BOONE, N.C. — Faculty, staff, and students from Appalachian State University’s Center for Appalachian Studies participated in the 46th Annual Appalachian Studies Association (ASA) Conference, held March 16–19, 2023 at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. This was the first time Ohio University hosted the national gathering of scholars, artists, and community members dedicated to Appalachian studies. The year’s theme was “AppalachiaFest: From Surviving to Thriving in Appalachia.”
Trevor McKenzie, director of the Center for Appalachian Studies, expressed appreciation for the group’s involvement, noting that App State had a strong presence through panels, presentations, and exhibits.
Faculty leadership and student participation
Dr. Julie Shepherd-Powell, assistant professor in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies and director of the Master of Arts in Appalachian Studies program, highlighted the conference as an important venue for connecting with prospective students. App State once again hosted an exhibition booth featuring the university’s Appalachian Studies graduate program.
Tom Hansell, professor in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies and co-director of University Documentary Film Services, led a student group to the conference. Hansell co-facilitated a panel alongside Dr. Tammy Haley, associate professor and graduate program director in the Department of Nursing. The panel, “Water, Art and Public Health in the Upper New River Valley,” showcased an interdisciplinary student project on the health impacts of microplastics in headwater streams.
Five students presented their work on the panel:
- Jesse Barber, Appalachian studies graduate student from Sawmills
- Megan Hall, Appalachian studies graduate student from Candler
- Kate Hoffman, senior nursing major from Mooresville
- Yndiana Montes, Appalachian studies graduate student from Caracas, Venezuela
- Sammy Osmond, Appalachian studies graduate student from Boone
Additionally, Camden Phillips, an Appalachian studies graduate student from Elk Creek, Virginia, presented a poster on microplastics research.
Montes also shared her outreach project, the performance persona “The Glitter Lady,” designed to raise awareness of microplastic pollution through art and storytelling.
Additional student research
Other App State graduate students also contributed to conference sessions. Megan Hall presented her paper “The Social and Community Effects of Tropical Storm Fred on Haywood County, North Carolina,” while Krystal Brooke Carter convened two sessions: a roundtable on intersectional women’s and gender studies and a performance-discussion titled “A Melody Will Bear All Misery: A Celebration of the Sustaining Resonance of Appalachian Folk Art and Music.”
Carter’s session highlighted Appalachian folk traditions and featured conversations on grassroots activism, poetry readings, and music performances.
Collaboration and impact
The microplastics project presented at the conference grew out of collaboration between students in Hansell’s “Sustainability and the Arts in Appalachia” course and Haley’s “Applied Nursing Research Methods” course. Working with the New River Conservancy and Watauga Riverkeeper Andy Hill, students explored the cultural, ecological, and health dimensions of microplastic pollution while engaging with the local community.
Reflecting on the project, Hansell said, “The participatory, symbiotic projects we were involved in allowed us to collaborate with Appalachian community organizations. I am very proud of all of them.”
Adapted from original article by Tom Hansell and edited by Lauren Anderson
Original article: https://cas.appstate.edu/news/app-states-center-appalachian-studies-prepares-appalachiafest