BUSINESS Appalachian State University | Walker College of Business
Leaders Magazine 2018
INSIDE: STUDENTS INNOVATE TO SOLVE COMPLEX PROBLEMS FOR INDUSTRY PARTNERS IN ‘HOW SPACE’ PAGE 14
Business Leaders Magazine Business Leaders Magazine is produced and published annually by the Walker College of Business Dean’s Office for Appalachian State University’s business alumni, faculty, staff and friends.
Dean Heather Norris Associate Deans Global & Civic Engagement Martin Meznar Undergraduate Programs and Administration Sam Formby Graduate Programs and Research Sandy Vannoy Director of Development Will Sears Editor Haley Childers Contributing Writers Linda Coutant Brenna Vaz Elisabeth Wall Kesha Williams Photography Kim Bock Sabrina Cheves Marie Freeman Samantha Fuentes business.appstate.edu
Appalachian State University is committed to equality of educational opportunity and does not discriminate against applicants, students or employees on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disabling condition or sexual orientation. Appalachian also actively promotes diversity among students and employees. 24,500 copies of this document were printed at a cost of $15,180, or 62 cents per copy.
Green Yosef is a family project of Jim and Jen Westerman. See page 18 for detail.
CONTENTS
On the Cover
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The ‘How’ Space
Students collaborate across disciplines to solve complex world problems for industry partners
People
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Grad student Daniel Emery shows how new degree offerings draw students to Boone
Accounting major Maheder Yohannes earns her U.S. citizenship, gives back to Ethiopia
Practice what you teach Professors Jim and Jen Westerman operate their home at netpositive energy use with solar
Reaching new Peaks Freshman Jackson Barbee is an innovative student receiving expert advice
Big data, bigger network
Live like you mean it
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In Pictures 12
Global Learning
28 Alumni & Friends
News & Highlights 4 8 24
Students
Programs Faculty
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Staff
Change Makers Alumni
Walker College Dean Heather Hulburt Norris snapped an epic game day selfie on the sidelines of the Appalachian homecoming game. Pictured, from left, are Norris, Reich College of Education Dean Melba McCall Spooner, Beaver College of Health Sciences Dean Marie Huff, and Arts & Sciences Dean Neva Specht.
Innovative Leadership Expectations are high, opportunities abound
Appalachian State University Chancellor Sheri Everts recently stated that, “With new leadership at the helm of nearly every college, my expectations are high. This academic leadership team will effect positive change here on our campus and in the greater community.” Indeed we are promoting positive change through values-driven innovation in all that we do –– through our teaching, research, service and operations. Above all, we are fostering student success. Throughout the pages of this edition of Business Leaders Magazine, you’ll see images of students and faculty collaborating across disciplines and industries. I think you’ll see why Appalachian is known for preparing students to lead purposeful lives as engaged global citizens who understand their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. Each story here, as well as many more that exist beyond these pages, reflects how we are using business practices to help make the world a better place.
Heather H. Norris Dean, Walker College of Business
Student News & Highlights HIGH PERFORMING STUDENTS
Walker College’s Yadkin Bank Honors Convocation celebrates outstanding academic performance The Yadkin Bank Honors Convocation is the annual celebration of highest performing students in the Walker College. It is also the forum to announce the top business student overall for the academic year. In 2017, two students shared the honor. Accounting and finance and banking double major James Marlowe and economics and management double major Ronald “Trey” Worley III each earned nearly perfect GPAs, studied abroad, completed internships and worked with local organizations. Both also earned a minor – Marlowe’s was Chinese and Worley’s entrepreneurship – and showed good character, using the knowledge and experience they gained while in school to help others. Richard Sparks, a two-time graduate of the Walker College, having earned his bachelor’s degree in healthcare management (1976) and his MBA (1978), delivered comments during the event. Sparks recently retired as president and CEO of Appalachian Regional Healthcare System (AHRS), and in 2016, he received an honorary doctorate from Appalachian. He has since served as a lecturer of international leadership and ethics for the college. ▪
Student leaders of Appalachian’s Association of Information Technology Professionals chapter with faculty advisor Scott Hunsinger, second from right.
