Students from Western Carolina University’s College of Engineering and Technology have checked out 3D printers from the university and are using them from home to help produce face shields for use by health care professionals during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The Jackson County Department of Public Health has been notified of three additional positive cases of COVID-19 associated with the Apodaca Science Building at Western Carolina University’s campus. 

The Jackson County Department of Public Health (JCDPH) has been notified of a positive case of COVID19 in a subcontractor working on a construction site at Western Carolina University’s campus.

As COVID-19 protocols began taking effect in the Asheville area, registered nurses in a primary care residency and fellows program at Western Carolina University made a quick shift to assist an at-risk population while still continuing their training.

Distance learning will continue through the summer at Western Carolina University, and all summer conferences are canceled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A chat room conversation between colleagues at Western Carolina University with ties to China led to fast action that is putting surgical masks into the hands of front-line health workers in the region's smaller care facilities.

As a professor in Western Carolina University’s Department of Biology who specializes in immunology and infectious diseases, Mack Powell finds the COVID-19 pandemic particularly interesting.

Western Carolina University will be issuing partial refunds to students for payments made toward on-campus housing and dining services they have been unable to access because of the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic.

In response to the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic, Western Carolina University will postpone all spring commencement ceremonies originally scheduled for May 8 and 9, and will announce by April 3 plans for rescheduling the events.

When storied Western Carolina University men’s basketball coach Larry Hunter recently announced his retirement after notching his 700th career win, it was clear that a new era would soon begin for the WCU hoops program.

That era began just a few minutes ago, as Western Carolina University Director of Athletics Randy Eaton announced Hunter’s replacement.

Eaton said he wanted someone who wasn’t from a "maintenance" program, but rather from a program that had been built to be successful. Eaton also said he wanted someone with national and regional ties.

“I also wanted someone who understood that ‘student’ comes before ‘athlete,’” Eaton said during a press conference Mar. 27.

After conferring with basketball coaches and officials from around the region and around the country, Eaton said one name kept coming up.

“We didn’t get ‘a’ guy, we got ‘the’ guy,” Eaton said. “We have the man to lead this basketball team.”

The guy is Mark Prosser, son of former Xavier University and Wake Forest head coach Skip Prosser.

Prosser was, until Mar. 27, the associate head coach at Winthrop University, and had also served as head coach at Brevard College for a year.

“I’ve been very fortunate to coach at some very good places with some very good players,” Prosser said.

He’s also aware of the role college athletics play in Cullowhee, mentioning the type of program he intends to shepherd during his tenure.

“We’re going to go about this the right way. Our guys are going to be about the ABCs – academics, basketball, character,” he said. “We’ll get started very quickly in building that championship culture.”

WCU currently competes in the Southern Conference, and during the 2017-18 season notched an 8-10 record, well behind UNC-Greensboro’s 15-3 mark.

To find out more about WCU’s athletics program, including men’s basketball and Coach Prosser, visit www.catamountsports.com.