Appalachian Studies Academic Program

Courtney Baines 2008, is currently teaching for Sustainable Development at ASU.

Jessica Blackburn 2000, is assistant chair and director of rhetoric and writing studies in the Department of English at Appalachian State University. She is also an affiliate faculty member in the Appalachian studies program at ASU. Her areas of academic interest include cultural, digital, and feminist rhetorics; multimodal composition theory and pedagogy; and Appalachian studies and critical regional rhetorics.. 

Theresa E. Burchett 2001, lives in Gray, TN and has been the Director of the B. Carroll Reece Museum at the Center for Appalachian Studies and Services at East Tennessee State University since March 2005. She was recently was named the Director of the Appalachian Studies Minor at ETSU.  B. Carroll Reece Museum | Center for Appalachian Studies and Services | theresaburchett@hotmail.com | burchete@etsu.edu

Edward J. Cabbell (1946-2018) 1982, was curator of the John Henry Center for Culture and History Exchange and director of the John Henry Festival and Conference. With William Turner, Ed co-edited Blacks in Appalachia (1985), a ground-breaking project that emerged partially from Ed's graduate work in our program. Ed was a scholar, singer, poet, activist, community organizer,  and folklorist. He also funded a scholarship for graduate students in our program.

Whitney Kimball Coe 2008, has taken a position at the Center for Rural Strategies in Knoxville, TN.

Nancy Collins 1999, has changed her name to "Anita Mann," and is thoroughly enjoying her new job at Sherwin Williams, where she's fulfilling her life-long dream to be a mountain mover and "shaker." Still lazy after all these years, she can sometimes be spotted wandering the ASU campus looking for a parking place, and/or dodging UFO's. Her greatest accomplishment in life (thus far) is the not-one, not-two, but THREE tickets she has successfully wormed her way out of. She would like to thank the ASU Parking Nazi's and her parole officer for their support.

Dave Cozzo 1999,  is now Dr. Dave. He is the Project Director for the Revitalization of Traditional Cherokee Artisan Resources (http://www.rtcar.org) and, with intensive training in yogic breathing, he will soon be able to say his title in one breath. cozzod@wcu.edu

Dottie Demarest 1999, is the Genealogy and Local History librarian with the East Central Georgia Regional Library System, living in Augusta, Georgia. Genealogy and Local History, East Central Georgia Public Library, 902 Greene St., Augusta, GA 30901 | 706.821.2600 | Fax 706.821.2629 | demarestd@ecgrl.org

Trish Kilby Fore 2003, accepted a job as a library assistant in Technical Services at the Galax-Carroll Regional Library in Galax, VA. Her main duties include tending the circulation and information desks, cataloging books, compiling monthly reports, and troubleshooting computer problems. On two occasions she was named acting-director when the library's regional director was away. In August 2007 Trish enrolled in Florida State University's Library and Information Studies master's degree program at a distance. Upon completion of the degree in two years, she hopes to obtain a position as a regional library director. In her spare time, Trish continues to enjoy playing the banjo at local square dances, fiddler's conventions, and community events. Her husband, Kevin, is also an accomplished clawhammer banjo player and plays with the Galax, Virginia-based group, Southern Pride, winners of the 2007 Galax Old-Time Band contest. He is also beginning to build banjos in the Kyle Creed tradition, fretted and fretless with gold-flecked formica. They are doing well in Lowgap, NC, on the banks of Camp Creek with our cat, Otis. BREAKING NEWS: I finally won 1st place in the clawhammer banjo contest at the Galax Fiddlers' Convention!!! It was truly a dream come true. I had been trying to win for 14 years!

Ashley Crabtree Grindstaff 2005, is the Executive Director of the Yancey County/Burnsville Chamber of Commerce (http://www.yanceychamber.com). She moved to North Carolina and married Ben Grindstaff who is also an Appalachian grad. ashleycrabtree44@hotmail.com

Vicky Hayes 2005, is working at the Berea College Learning Center working one-on-one with Appalachian students engaged in learning to write, as well as other diverse and interesting duties. She plans to work with Pat toward publishing Mary Jane's material. vicky_hayes@berea.edu

Alex Hooker 1999, is still in Boone, teaching two Appalachian Strings undergraduate courses for the Center, building and working on violins with Alfred Michels (Solitude Violin Shop), married and has a beautiful daughter, and according to him, still good looking. He is the director for Habitat for Humanity in Boone. Alex@AlexHooker.com

Gene Hyde 1992, is Appalachian Collection Librarian at Radford University in Radford, Virginia, and works closely with the Appalachian Regional Studies Center at Radford.

