Sustainable Technology & the Built Environment Dept. at AppState

Sustainable Technology & the Built Environment Dept. at AppState Our department features an integrated array of programs spanning the fields of sustainable design and technology with a focus on innovative research!

This week’s Club Expo was another successful STBE student engagement opportunity! Wishing you all a safe and warm weeken...
01/23/2026

This week’s Club Expo was another successful STBE student engagement opportunity! Wishing you all a safe and warm weekend across NC!

College of Fine and Applied Arts at Appalachian State University Appalachian State University App State Renewable Energy Initiative-REI Appalachian State Solar Vehicle Team

Happy first week of classes! STBE students, faculty, and staff are poised for a fantastic semester. We wish you the same...
01/15/2026

Happy first week of classes! STBE students, faculty, and staff are poised for a fantastic semester. We wish you the same!

College of Fine and Applied Arts at Appalachian State University Appalachian State University

Congratulations to our wonderful STBE December graduates of the Master's in Tech program - Mia Dziwanowski, Seth Wells, ...
12/18/2025

Congratulations to our wonderful STBE December graduates of the Master's in Tech program - Mia Dziwanowski, Seth Wells, Nicholas Fox, Kylie Wilcox, Sean Carter, and Jacob Doeren. We are so proud of you, and we can't wait to see what you do next!

Cratis D. Williams School of Graduate Studies, Appalachian State University Appalachian State University College of Fine and Applied Arts at Appalachian State University

Bradley DelVecchio, a graduate research assistant under Dr. Sohad Abu-elzait in the Department of Sustainable Technology...
11/24/2025

Bradley DelVecchio, a graduate research assistant under Dr. Sohad Abu-elzait in the Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment (STBE), has won the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition at Appalachian State University. His winning presentation, titled “Solar-Powered Water Purification for Disaster Relief,” addresses a critical need for clean drinking water in the aftermath of natural disasters.

This achievement marks the second time Dr. Abu-elzait’s students have won the 3MT competition and the third consecutive year STBE has claimed first place, showcasing the department’s leadership in innovative, impactful research.

Bradley will now represent Appalachian State University at the regional 3MT competition, to be held in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in February 2026, bringing national attention to App State’s commitment to sustainability and student innovation.

The project was inspired by the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene on Western North Carolina, which caused widespread flooding, infrastructure damage, and severe water contamination. Floodwaters carried pollutants, chemicals, and sediments into rivers and streams, posing health risks such as gastrointestinal illnesses and disrupting aquatic ecosystems.

Dr. Abu-elzait shared:

“Ever since Hurricane Helene, I’ve been thinking about how we, as researchers and educators, can dedicate our work to solving real-world problems. This project is a direct result of my Junior Faculty Innovation Award last year and reflects our commitment to sustainable technology and disaster resilience.”

The mobile Solar-Powered Water Purification System operates independently of the electrical grid, making it ideal for disaster relief and off-grid applications. It is an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary effort, involving electrical and energy engineering, environmental science, chemistry, and public health, as well as collaboration with local communities and policymakers.

Bradley and his former research partner Duncan Burns researched, designed, and built the physical prototype, which they showcased at App State’s 28th Annual Celebration of Student Research and Creative Endeavors. This innovation demonstrates how renewable energy can provide safe drinking water when communities need it most.

Congratulations to Bradley DelVecchio and Dr. Sohad Abu-elzait for advancing sustainable solutions that make a difference!

On Friday, October 3rd, our student ASC Competition class took a field trip to Charlotte and Concord, NC for two site vi...
10/29/2025

On Friday, October 3rd, our student ASC Competition class took a field trip to Charlotte and Concord, NC for two site visits. These sites are similar to this year's ASC (Associated Schools of Construction) Student Competition, which AppState's Building Science program will be sending two teams to. On this trip, students had the opportunity to engage with industry professionals and ask questions that might benefit them in their upcoming competition. Lithko Contracting, this year's sponsor, hosted the class at Novant Health Performance Center in downtown Charlotte. The facility is a 160,000 SF/$150 million project with Gilbane as the general contractor. The students observed a multistory cast in place concrete structure similar to this year's competition and discussed poured in place concrete means and methods, scheduling, and project logistics. A special thanks to the folks at Lithko Contracting - John-Taylor Hixson (AppState '17), Senior Estimator; Ryan Hill, Operation Manager; Tyler Freeze, Project Lead; and Antonio Arroyo Carbajal Jr Arroyo (AppState '25), Project Engineer.

