Appalachian State University will mark the twentieth year of the school’s Goodnight Family Sustainable Development Program with the 20th Anniversary Sustainable Development Benefit Concert. Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Doc Watson will headline the concert, which will raise funds for the program. The concert is scheduled for Oct. 8 at 8 p.m. in Farthing Auditorium on the campus of A.S.U. Special guests the Krüger Brothers will open the concert, followed by Doc, who will be accompanied by his grandson Richard Watson and friend Charles Welch. The A.S.U. Sustainable Development Program was founded in 1991 by anthropology professor Dr. Jefferson Boyer. Under the auspices of Boyer and later, Director Chuck Smith, the program was shaped in response to the United Nations definition of sustainable development as “an effort to promote development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Twenty years later, Boyer is transitioning into retirement, leaving a program that has grown to include over 200 students, four undergraduate degree programs and a master’s concentration. Sustainable Development at A.S.U. continues to flourish under the direction of Dr. Sandra Lubarsky, who became the program’s new director in early 2011. Students study environmental, economic and social sustainability, preparing to play a leading role in revitalizing community life. “Sustainable Development graduates are in the vanguard of community work, helping to promote healthy food production, protect natural resources, and provide economic security on local to global levels,” Lubarsky said. Sustainable Development students and faculty have been essential to the emergence of community organizations like Cove Creek Preservation & Development and Elk Knob Community Headwaters Organization. The program also played a major role in the founding of Elk Knob State Park. Doc Watson, through years of contributions to community members in need, is a beacon of sustainable development practices. He has been a long-time proponent of the Sustainable Development Program. Sustainable Development students receive support from the Doc and Rosa Lee Watson Scholarship Fund. Ticket prices for the Sustainable Development 20th Anniversary Concert are $10 for A.S.U. students, $15 for A.S.U. faculty and staff, and $20 for the public. Tickets are available only at the Farthing Auditorium box office and online at www.susdev.appstate.edu. Farthing Auditorium is located at 733 Rivers St. in Boone. Farthing Auditorium box office hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information please call the Farthing Auditorium ticket office at 1-800-841-2787 or visit www.susdev.appstate.edu.