No Bones About It

As a forensic anthropologist, Western Carolina University assistant professor Nicholas Passalacqua has always believed he was doing important work through his teaching and his research.  

Read His Story  

Monarch butterfly migration aided by native plants on WCU campus, Highlands Biological Station

The North Carolina mountains are a corridor along the “Butterfly Highway,” an annual migration route of monarch butterflies from the eastern United States and Canada to Mexico, with WCU a frequent stop along the way.  

New book about Horace Kephart explores his ‘other’ writings

Several years of research, compilation and collaboration by two writers from WCU have resulted in a scholarly book about Horace Kephart, a pivotal figure in the region from the early 20th century.  

Caravelis begins pilot program for therapy dog to aid domestic violence victims

An initiative by Cyndy Caravelis, associate professor of criminology and criminal justice, will include a pilot program to use a therapy dog to aid domestic violence victims and their families in Jackson County.   

Master's Degree in Biology Cultivates a Career

Rivercane was once plentiful in Western North Carolina. The tall, slender plant, a member of the bamboo family, still grows in thick stands along some riverbanks, but not in an abundance as in years past. Increased development and intentional removal throughout the region have reduced its presence on the local landscape, in some instances quite dramatically.   

Regional economic impact of pandemic examined by the Center for the Study of Free Enterprise

Thanks to a grant from the North Carolina Policy Collaboratory, the Center for the Study of Free Enterprise is conducting an analysis of the economic impact of the pandemic in the region.   

Summer Undergraduate Research Program’s digital switch proving successful

SURP Goes Digital - The Summer Undergraduate Research Program at Western Carolina University is taking a different approach this year, a recalibration for the times.  

Explore the Research  

Alumna Helping Local Wildlife

Anyone who has ever traveled along Interstate 40 through the Pigeon River Gorge near the North Carolina-Tennessee border knows how dangerous that stretch of highway can be. With its narrow lanes, twisting and winding curves through the mountains, rockslides, and speeding drivers, that portion of highway has been notorious for accidents. Well, just imagine what it must be like for wildlife living in those beautiful mountains that make up Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and Pisgah and Cherokee national forests.  

Highlands Biological Station begins bird banding project

In conjunction with an international effort, the Highlands Biological Station has initiated a bird banding project in the high-elevation mountain community.