AITP wins Student Chapter Outstanding Performance Award for 10th consecutive year Appalachian’s chapter of the Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP) earned the AITP Student Chapter Outstanding Performance Award for 2017, marking the tenth consecutive year that the chapter has won the honor. The performance award is given to those AITP student chapters which meet or exceed requirements in five areas: education, membership, public relations, meetings and association participation. Only seven colleges and universities out of more than 200 AITP student chapters across 45 states were selected for the honor. “AITP is very active on campus,” said Scott Hunsinger, professor of computer information systems and faculty advisor for AITP. “More than 350 students attended the fall kickoff meeting in August!” The student organization brings industry speakers to campus each week to provide real-world advice to students and to inform them about job and internship opportunities. The club also holds weekly committee meetings, during which students participate in subcommittees including fundraising, marketing and event planning.
Trey Worley, center, and James Marlowe, inset, earned the 2017 student of the year awards.
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For more information about the Appalachian chapter of AITP, visit aitp.appstate.edu, or learn more about the 20+ business-oriented student organizations at business.appstate.edu/clubs. ▪
Accounting student earns Plemmons Medallion Jonathan Mauldin, a graduate accounting student from Lumberton, earned a 2017 Plemmons Medallion. Mauldin, who earned his bachelor’s from the Walker College in 2017, served as a Walker Fellow, and in this role led the Presidents’ Roundtable for the college during the 2016-17 academic year. He also has served as president of the Club Council, the university’s governing body for clubs and organizations and is a past recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award. Mauldin’s “legacy will be his care for other people,” a nominator said. “He is not the type of person who needs to be in the spotlight or craves attention. Rather, he puts others in the spotlight to honor and celebrate others’ accomplishments.” The medallion is named for Dr. William H. Plemmons, who served as Appalachian’s second president from 1955 to 1969. The award recognizes the time, energy, skills and commitment of students, faculty, student development educators and staff who exceed their peers in providing leadership that enriches the quality of student life and advances the education of students. ▪
Jonathan Mauldin ‘17 earned a Plemmons Medallion for his extraordinary commitment to Appalachian.
MERITORIOUS LEADERSHIP
Business students receive top honors during Celebration of Leadership and Legacy Ceremony Business students earned top honors during the 2017 Celebration of Leadership and Legacy Award Ceremony, hosted by Appalachian’s Division of Student Affairs. In addition to Jonathan Mauldin being named a Plemmons Medallion winner, business students Jae Amoah and Hollie Brown earned Ronny L. Brooks Leadership Awards, which recognize exemplary leadership provided to Appalachian students, programs and organizations. Amoah majored in marketing and served on the Chancellor’s Student Advisory Board for Diversity Recruitment, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, and the NPHC Sororities and Diversity Scholars. Brown majored in economics and finance and banking and served as a Walker Fellow, a Broyhill Fellow, a member of the Bowden Investment Group, the Panhellenic President and a member of Sigma Kappa Sorority at Appalachian. Senior accounting major Ashlee Harvey was recognized as outstanding student employee of the year for her work with Appalachian’s Food Services. Harvey is a business honors student, a member of Beta Alpha Psi and AIESEC, and she is a past winner of the Walker College’s Leadership Case Competition. ▪
Hollie Brown ‘17, center, was named a Ronny Brooks Leadership Awardee. Photo submitted.
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BIG DATA, BIGGER NETWORK
New degree offerings draw students to Boone A family affair Daniel Emery is a second-semester graduate student in Appalachian’s Applied Data Analytics Program. Having come to Appalachian by way of Stanford University and the City of East Lansing, Michigan, Emery completed an undergraduate degree in geophysics and joined the workforce as an engineer for the city. At the time, Emery’s younger sister, Hannah, had enrolled as a freshman at Appalachian and spoke with great enthusiasm about the quality of her education and the transformative connections she was developing in Boone. Hannah Emery, who was enjoying academic success in her sustainable development and environmental studies programs and athletic success Emery, second from left, with as a pole vaulter on the fellow researchers Kiefer Smith, Mountaineer track and field left, Cameron Barnett, right, and team, encouraged her brother Associate Dean Martin Meznar. to look into the graduate programs at Appalachian.
