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WCU Stories

Ryan Hill

Action Packed

Construction management alum soars to new heights  

Prometheus Barrels

Prometheus Barrels

Alum turns old whiskey barrels into stylish fire pits.  

Shetland society

The Power of Giving

Explore the power of giving at Western Carolina University  

Aerial shot of campus

Class Notes

Take a look at what Catamounts from across the world are up to and their career accomplishments.   

The Rocks

The Rocks

Let's explore the new residential buildings at Western Carolina University: Shining Rock, Water Rock and Black Rock aka The Rocks.  

cemetery with wooded background

Hallowed Grounds

Five mounded graves, the occupants unknown other than their status as enslaved people. Blair Tormey, a geologist with the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines at Western Carolina University, adjusted his ballcap and quickly assembled a ground penetrating radar unit, looking much like a robotic lawn mower, before pushing it up the hillside. The destination, an almost forgotten cemetery, is a long way from any coastal beachfront or tidal basin where he might otherwise be working on a day like today.  

Apodaca Science Building Stairs

A New Era Begins

Former state senator and Western Carolina University alum Tom Apodaca ’80 broke ground with other university and state officials for construction of a new $110.5 million science building. During the ceremony, Apodaca commented that his dream was to attend the future grand opening of the new state-of-the-art facility with his then-infant grandson, River. He also hoped River would one day follow the family tradition of attending WCU and taking classes in the building named in his honor.  

Wolf

Coping with Covid-19

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, college life as WCU students knew it changed drastically. Here's a look at how they had to adapt to a new way of living and learning.  

Kerwin Bell

Envisioning Championships

To this day, Kerwin Bell remembers vividly the scene in Gainesville, Florida in 1984 when he and his University of Florida teammates returned to campus following a trip to Kentucky after the Gators clinched what was then their first Southeastern Conference championship (a title that was later vacated because of rules violations by coach Charley Pell). Just before landing, the team plane flew over Florida Field where some 40,000 fans gathered to welcome the team home. On the bus ride from the airport to campus, the Gainesville streets were lined with fans.  

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