As a professor in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, Dr. Ledford teaches courses in Appalachian literature, mountain literature, comparative mountain studies and higher education pedagogy. She joined App State in 2008 as a lecturer and the coordinator of the Appalachian Studies program and served as director of the program from 2009 to 2016. Ledford is passionate about establishing relationships between international mountain studies scholars. A past president of the Appalachian Studies Association (2011–2012), she is founding chair of the association’s International Connections Committee, which fosters communication between Appalachian Studies scholars and mountain studies scholars around the world. In 2019, Ledford coordinated the inaugural International Mountain Studies Symposium at App State, which brought international scholars and artists to Boone to engage with students, faculty and the community. Ledford is planning a second symposium, to be held later this year. Ledford co-edited “Writing Appalachia,” a comprehensive anthology of Appalachian literature published by The University Press of Kentucky in March 2020. The work received the 2020 Thomas D. Clark Foundation Medallion for its high standards of research and writing that highlight the history and culture of Kentucky. Ledford received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, her Master of Arts degree in American literature from the University of Alabama and her doctoral degree in early American literature from the University of Kentucky.
High Country Humanities at Appalachian State University aims to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of the humanities across the High Country region of North Carolina. The program supports faculty in their scholarly activities, promotes their collaborations with community partners and organizes events that help their expertise reach the wider public. High Country Humanities is an initiative of App State’s College of Arts and Sciences, with support from the Division of Academic Affairs. Learn more at hchumanities.appstate.edu.