The Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University (WCU) is proud to announce the opening of its newest exhibit on Sept. 2, Clearing the Hurdles: Women and Sport at WCU, 1889 to the Present.
In June 2025, the House v. NCAA Settlement reshaped college athletics by allowing Division I schools to provide more financial support to student-athletes, including backpay for past NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) opportunities and a new revenue-sharing model. Western Carolina University has opted into this agreement to enhance student-athlete support, remain competitive, and strengthen its commitment to a vibrant, well-rounded college experience. This FAQ explains what the Settlement means for WCU, its athletes, and the broader Catamount community.
A long-awaited $37 million upgrade to renovate the west side stands of Western Carolina University’s aging E.J. Whitmire Stadium is now underway with an official groundbreaking ceremony held Thursday, June 12, in the shadows of the construction zone.
Western Carolina University Chancellor Kelli R. Brown announced today, Monday, May 19, the selection of Kyle Pifer to serve as the director of athletics following approval of his contract by the university’s Board of Trustees during a special-called meeting earlier in the day.
Drake Barlow walks up to home plate with the most swagger out of anyone on game days. He sports a sick pair of shades, some Catamount gear and a toothy grin that coaches across the Southern Conference have come to know.
Western Carolina University has launched a search for a new intercollegiate athletics director following the resignation of Alex Gary earlier this month. Chancellor Kelli R. Brown has appointed a 13-member committee to assist in selecting Gary's successor.
Western Carolina University announced today that Alex Gary, Catamount Athletics director since May 2020, has resigned from his position.
A fresh set of eyes finds a new generation of Catamounts. More than 30 years after Paws’ billboard debut, designers at Western Carolina University continue to update the much beloved symbol off U.S. 23.
The Western Carolina University community is grieving the loss of longtime friend, benefactor and volunteer Reginald “Reg” E. Moody Sr., a Jackson County businessman and civic leader who died Monday, Feb. 17, at the age of 89 after a period of declining health.
Western Carolina University alumna Nora Lynn Finch sat behind her friend, Kay Yow, honored to introduce her in the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame Class of 1989 induction ceremony. But before the ceremony began, Finch was approached by an unknown gentleman.
The energy inside the then-Time Warner Cable arena in Charlotte was electric. The Hornets moniker had returned to the Queen City. The arena was graced with the teal and purple that Charlotteans had adored for years before the original Hornets relocated to New Orleans and the Bobcats moved in.
A planned gift from a longtime Western North Carolina economic development and marketing professional and his spouse has pushed Western Carolina University’s “Fill the Western Sky” comprehensive fundraising campaign past its minimum goal of $100 million in philanthropic support.
A packed slate of weekend events is on tap as Western Carolina University rolls out the welcome mat for alumni and friends to return to campus Nov. 7-8 for Homecoming 2025, including a parade and party in the university’s adopted hometown of Sylva.
The history of Western Carolina University is held by its people. Though archives and images can provide a framework for the past, there is no richer or truer contribution to the story than the lived experiences of alumni, staff, faculty and students.
Supporters of Western Carolina University’s athletics program are finding new ways to back the Catamounts in today’s rapidly shifting intercollegiate sports environment, which now permits financial rewards in recognition of academic performance.
Approximately 50 new Western Carolina University students were welcomed into the Catamount family by parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and other relatives who previously matriculated at the westernmost institution of the University of North Carolina System.
A husband and wife with degrees from the Parks and Recreation Management Program at Western Carolina University have established an endowed fund to support students who are following in their footsteps at their alma mater and to equip PRM professors with additional resources.
Three new members have joined the Western Carolina University Foundation Board of Directors for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, while four departing board members were recently recognized for their service and contributions.
Perhaps you are a Western Carolina University alumnus who performed in a musical group back in your college days and who has been thinking about getting the band back together. Or maybe your band is still playing today, cranking the amps up to 11.
Alexis Harp was lost her first few semesters of undergrad. Imposter syndrome was hitting her hard. She was a first-generation college student navigating the world of higher education, and to top it all off, she originally didn’t even want to go to college.
The Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University (WCU) is proud to announce the opening of its newest exhibit on Sept. 2, Clearing the Hurdles: Women and Sport at WCU, 1889 to the Present.
When Western Carolina University alumna Kara McMullen stands on the wet stone of Salt Rock Gap, thousands of acres of chirping forest span before her, a sprawling network of trails buried just beneath.
Universities and colleges across the United States are finding that an ever-increasing number of students on their campuses are dealing with a variety of mental health issues, ranging from anxiety and depression to thoughts of suicide.
Recent Western Carolina University alumna Florida Ahado drives around Raleigh and is reminded of her impact about everywhere she goes.
Members of Western Carolina University fraternities and sororities contributed more than $1.5 million to the Catamount Club during the 2024-2025 edition of the Greek Challenge, an annual competition to see which organizations can raise the most money in support of the university’s athletics program.
Nearly 150 incoming first-year students at Western Carolina University received an early welcome to their future alma mater and a few lessons in “all things Catamount” during a series of July receptions across North Carolina and in Atlanta.
In June 2025, the House v. NCAA Settlement reshaped college athletics by allowing Division I schools to provide more financial support to student-athletes, including backpay for past NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) opportunities and a new revenue-sharing model. Western Carolina University has opted into this agreement to enhance student-athlete support, remain competitive, and strengthen its commitment to a vibrant, well-rounded college experience. This FAQ explains what the Settlement means for WCU, its athletes, and the broader Catamount community.
Back in 2012, Western Carolina University graduates Jonathan Zapp and Brittany Bennefield provided a different interpretation of their alma mater’s status as “an engaged institution” when they had their engagement photographs taken on campus with Paws, the Catamount mascot.
