University College

The University Forum Committee (UFC) is responsible for bringing external speakers to the campus of Appalachian State University.

The University Forum Lecture series is one of the longest-running such series at Appalachian State University and it provides opportunities for the students, faculty, and staff at the university and for people in the surrounding region to hear some of the most stimulating speakers in the country.

A Beast Touch the Mountain - Filmmaking workshop with James Mortten and screening with Panelists Mary Beth Coffee and Red Terry

Friday, February 27 2026  at 1:00 PM (Filmmaking workshop)
Appalachian Theatre Community Room
559 W King St
Boone, North Carolina 28607

Friday, February 27 2026  at 6:00 PM (Screening)
Appalachian Theatre
559 W King St
Boone, North Carolina 28607

Speaker: James Mortten
Faculty member: Beth Davidson

Storytelling with a Climate Lens

Thursday, March 19 2026 at 11:00-12:15 (Storytelling with a Climate Lens presentation)
Thursday, March 19 2026 at 2:00-3:15 (Conversation with student panel)
Parkway Ballroom (Room 420)
Plemmons Student Union
263 Locust Street
Boone, North Carolina 28608

Speaker: Anna Jane Joyner
Faculty member: Laura England

Climate change is happening now, all around us, not elsewhere or in the future. Climate intersects with every issue we care about, every topic under the sun. So, as screenwriter and producer Dorothy Fortenberry says, “If climate isn’t in your story, it’s science fiction.” Including climate in your story doesn’t mean being didactic, boring, or forced. It doesn’t have to mean conjuring shame or doom. In fact, climate change is a generative lens through which to imagine any aspect of a story. It can be a tool you use to add conflict and reveal complexities in character and setting. The result is rich, authentic, relevant stories that touch on something we’re all seeing and feeling. Join us to learn from climate storytelling expert Anna Jane Joyner about how to tell better stories using a climate lens.

Anna Jane Joyner is a story consultant and the founder and director of Good Energy Stories, a nonprofit consultancy that supports TV and film creators in telling wildly entertaining stories that honestly reflect the world we live in now—a world in which climate disruption is pervasive. Why is this work important? Good Energy worked with university research partners to analyze 37,453 scripted TV episodes and films released between 2016 and 2020, and determined that less than 3% of them included any kind of climate connection. Good Energy aims to make it as easy as possible to portray the climate crisis on-screen in entertaining and artful ways, in any storyline, across every genre.

Known as “Hollywood’s Climate Advisor,” Anna Jane has more than twenty years of experience in climate communications and storytelling. She is driven by a passion for TV and film —and for helping people find courage in the face of climate change. Her work has been featured in Rolling Stone, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Glamour, Deadline, CNN, The Associated Press, The New York Times, and more.

The Purpose and Passion of StoryCorps: A Discussion and Q&A with StoryCorps CEO Sandra Clark

Tuesday, April 14 2026 at 2:00 PM 
Parkway Ballroom (Room 420)
Plemmons Student Union
263 Locust Street
Boone, North Carolina 28608

Speaker: Sandra Clark
Faculty member: Rick Klima

The Common Reading Program and University Forum Lecture Series are delighted to welcome StoryCorps CEO Sandra Clark to App State, in conjunction with the adoption of the StoryCorps book Callings: The Purpose and Passion of Work as App State's common reading book for the 2025-2026 academic year. StoryCorps is a non-profit, oral history project aimed at recording, preserving, and sharing stories from Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs. It is committed to the idea that everyone has an important story to tell, and everyone's story matters, with an eye toward the future and the hope of building connections between people to help create a more just and compassionate world. 

Sandra Clark is a leading voice in journalism and beyond, challenging norms and practices that create barriers to building trust and meaningful, sustainable connections within communities. Prior to joining StoryCorps, Sandra was Vice President for News and Civic Dialogue at WHYY in Philadelphia, where she led the station’s news operations across all platforms, and was at the forefront of expanding and diversifying its audiences and outreach to communities through her innovative approaches to collaborating with grassroots information providers. As Managing Editor at the Philadelphia Inquirer prior to joining WHYY, Sandra was a member of both the executive and newsroom leadership teams, and led the paper to a Pulitzer Prize in Criticism. At this event, Sandra will speak about the history, mission, and impact of StoryCorps, as well as her hope for the future, even in the face of crippling losses in federal financial support across all American public media and broadcasting. Sandra’s talk will be followed by a Q&A session with the audience.

Polarization and American Politics - A Divided Nation

Monday, April 13 2025 at 6:30 PM
Room TBA
Plemmons Student Union
263 Locust Street
Boone, North Carolina 28608

Speaker: Sunshine Hillygus
Faculty member: William Hicks