The Master of Science in Data Analytics Emery’s inquiries led him to one of Appalachian’s newest graduate degree programs, a Master of Science in Applied Data Analytics, which was launched at Appalachian in 2016. Realizing the growing value of data analysis for organizations, Daniel knew the degree would help
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him further accomplish his career goals. Students in Appalachian’s analytics program must complete a practicum to apply classroom learning in a real-world setting. Graduates possess the technical skills to work with data and to do so within the business context, understanding and applying concepts, techniques and tools to help organizations make decisions and solve problems. Emery was convinced. He came to Appalachian in 2017, and, like his sister, began realizing the value of the Appalachian experience and network.
The Appalachian network During his first semester at Appalachian, Emery met a variety of individuals who would become part of his new Appalachian family. Director of Data Analytics Lakshmi Iyer, Center for Analytics Research and Education Director Joseph Cazier, Global and Civic Engagement Associate Dean Martin Meznar, and two fellow students –– Cameron Barnett and Kiefer Smith –– all would play a key role in Emery’s Appalachian experience. At Stanford, Emery was a two-time member of the allacademic PAC-12 track and field team (a pole vaulter, like Hannah), a recipient of the Dean’s Award for Undergraduate Academic Achievement, and the 2015 Graduate Student Award for Best Undergraduate Paper. At Appalachian, the bar, so to speak, was set high for Emery. And he delivered. Initially collaborating with Iyer, who recognized his drive and potential, Emery was paired first with Meznar and later Cazier to further campus research efforts. All the while, together with Barnett and Smith, Emery completed and placed 50th out of 4,000 entries in a global competition on home value prediction sponsored by Zillow, which became a subject for a midterm presentation, and founded a data analytics company, Altitude Analytics Consulting.
Siblings Daniel and Hannah Emery came to Appalachian from East Lansing, Michigan.
Experiential learning Working under Meznar, Emery, Barnett and Smith were assigned a practicum to conceptualize the energy and water consumption data for Peacock Hall, using real time data from meters on the building’s solar array. “This is an outstanding team of data analytics students who are really motivated to gather the energy consumption data for Peacock Hall and present it in an effective way,” said Meznar. “It may even provide a template for communicating data for other initiatives across campus.” Emery’s drive to make an impact through analytics is boundless. Performing research with Center for Analytics Research
and Education Director Joseph Cazier, Emery is looking at bee behavior and how beekeepers interact with an online system called HiveTracks to determine the hive’s ability to thrive or fail. Emery is also applying data analytics to model landfill gas production in order to improve landfill gas collection system performance and ultimately reduce methane gas emissions. He is a member of the Executive Impact Club, which provides opportunities for professional growth to Appalachian’s community of business graduate students. Through the club, Emery and his teammates have formed a committee that will lead a datathon to get students energized around data analysis, beginning in 2018.
A Dean’s Club scholar Emery said that aside from the connections he’s made, a Dean’s Club Scholarship has been a key element to his success. “It has provided enormous aid to me, allowing me to focus more time on my projects and relieving the financial pressure of graduate school.” The Walker College Dean’s Club is an annual giving society that supports students and faculty and enhances the university’s business programs. In the last two years, the number of student scholarships provided by Dean’s Club members has doubled. ▪
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Program News & Highlights LEADING PROGRAMS
Appalachian’s Risk Management and Insurance Program named Global Center of Insurance Excellence
The Risk Management and Insurance Program (RMI) at Appalachian was awarded the Global Centers of Insurance Excellence (GCIE) designation.