The second site, AM King Group, hosted the class at Custom Flavors' new production facility in Concord, NC. Custom Flavors produces more than 20,000 flavors and flavor combinations. This year's Design Build Competition tasks the students to design, estimate, plan, and schedule MÜNZING NORTH AMERICA’s new US headquarters in Clover, SC. MÜNZING is a highly regarded, privately owned specialty additive company with headquarters in Abstatt, Germany. Being a unique building type, this visit was invaluable to the class and allowed them to observe a similar building under construction with food additive manufacturing and laboratory spaces, warehouse operations, and the critical aspects that will influence their design and construction operations. A special thanks to the folks at AM King Group - Sara Smith, Marketing Manager; David Sawicki, Vice President; and Chad Elly, Architect for making this happen!

Appalachian State University College of Fine and Applied Arts at Appalachian State University

Congratulations to STBE student Sarah Johnson on becoming a 2025-2027 recipient! Created by the Obamas and Airbnb's Br...
10/23/2025

Congratulations to STBE student Sarah Johnson on becoming a 2025-2027 recipient! Created by the Obamas and Airbnb's Brian Chesky, this scholarship supports young leaders who are ready to make their mark in public service.

And public service takes many forms – it’s not just government jobs. It can mean a career in education, nonprofits, entrepreneurship, the arts – any field where people are committed to building a more connected, just, and equitable world. Sarah writes that she “plan[s] to focus on the development and installation of microgrid renewable energy systems to explore how sustainable infrastructure can support basic needs and strengthen climate resilience,” and we can’t wait to see where she takes this in combination with the support from the Renewable Energy Technology program here at Appalachian State University.

We're proud to have Sarah representing us, and please help us celebrate her!

Do you see yourself in this picture? 👀 If so, you're one of our fabulous STBE alumni who came out to our CDRET Career Fa...
10/09/2025

Do you see yourself in this picture? 👀 If so, you're one of our fabulous STBE alumni who came out to our CDRET Career Fair last week and represented your organization to promote networking and career opportunities for our current students. We love seeing this returning alumni group get bigger every semester. Thank you for all you do!

Appalachian State University College of Fine and Applied Arts at Appalachian State University

Last week, at our STBE Industry Advisory Council meeting, faculty member John Clark was honored for his long-standing co...
10/08/2025

Last week, at our STBE Industry Advisory Council meeting, faculty member John Clark was honored for his long-standing commitment to the STBE department's mission, students, and partnerships. Please join us in congratulating John in his outstanding achievements through his years of service to STBE!

College of Fine and Applied Arts at Appalachian State University Appalachian State University

We are reminiscing about our time at last Tuesday's STBE CDRET Career Fair, which hosted 129 organizations from across t...
10/08/2025

We are reminiscing about our time at last Tuesday's STBE CDRET Career Fair, which hosted 129 organizations from across the Construction, Design, and Renewable Energy Technology fields. 611 of our students were in attendance, and we have loved hearing about their networking, new connections, and internship/job opportunities. Thank you to all of our industry partners who helped make this happen, and stay tuned for more pictures and videos from all of the STBE events last week!

Appalachian State University College of Fine and Applied Arts at Appalachian State University

We had a great first week of our STBE Resume Review Clinic, with support from and our industry partner Turner Construct...
09/18/2025

We had a great first week of our STBE Resume Review Clinic, with support from and our industry partner Turner Construction Company!

STBE students - Join us next Tuesday and Wednesday (9/23 & 9/24) in the Katherine Harper Hall lobby from 12:00-3:00 to get your resume reviewed by the Career Development Center and industry partners before our upcoming STBE Career Fair!

Congratulations to our STBE students who participated in the Appalachia Service Project Race to Build annual event, wher...
09/18/2025

Congratulations to our STBE students who participated in the Appalachia Service Project Race to Build annual event, where construction management students from different universities come together and compete to build homes as fast as they can for families in the Tri-Cities, Tennessee region! Our students had a great time, and we can’t wait to see what they take from this experience.

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397 Rivers Street Rm 20 Katherine Harper Hall
Boone, NC
28607

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