Carl Jenkins 2008,  is working for Northwestern Regional Housing Authority as a Housing Counselor. He counsels folks intent on being homeowners, guiding them through the obligations that go along with their new home. Most of the calls he gets are from people in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure. In reemployment from Hospitality House to the NRHA, Carl has gone from helping those who are already homeless and trying to get back into stable housing, to helping those who are finding their housing unstable avoid homelessness. carljenkins@hotmail.com

Sarah Joslin 2005, is a native of the Pacific Northwest. As an undergraduate student at Washington State University - Vancouver, Sarah became interested in grassroots community activism. While studying at Appalachian State University, Sarah worked with a group of local community members on an oral history project. Since her stay in Boone, Sarah graduated from the MAT program at University of Portland - Portland, Oregon and is now a high school science teacher (all things science) in a rural Alaska Native village in western Alaska. Sarah continues to pursue her love of oral history within the communities she works. sjjoslin@gmail.com

Zachary Kopkin 2018, More information

Britt Long  is Special Master for the 10th Judicial District Court in Lewistown, MT, is about to be published in Volume III of the Appalachian Natural Resources Law Journal and legal counsel to two tribally-owned corporations working towards the production of meat for retail sale via the sustainable management of the tribe’s bison herd. She’s also glad this winter’s finally letting up. blong3@mt.gov

Alythea McKinney 1996, is currently in the Ed.D. program in Learning and Teaching at the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University.

Pam Price Mitchem 1999, is now assistant professor (recently promoted) and archivist for the University Archives unit of Belk Library at Appalachian State. She completed her Ed.S. degree in Leadership & Higher Education in 2006. When she has time, she teaches Southern culture and Appalachian culture classes for Wilkes Community College. Pam and her husband Gary still live in West Jefferson, NC with their now 3-year old daughter Madeline Rose. pricemtchemp@appstate.edu

Lynn Ochsendorf is married to Al Martin. Took over parent's promotional product business and trustee of a charitable organization doing home repairs for low income homeowners...likely to be Appalachian raised widows. She is serving in her 6th year as president of the city council in Whitehall, Ohio. lynnopromo@aol.com

Randall Pfleger 2003, is living in Asheville with his lovely wife, Cassie Robinson Pfleger.

Sharon Price 2005, completed her double degree program in English and Appalachian studies with the publication of her experimental thesis, a novel entitled "Dovie," in the summer of 2005. She currently teaches in the English Department at Appalachian State University and at Western Piedmont Community College in Morganton, North Carolina. Her double program awards her the privilege of being the only college level English instructor for whom the phrase "Y'all ain't right" is grammatically correct. Sharon is married to Larry Jackson Price who also graduated with a Master of Arts from Appalachian State University, and they make their home in Brendletown near Morganton, NC. pricesp@appstate.edu

Zeb Ramsbotham 2017, More information

Stephanie Roark Keener can be reached at skeener73@charter.net.

Travis Rountree 2007, is an adjunct instructor in the ASU English department and taught Appalachian Culture for the Duke TIP program at ASU summer 2008. rountreeta@appstate.edu

Laura Schaffer 2018, More information

Billy Schumann 1999, is the Director for the Center for Appalachian Studies at Appalachian State University. He teaches the Postindustrial Wales study abroad and Colloquium in Appalachian Studies. schumannwr@appstate.edu

Julie Shepher-Powell 2005, is beginning a Ph.D. program in Anthropology at the University of Kentucky in fall 2008. She plans to study grassroots organizing around coal in eastern Kentucky. Julie "tied the knot" in May 2008, and she spends her free time with her husband (and fiddle player) Adrian Shepherd-Powell at fiddlers' conventions--playing banjo and dancing. oldtimejulie@yahoo.com