The Walker College has been awarded the Global Centers of Insurance Excellence (GCIE) designation by the International Insurance Society (IIS) for its highly ranked risk management and insurance program. The designation is awarded to universities with outstanding risk management and insurance programs, and in selecting designees, the society considers such factors as accreditation, curriculum, involvement with industry and faculty qualifications. With 200 majoring students, Appalachian’s Risk Management and Insurance (RMI) program is the seventh largest of its kind in the country.
GCIE designees were announced during the International Insurance Society’s 2017 Global Insurance Forum in London, England. Other universities receiving the designation included Ball State, CSU Fullerton, Florida State, University of South Carolina, St. John’s, Temple, Georgia and Virgina Commonwealth, among others. “We are honored to be recognized as a Global Center of Insurance Excellence,” said David Marlett, director of the Brantley Risk and Insurance Center. “The award reflects the commitment to our students from the faculty, staff and administration. The support and guidance from the Brantley Center Board of Advisors is also instrumental to our success.” The aim of the GCIE program is to encourage universities to play an integral role in advancing insurance knowledge, to enhance insurance research and intellectual capital development, and to build connections between the insurance industry and top-tier academic programs and faculty. The GCIE designation is retained for five years and thereafter extended by renewal. The college’s Brantley Risk and Insurance Center, founded in 1988 with support from the Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina, supports research and faculty development, assists the insurance industry in the design and delivery of training and continuing education programs, and facilitates interaction between students, faculty and the professionals in the insurance industry. ▪
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Martin Meznar now serves as Associate Dean for Global and Civic Engagement.
Meznar named associate dean for global and civic engagement Dr. Martin Meznar, who has served as the college’s associate dean of international programs and assessment since 2008, assumed the role of associate dean for global and civic engagement for the Walker College in July 2017. “The change better aligns Dr. Meznar with the scope of his responsibilities,” said Walker College Dean Heather Norris. “He leads initiatives that are critical to our students’ Appalachian education, including global learning, understanding diversity and inclusion, and sustainability.” The college’s strategic plan, adopted by college faculty in May 2017 to guide the business school through 2022, lists global learning, diversity and sustainability among its eight core values: Global Learning - Incorporating a global orientation as an integral component of students’ academic experience, the college has partnerships with universities across the globe and continues to expand ground-breaking opportunities in emerging markets, adding new program destinations and encouraging more students to spend a semester or year abroad. Diversity and Inclusion - The Walker College respects and celebrates differences. A diverse campus culture is critical to maintaining a living and learning environment conducive to knowledge, respect, acceptance, understanding and global awareness. Sustainability - The Walker College cultivates a deep understanding of the powerful role of business in advancing a productive and healthy society. ▪
Past five years bring changes that equip graduates to lead in the workplace Curricular innovation focuses on specialized, niche knowledge The Walker College curriculum is relevant and responsive to industry demand, according to Sam Formby, the Walker College’s associate dean for undergraduate programs and administration. Input from faculty, students, and the business community have contributed to significant innovation over the last five years, including the Master of Science in applied data analytics, the BSBA major in supply chain management, eight new undergraduate minors, and five new MBA concentrations. New and existing courses also saw significant content enhancements related to sustainable business, quantitative skills, global corporate social responsibility, entrepreneurship, and analytics content. In both new and existing courses, faculty have been agile and proactive in adding important contemporary topics, and student feedback reflects this, said Formby.
