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Homecoming 2021 to be ‘Roaring with Pride’

“Roaring with Pride” will be the theme for Homecoming 2021 at Western Carolina University, with a variety of festivities scheduled from Thursday, Oct. 7, through Sunday, Oct. 10. Highlights include the homecoming game against Mercer, performances by the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band, a series of alumni brunches, tailgating parties, and receptions, plus tours of the new, state-of-the-art Apodaca Science Building along with the traditional parade through downtown Sylva.  

Ben Pendry

Ben Pendry named assistant vice chancellor for development

Benjamin J. Pendry has been appointed to the position of assistant vice chancellor for development.   

Aerial of Campus

Welcome Back Cats!

Our campus has been quiet all summer without all of our Catamounts around. We're excited to welcome faculty, staff, and students back for the Fall semester!  

Class of 2020

Events planned to celebrate Class of 2020 around home opener football game

WCU will celebrate its Class of 2020 through a series of live events – including fireworks – for those alumni whose senior year was largely virtual and anything but normal.  

Joseph Foxx

Project management is more than just a job description

The art of project management is something that Western Carolina University alum Joseph Foxx learned quickly. The 35-year-old technical support engineer is the father of a 15-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old son who worked full time at a manufacturing company in Fletcher. He did all of that while driving back and forth from the Asheville area to Cullowhee to take engineering classes.   

Thomas Farrell

Road warrior burns candle on both ends to finish degree

The next time a student claims he or she will never use the math they’re struggling with in school, have them talk to Western Carolina University alumnus Thomas Farrell, a laser process engineer who works on commercial aircraft engines at GE Aviation Asheville.  

Matthew McDonough

Matthew McDonough awarded national fellowship to advance diversity in science research

When WCU alumnus Matthew McDonough starts his third year of graduate school at the University of Chicago this fall, he’ll do so as a member of a select group.  

Zöe

CEAP, CAS alumna honored with national award in leadership as a teacher of color

Zöe Zander, a 2018 WCU alumna, has received a 2021 Early Career Educator of Color Leadership Award presented by the National Council of Teachers of English.   

Tom Clegg

Clegg combines love for WCU, military as head of new affinity society

Col. Tom Clegg may be retired from the Army, but he still gets a thrill out of leading people. Clegg, who graduated from Western Carolina University in 1965 with business and history degrees, is the first president of the Division of Advancement’s new Military and Veterans Alumni Society and he’s relishing the opportunity to meet and recruit new members, even by Zoom.  

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