Alfred State takes part in Appalachian Teaching Project Symposium

At a glance

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) recently hosted seven Alfred State students at the 16th annual Appalachian Teaching Project (ATP) symposium in Washington, DC.

Thu, 01/12/2017 - 14:15

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) recently hosted seven Alfred State students at the 16th annual Appalachian Teaching Project (ATP) symposium in Washington, DC.

Supported by ARC and organized by the Center for Appalachian Studies and Services at East Tennessee State University, ATP coordinates student teams from participating colleges and universities in Appalachia to develop applied research projects on topics related to building a sustainable future for the Appalachian Region. As part of ATP, student teams travel to Washington, DC, to formally present their research to other participating schools and ARC leadership.

“Each year, the Appalachian Teaching Project brings together students from across the region to share their research, work, and vision,” said ARC Federal Co-Chair Earl F. Gohl. “These next-generation leaders are energetic and innovative, and give a glimpse into Appalachia’s bright future.”

The Appalachian Regional Commission is a regional economic development partnership of federal and state governments across 420 counties in 13 Appalachian states. ARC's mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia.

The 2016 ATP symposium was held at the Crystal City Marriot in Arlington, VA, and featured 150 students representing 14 schools from 11 Appalachian states. The team from Alfred State included fourth-year students in the Urban Design Studio. They presented their research titled “Connecting Downtown to the River: A Vision for Sustainability and Growth in Wellsville, New York,” which discussed the Community Visualization Study completed for that community in fall 2016.

The research team was led by Professors David Carli and William Dean. Dean was also named an Appalachian Teaching Fellow for the 2016–2017 academic year, along with Dr. Craig Clark. Carli and Dean both teach in the Department of Architecture and Design. As part of their ATP visit to Washington, DC, the Alfred State team also toured a number of monuments and museums on the National Mall, including the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Led by the Consortium of Appalachian Centers and Institutes, the ATP offers students a unique opportunity to conduct active community-based research on their campuses.

Nearly 2,000 students from 20 colleges and universities across Appalachia have participated in the ATP since the program began in 2001.

students with professors at the symposium in Washington, DC — From left, Professor David Carli, Department of Architecture and Design; Shirleejae Illsley, of Castle Creek; Kelsey Ayers, of Leicester; Samantha Keene, of Bergen; Robert Apgar, of Waterloo; Jessica Woughter, of Andover; Nathan Piscitelli, of Wellsville; Vanessa Brand, of Cobleskill; Professor William Dean, Department of Architecture and Design (ATP Teaching Fellow); and Appalachian Regional Commission Federal Co-Chair Earl F. Gohl. Illsley, Woughter, Piscitelli, and Brand are Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) majors, and Ayers, Keene, and Apgar are architectural technology majors. Photo courtesy of photographer Lloyd Wolf.