Amy Sparrow Potts 2002, is field representative for the Rural Heritage Development Initiative-a three-year pilot program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, in collaboration with Preservation Kentucky and funded through the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to help develop and implement preservation-based economic development strategies in eight Kentucky counties. For more information visit www.preservationkentucky.org. Amy resides in Harrodsburg Kentucky with her husband Craig.National Trust for Historic Preservation | Preservation Kentucky | amy@preservationkentucky.org | asparrow@hotmail.com

Anna Rachel Terman 2009, is a dual-title Ph.D. student at The Pennsylvania State University in Rural Sociology and Women's Studies. She is working as a research assistant on a project titled "Doing Food Work: Practices of Gendered Inequalities in (re)productive Labor in the U.S. Food System" funded by the National Science Foundation.

Sara Harris Thum 2004, finally tied the knot with her main squeeze, Ryan--it was a fun, beautiful mountain (valley) wedding in Blacksburg, VA. Ryan is studying for the Bar and has accepted a job in Roanoke, while Sara is still working for NC State Libraries, when she is not crocheting, perfecting her EAD, chasing her two dogs, or watering her garden, etc., etc. We are looking forward to getting settled in Roanoke soon! Sara_Harris@ncsu.edu

Justan Treadway 2007, completed the M.A. in Appalachian Studies in Fall 2004. He is currently working for the American Museum of Natural History in New York City as an Anthropology Educator for the Moveable Museum Program. This involves tremendous fearlessness while driving a 37' Winnebago around Manhattan, and the continuous search for the proper Brooklyn pronunciation of "y'all." Moveable Museum Program | treadway@amnh.org

Jinny Turman-Deal 2017, is working on her doctorate in history at West Virginia University. Her major field is 20th century U.S. history, and her minor fields are Appalachian, world, and public history. While she is very enthusiastic about her studies, she finds it somewhat challenging to keep her nose in the books and her hands out of the garden. Aside from gardening and reading, she spent the summer of 2008 tracking down current and former regional back-to-the-landers to interview for her dissertation. jaturman@yahoo.com

Jim Veteto 2005, has accepted a job as assistant professor of Anthropology at the University of North Texas. Jim and family are moving to Denton in early July. His new email is James.Veteto@unt.edu. He will also continue to conduct agrobiodiversitry and sustainable communities research in Western North Carolina during the summers. James.Veteto@unt.edu

Leigh Walters 2012, graduated from the M.A. program. She now lives in the southern part of the Shenandoah Valley; in Natural Bridge, Rockbridge Co., Virginia, with her boyfriend, Jon Kirchner (ASU Alumn '12, M.S. Appropriate Technology), and their two dogs and two cats. Leigh works nearby in Lexington, Virginia, at Washington and Lee University School of Law as an Administrative Assistant in Faculty Services.

Leila Weinstein Leila Weinstein is the Director of the Bascom Lamar Lunsford “Minstrel of Appalachia” Festival and Program Coordinator at the Ramsey Center for Regional Studies at Mars Hill University in Madison County, North Carolina. She organizes programs for students, faculty, and community members that explore the culture, history, and arts of the Appalachian Mountains and also teaches Appalachian Studies courses. Prior to working at Mars Hill University, Leila was the Director of Education and Outreach at the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum and was the founding director of the Caldwell County Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) program.

Rachel Westrom 2009, is pursuing a career in Occupational Therapy at West Virginia University.

Marc Williams is executive director of Plants and Healers International in Asheville, North Carolina, and serves on the board of directors of the Appalachian Institute for Mountain Studies. He has studied the people-plant connection intensively while learning to employ botanicals for food, medicine, and beauty. Marc added a graduate minor in geography and planning to his Master of Arts degree in Appalachian studies while at Appalachian State University. He has spent over a decade working at restaurants and farms with a focus on sustainability and has visited over one hundred botanical gardens and research institutions during extensive travel in the United States and abroad. Marc has taken thousands of pictures of representative plants during these visits and taught clients about the world of plants, people, and their interface while working with over fifty organizations in the last few years.