Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences

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Dr. Brett Taubman is a professor and the director of the Fermentation Sciences program in Appalachian State University's A.R. Smith Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences.

Dr. Brett Taubman featured on WUNC's The Broadside
Jan 23, 2026

From bourbon to chow chow, fermentation is everywhere in Southern food and drink.

Department News, Faculty and Staff, Fermentation Sciences
Erik Martella sits on a stone wall and smiles while pouring himself a glass of red wine.

Demystifying Wine for the Next Generation [faculty featured]
Jan 9, 2026

As both an educator and winemaker, Erik Martella has spent decades thinking about how people encounter wine, not just as a beverage, but as an experience shaped by history, hospitality, and human... Faculty and Staff, Fermentation Sciences

Dr. Nancy Asen is an assistant professor in the Appalachian State University A.R. Smith Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences.
Jess Horton, of Charlotte, will graduate on Friday with a bachelor's degree in physics with a concentration in interdisciplinary science and minors in both chemistry and mathematics.

CAS Senior Spotlight: Jess Horton
Dec 9, 2025

BOONE, N.C. — Jess Horton’s path at App State has been one defined by resilience, discovery, and an evolving passion for science.

Chemistry, Students
Dr. Jefferson Bates is an associate professor in the Appalachian State University Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Erik Martella, wine specialist and lecturer in the Appalachian State University Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences, member of the CAS Advancement Council, and proprietor of Erik Martella Wines, chats with students at Vidalia Restaurant and Wine Bar before the beginning of the inaugural "Wine and Fine Dining for Emerging Professionals" program. Photo by Lauren Gibbs
Dr. Bob Swarthout is an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences and Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences.
Fermentation Sciences majors Finn Adams (left), Chris Martin (second from left), and Dominic Bernardi (third from left) learned about winemaking from Will Burrow ’20 (fourth from left), head winemaker at Grandfather Mountain Vineyard in Banner Elk.
CAS Corps member Seleen Al Horani is a senior chemistry major from Amman, Jordan. Photo submitted

Chemistry major Seleen Al Horani joins CAS Corps
Sep 23, 2025

The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Corps are chosen to serve as representatives to all constituents of CAS and to create, promote and execute... Chemistry, Students

Dr. Brett Taubman is a professor and the director of the Fermentation Sciences program in Appalachian State University's A.R. Smith Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences.

Dr. Brett Taubman featured on WUNC's Due South
May 27, 2025

What do cheese, beer, a “true country ham,” and sauerkraut have in common? Fermentation.

Department News, Faculty and Staff, Fermentation Sciences
Top: App State senior Lex Foote, a Scholarships in STEM (S-STEM) Scholar in math from Linville, demonstrates an equation on the whiteboard. Bottom: From left to right: Dr. Rahman Tashakkori, Dr. Andrew Heckert, Dr. Mohammad Ali Javidian, Dr. Carol Babyak and Dr. Roshani Silwal. Photos by Chase Reynolds
Dr. Carol Babyak

Dr. Carol Babyak to serve as macebearer for Spring 2025 CAS Commencement
Apr 23, 2025

Dr. Carol Babyak will serve as the macebearer for the 5 p.m. ceremony.

Faculty and Staff