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WCU Stories

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Town hall on opioid and addiction crisis opens doors to potential solutions

Attendees at the recent forum heard about the devastating impacts and discussed realistic ideas for prevention, treatment and recovery in the community.  

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One Book author Celeste Headlee to visit for discussion about civil discourse

All of WCU's first-year students received a copy of her book, “We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter'  

The endangered dusky gopher frog.

Saving the Dusky Gopher Frog

Habitat destruction and degradation are mostly to blame for the dwindling numbers of amphibians worldwide, but there are other factors contributing to the overall decline—and some of these remain elusive. Joseph Pechmann's research on conservation and recovery of the endangered dusky gopher frog.  

Researcher Aimee Rockhill

Understanding Coyotes in Western North Carolina

Coyotes have called Western North Carolina home for about 30 years. They’re relatively new to the region compared to bobcats and foxes, who are established residents with hundreds of years of lineage. Western Carolina University’s Aimee Rockhill, an assistant professor in the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resources, is examining the role coyotes play on ecosystem function in western North Carolina.   

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Memorial service set for history faculty member Gerald Schwartz

A memorial service and celebration of life will be held on campus from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12.  

Students Studying

Lowering the Debt for WCU Students

$1.53 Trillion. That is the current estimated student loan debt in America, and it grows minute by minute. While those Western Carolina University undergraduates who owe student debt graduate with an average of $20,500 of debt - almost $17,000 less than the national average - our goal is to continue to provide options for students to incur as little debt as possible.   

Teenagers

Transforming the Future: Community Roles in Adolescent Substance Use

“It’s just a phase.” “They are just being teenagers.” “I drank when I was their age and I was fine.” These are things I know that I heard as a kid and that I have heard said to kids today. The flip side of these beliefs is the misconception that adolescents cannot develop substance-use disorders.  

WCU Campus

Wright works with TED team to produce animated lesson

Laura Wright, professor in WCU’s Department of English, was nominated as a “TED Talk educator” and worked with a team at the nonprofit organization to create a collaborative lesson on Indian author Arundhati Roy’s novel “The God of Small Things.”  

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Finding roots: Mountain symposium attracts largest crowd in its decade-long run

The event theme of “Giduwagi ― Appalachian Historical Ecology” was topical and philosophical, reflecting both the changing landscape of Southern Appalachia and attitudes toward the natural resources of the mountains.  

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