News & Events
Dr. Alan Needle Receives Two University Awards and Becomes National Fellow
Dr. Alan Needle, Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Public Health and Exercise Science at Appalachian State University, was the recipient of two university-wide awards in 2024: the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence and the Distinguished Graduate Faculty award. These awards reflect his outstanding research and his excellence teaching and mentoring students. In addition to these significant university recognitions, Dr. Needle was also inducted this year as a Fellow of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association. Dr. Needle earned his BS degree in Athletic Training from Bostun University before going on to earn his MS and PhD at the University of Delaware. His research has been funded by the National Center for Neuromodulation in Rehabilitation and The National Athletic Trainers’ Association, as well as through many university-based research funding mechanisms. He has published 53 peer-reviewed manuscripts in professional journals, a textbook chapter, and a large collection of abstracts. He has presented his work nationally and internationally from as close as this campus to as far away as Japan. He serves on numerous professional organizations and boards. Listen to our podcast, From Here to Health, as Dr. Needle discusses his research and professional journey.
Dr. Maggie Sugg Receives Grant from National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine
Dr. Maggie Sugg and colleagues were awarded just under one million dollars over three years from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine for their project titled Assessing Mental Health Disparities in At-Risk Youth After Climate Disasters in Louisiana, USA. Evidence has shown increases in adolescent mental health issues and suicide events, especially among Black, Indigenous, Sexual and Gender Minorities, and People of Color. Despite the frequency of climate disasters in the Gulf Region, now occurring in the backdrop of an ongoing mental health crisis, little is known about the real-time mental health response in this at-risk group during and after a climate disaster. Youth may experience these impacts disproportionately due to their developmental stage, residence in hazard-prone communities, and limited adaptive capacity. Sugg and her colleagues' prior research has highlighted the promise of mobile crisis counseling services in measuring and monitoring youth mental health risks pre- and post-climate events such as hurricanes, wildfires, winter weather, and high temperatures. They will extend this research to Louisiana by examining the causal link between exposure to extreme weather and increased mental health vulnerability in at-risk youth by quantifying the impact of climate disasters on Louisiana’s youth mental health and identifying vulnerable subgroups in need of additional crisis support. The work involves a community-based participatory partnership with Louisiana’s Volunteer and Information Agency, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Chapters in Louisiana and Mississippi, and a mental health-climate research team at Appalachian State and North Carolina State University. Dr. Sugg is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography and a Fellow of the Appalachian Institute for Health & Wellness.
From Here to Health: Newsletters, Podcasts & Videos
Read our research newsletter and explore podcasts highlighting the cutting edge research Appalachian State University faculty are conducting to take you From Here to Health.
Participate in Research
Want to volunteer for research and have a real impact on the creation of new knowledge in health and wellness? Look through our current research volunteer opportunities.