” on Tuesday, April 21 from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. in Crossroads, PSU. This event is dedicated to supporting survivors of sexual assault and aims to raise awareness about violence prevention. Everyone is welcome to attend. RSVP via Engage.
Upcoming Thesis Defenses:
Dr. Klima urges, “Support your fellow Honors College students and faculty by attending Honors thesis defenses! You’ll marvel, learn, and grow. With each defense you attend, you’ll make your own easier.”
Mary Sterett
Friday, April 17, 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Leon Levine, room 218
Presenting “Awareness on the Menu: Elevating Student Employee Understanding of Dysphagia Through IDDSI Training in a Health Sciences Café”
Breanna Gibson
Friday, April 17, 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Leon Levine, room 112
Presenting “Effects of Resistance Training on Fatigue Levels Throughout the Menstrual Cycle”
Kimberly Acosta-Flores
Friday, April 17, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Appalachian Hall, room 161
Presenting “Threading Community with Immigration-Affected People in the High Country: Sharing space, stories, and designs for a just future”
Katelyn Tijerina
Monday, April 20, 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Sanford Hall, room 406
Presenting “Between the Lines of Baker Street: Text, Context, and Subtext of The Sherlock Holmes Mysteries”
Caelyn Michael
Monday, April 20, 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Holmes Convocation Center, room 015A
Presenting “Wedding Celebrations Venue Analysis for the US National Whitewater Center”
Ali Dulin
Tuesday, April 21, 10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Leon Levine, room 319
Presenting “Motivators and Barriers of Registered Nurses Returning to Graduate School”
Sarah McCarroll
Tuesday, April 21, 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Appalachian Hall, room 162
Presenting “Facing the Monster”: A Sociological Analysis of Horror Media in Contemporary Pop Culture"
In the Honors Spotlight
Honors College students travel to Montgomery to present at the Southern Regional Honors Council conference
Top photo features a view of Montgomery, AL. Photo submitted.
Seven Honors College students traveled to Montgomery, AL, March 25-28, to present at the Southern Regional Honors Council (SRHC) 2026 annual conference. The SRHC promotes and advances Honors programs and Honors Colleges in the southeastern United States.
Dr. Heather Waldroup, associate director of the Honors College, explained, “The Southern Regional Honors Council conference is an outstanding venue for our Honors students to present their research and connect with other Honors students from colleges and universities throughout the Southeast.”
To learn more about SRHC and hear from the students who attended and presented this year, read the full story on our website.
Have announcements to share? Submissions can be made to honors@appstate.edu. Any content received by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday will be considered for the following week’s issue.
Have a story to share? Share what you have done, what you are doing, or what you will be doing by submitting a story here.
To stay in the know, learn about opportunities, and take part in the Honors community, find us below!