News

Several members of the Western Carolina University community recently accepted appointments on three of the institution’s top volunteer boards that provide oversight and advice in support of university philanthropic, athletics and engagement activities.

Blake Kinsey and the camera in his hand were inseparable in high school. The Etowah hometown product was in love with capturing moments and the creative process it took to turn those clips into stories.

The Western Carolina University Division of Advancement recently bid farewell to several members of its top three volunteer boards that provide oversight and advice in support of the institution’s philanthropic, athletic and engagement activities.

Western Carolina University’s Office of Alumni Engagement has hit a homerun with its annual Ballparks and Brews Tour, as alumni and campus leaders in attendance agree that the series helps them stay connected in an informal, entertaining environment.

Memories of attending Western Carolina University during the glory days of Catamount sports inspired a retired furniture corporation executive and his wife, already longtime supporters of the institution, to take additional steps to help improve WCU’s aging athletics infrastructure.

Matt Canter made the choice to attend Western Carolina University while ankle-deep in the Tuckasegee River, fighting a hungry rainbow trout at the other end of his fly rod. He hadn’t seen campus or met his peers, but Canter didn’t need more convincing. For the future fly-fishing guide and owner of Brookings Anglers, the pristine waters surrounding Cullowhee had done the job well enough

Several soon-to-be-graduates of Western Carolina University were thanked by campus leaders for financial contributions they have made to the institution where they are currently wrapping up requirements for their college degrees.

Western Carolina University will award an honorary Doctor of Education to Joyce Conseen Dugan in recognition of her leadership, lifelong commitment to education and contributions to the Cherokee people and Western North Carolina.

The final count is in for Western Carolina University’s fourth annual all-in day of giving, with 2,040 donors making a total of more than $1.115 million in gifts and pledges during the “One Day for Western” campaign.

Teams composed of Western Carolina University students and alumni took top honors at HatchThis 2026, a high-energy, 48-hour entrepreneurial competition described by organizers as a mashup of an accelerator, hackathon and startup festival.