RANKED & RECOGNIZED
Appalachian’s MBA program listed among The Princeton Review’s 2018 best The Walker College of Business is featured in The Princeton Review’s 2018 list of best on-campus MBA schools. The list is based on a combination of institutional and student survey data, including career outcomes, admissions selectivity and academic rigor, among others, according to The Princeton Review’s website. The Princeton Review noted Appalachian’s MBA program for having an international experience requirement, rigorous academics, and accessible and interesting professors. It listed enrollment as just under 100 students. The publication’s summary of Appalachian highlighted the university’s three MBA options — an accelerated one-year full-time program, a part-time night program on its main campus in Boone, and a part-time program at the university’s satellite campus in Hickory — and its ability to cover all functional areas of business, including accounting, economics, finance, management, marketing, supply chain management, business analytics and statistics. ▪
This year, the data analytics program will add concentrations in marketing, healthcare management and computer science, further qualifying Walker College graduates to lead in industry. Committed to advancing sustainable business practices that promote responsible management of economic, social and natural resources, the business curriculum has expanded in recent years to include a sustainable business minor available to business and nonbusiness majors, a bachelor’s degree in environmental economics and policy, and an MBA concentration in sustainable business. These programs focus on student engagement, research and community involvement and affirm that the economy, environment and society are interconnected and interdependent. ▪
Members of the fall 2017 cohorts of MBA and Master of Science in applied data analytics students on the steps of the Peacock Hall Plaza.
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LIVE LIKE YOU MEAN IT Accounting major earns U.S. citizenship, gives back to Ethiopia Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Maheder Yohannes is a first-generation college student majoring in accounting in the Walker College. Having immigrated to America at age 10 under dire political and familial circumstances, the senior has excelled academically and as a student leader, especially as a 2017 Holland Fellow. She received her U.S. citizenship in February 2017. Bolstered by her newly earned American status, Yohannes will return to Ethiopia to visit extended family — and also give back some of the educational benefits she has received. “My background continues to shape who I am,”
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said Yohannes, whose immediate family lives in Charlotte. Her father came to the U.S. in 2003 on a United Nations political refugee visa, and it would be three years before he had enough money for Yohannes, her mother, sister and half brother to join him. “I appreciate learning, growing and expanding my knowledge. In the words of the late Nelson Mandela, ‘Education is the most important weapon which you can use to change the world.’ My education is my important investment, and I work hard every day in order to ensure that my parents’ sacrifices are not in vain,” she said. Yohannes is
Maheder Yohannes provided school supplies and required uniforms for underprivileged children during her December 2017 trip to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
grateful for the scholarship funds that have made college possible, especially the prestigious Holland Fellows program in which she and 11 other WCOB students worked on a project with 12 Chinese students and made a presentation together at the Shanghai Economic Forum last spring. In a speech to scholarship donors last March, Yohannes acknowledged the “rhetoric surrounding irrational fear of outsiders” coming into the United States. “What makes this nation beautiful is the cultural exchange that has taken place and continues to take place,” she said, citing Holland Fellows as an example. “I am a refugee from the Horn of Africa, living in the town of Boone, North Carolina, working with 12 students from China. We are all interconnected; we are all so different. Yet, by going through this program, we have seen how alike we really are,” she told donors.
Supporting education in Ethiopia Yohannes wants to give back to Ethiopia some of what she’s gained. In her research, she said she learned that one out of three children of primary school age in Ethiopia is not in school — with that number increasing as the children age and are required to work and help provide for their families. “Children as young as 7 shine shoes and sell chewing gum, sweets, lottery tickets and other small items on the streets so they can make ends meet for themselves and their families,” Yohannes said. She created a YouCaring crowdsourcing page so she can help provide school supplies and required uniforms for underprivileged children
in Addis Ababa when she visits. “As fortunate as I have been, I can’t imagine returning to that land emptyhanded,” she said. She plans to stay in Ethiopia about a month before her accounting internship begins in Charlotte with PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2018. She has already completed two internships with Ally Financial in Charlotte, which she secured through contacts made during the Walker College’s Business Connections event.