Drew Marx just wanted somewhere to hang his backpack in his room at Western Carolina University when he came up with the idea for the Dormclaw, a compact, hook-like device that fits into the unused slots of standard college bed frames.
Hank Henderson likens his place of work to where he went to college.
Western Carolina University Chancellor Kelli R. Brown announced today, Monday, May 19, the selection of Kyle Pifer to serve as the director of athletics following approval of his contract by the university’s Board of Trustees during a special-called meeting earlier in the day.
The Catamount Club will soon begin searching for a new assistant director of development with the departure of C.J. Mitchell, who had been working with Western Carolina University’s athletics booster organization for the past year.
Western Carolina University will hold a groundbreaking ceremony at 11 a.m. Thursday, June 12, to kick off the first phase of a series of planned upgrades for E.J. Whitmire Stadium and other aging facilities used by Catamount student-athletes.
For Shondel “Junior” Granison, his graduation cap is more than a square board with fabric stretched across the top. It’s a symbol of accomplishment, but also a canvas for Granison to display some of what’s closest to his heart.
Trevor and Ty Antonson’s childhood was filled with LEGO creations—buildings, starships, train cars and more. The twins shared a bedroom and dedicated the other to their masterpieces.
Lydia Sale has an unwavering dedication to public education.
Western Carolina University alumnus and Asheville resident Stephen Hodge had a bit of difficulty deciding whether to direct a recent financial contribution for his alma mater to support academics or athletics. So, the banking executive who grew up in Rutherfordton reached the conclusion to do both.
There’s a new member of the Division of Advancement team at Western Carolina University, and her name is Maddie.
The Western Carolina University Alumni Association has issued a call for nominations for honors presented annually to university alumni in recognition of their accomplishments after graduating – the Professional Achievement Award, Academic Achievement Award and a new award for graduates of the last decade.
More than 150 citizens of Catamount Nation rallied Saturday, April 12, in Asheville to celebrate the accomplishments of student-athletes who have represented Western Carolina University during the 2024-2025 sports seasons.
An endeavor by members of Western Carolina University’s African American Alumni Society to create a new student scholarship fund at their alma mater has crossed the $25,000 threshold necessary to start providing financial assistance on an annual basis.
The University of North Carolina Board of Governors has unanimously approved the appointment of two new members to the Western Carolina University Board of Trustees: Tate Apodaca and Nora Lynn Finch. Additionally, the Board approved the second full terms of chair Casey Cooper and Timothy “Jake” Robinson.
As a park guide at Catoctin Mountain Park in Maryland, Kinley Cook’s passion for the outdoors radiates to her visitors. She gets them excited about where they’re at, whether it be by way of the park’s history or showing them a salamander that’s sitting under a random rock along its trail.
The final numbers are in for the third annual “One Day for Western,” an all-in day of giving designed to help generate additional financial support for multiple priorities at Western Carolina University.
Future students majoring in English studies and participating in student media organizations at Western Carolina University will be eligible for financial assistance made possible by a planned gift of $100,000 from a WCU alumna who has enjoyed a lengthy career in the education profession.
The Western Carolina University Office of Alumni Engagement is stepping up to the plate and taking a swing at a new summer event designed to bring together members of the Catamount family at baseball stadiums across North and South Carolina.
After taking some challenging chemistry classes, Julian Manrique decided to reconsider his major. He was a biology major with a concentration in pre-dental, but following some thinking, the curious Western Carolina University student switched over to business administration and law.
A scholarship fund honoring the memories of a longtime Western Carolina University coach and his spouse, also a lifelong educator, will soon provide financial assistance to Catamount student-athletes on the football and men’s and women’s golf teams.
When Western Carolina University Chancellor Kelli R. Brown unveiled plans for a comprehensive fundraising campaign shortly after her arrival in 2019, she prioritized seeking philanthropic support for enhancements to the overall student experience, including academics, athletics, and community and global engagement.
Western Carolina University alumnus Aaron Speyer doesn’t remember much about his trip to the NASA Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia when he was six years old — but he remembers that initial fascination with space.
A fresh set of eyes finds a new generation of Catamounts. More than 30 years after Paws’ billboard debut, designers at Western Carolina University continue to update the much beloved symbol off U.S. 23.
The Western Carolina University community is grieving the loss of longtime friend, benefactor and volunteer Reginald “Reg” E. Moody Sr., a Jackson County businessman and civic leader who died Monday, Feb. 17, at the age of 89 after a period of declining health.
Western Carolina University’s annual all-in day of giving to the institution, titled “One Day for Western” and taking place Wednesday, March 26, will focus on garnering philanthropic gifts for all of the Catamount sports teams and for endowments supporting academic excellence.
Western Carolina University’s Catamount Club is announcing some changes to the popular Greek Challenge, which has been one of the club’s largest annual fundraising campaigns since its inception in 2014, and issuing a reminder of membership deadlines.
Western Carolina University officially kicked off the largest comprehensive fundraising campaign in the university’s 136-year history, an effort to secure $100 million in philanthropic support with a focus on increasing the financial resources necessary for long-delayed upgrades in facilities used by Catamount student-athletes.
Western Carolina University alumna Nora Lynn Finch sat behind her friend, Kay Yow, honored to introduce her in the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame Class of 1989 induction ceremony. But before the ceremony began, Finch was approached by an unknown gentleman.
The Catamount women’s basketball program is among the beneficiaries of financial support awarded to a variety of campus partners as part of the latest round of 1889 Impact Grants, an initiative made possible by contributions to the Fund for WCU.