Why choose Appalachian? Yohannes said she knew early on she wanted to pursue an accounting degree. “Math is the same in any language, so I excelled in math growing up,” she said. Choosing Appalachian “made sense,” she said, “because it’s a good value school and has a good accounting program. I wanted to come here.” Here at Appalachian, she holds leadership positions in Walker Fellows, Minority Women’s Leadership Circle and L.E.A.D. (Linking Education and Diversity) programs in which she mentors other students. She is also a Dean’s Club Scholar, an Anne Cannon Trust International Travel Scholar, and she received the James F. Jones Accounting Endowed Scholarship. Yohannes, who has a sister at UNC Greensboro, said she will likely remain in Charlotte after graduation since the city has a strong Ethiopian community. While adjusting to American culture hasn’t always been easy, Yohannes seems to persevere. “Everywhere you go there will be challenges,” she said. “It’s important to make the place where you are better every day and make it more accessible and open to everyone.” ▪
Global travel transforming students Madeline Hamiter is a junior from Mooresville, North Carolina studying finance and accounting. She is a Wilson Scholar and, last year, she participated in the Holland International Business Fellowship. Hamiter is also president of the Finance Student Association in the Walker College, has a passion for financial literacy, and is writing her thesis. While she is busy by anyone’s standards, Hamiter prioritizes opportunities to travel, something she sees as a chance to develop cultural awareness and grow personally. Before coming to Appalachian, Hamiter had never been on an airplane. Now, she’s been to New York, Paris, Rome, Florence, Sorrento, Cortona, Tokyo, Hong Kong and, thanks to the Holland Fellows Program, Shanghai, Lijiang and Siblings Daniel Beijing, China.
and Hannah Emery came to In a post on the Wilson Scholars Program website, Appalachian titled Conversations from China, Hamiter from East Landetails her trip to China and how, through the sing, Michigan.
Holland Fellows Program, she has gained an understanding of the differences in the cultures, nations and peoples and discovered opportunities to collaborate in a global business environment. ▪ Read Conversations from China at business.appstate.edu/features.
Holland Fellow Madeline Hamiter at the Great Wall.
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In Pictures: Global Learning 1. In collaboration with the Université d’Angers, students take classes with Angers business students, learn international finance and brand management, while experiencing French culture and language. Excursions include visits to landmarks in Angers, the Loire Valley and Paris. 2. In partnership with Wine to Water, a Boone-based NGO committed to providing clean water to remote areas, students explored how a reliable source of clean water is critical to society. The course, Sustainability and Society in the Colombian Amazon, brought students to the region where the borders of Colombia, Peru and Brazil meet in the Amazon jungle. 3. Finance and accounting double major Christopher Miller captioned this picture Oh the places these things take me. Miller was a 2017 participant of the William R. Holland International Business Fellowship, and, through the experience found himself and his Crocs atop the Great Wall in Bejing, China. 4. Department of Management Administrator Maira Compagnone helped lead a delegation of students to Cuba in 2017 where she snapped Sunset on the Malecon. Compagnone says the image depicts restored classic cars driving along the Malecón, the most famous avenue of Centro Habana, where “the whole city congregates to meet and socialize in the fresh sea air.” Compagnone won first place in the college’s #WalkerFamous competition for her photo.
View all #WalkerFamous photos at business.appstate.edu/features.
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5. Students visited Chernobyl, 31 years after the nuclear disaster as part of an exploration of energy policy in Eastern Europe, where they also visited Moscow and Kiev. They examined the residual effects of the 1986 nuclear meltdown in reactor No. 4 and saw the monumental containment efforts enacted to prevent further radioactive contamination from the site, including the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant sarcophagus and evacuation of surrounding communities, including Pripyat.
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6. Junior management major Jacob Parlier traveled to Valencia, Spain to partner with students from the Universidad Europea de Madrid to create a business plan using Web 2.0 Technologies. Parlier took the photo he captioned Sunset Alleyway while taking in the customs and lifestyles of Spain. 7. Information Systems Professor Charlie Chen has led hundreds of business students abroad in the past several years. Here, he poses with a student group in Valencia, Spain.
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THE ‘HOW’ SPACE
Students collaborate across disciplines to solve complex problems for industry partners You may think of school as coming to the classroom and then going home and doing homework; but at Appalachian, faculty are rethinking how they deliver education. “We’re trying to break the hierarchy of the professor being out in front with all the great ideas,” said Mark Lewis, professor of management and co-director of AppLab. AppLab, a multi-disciplinary course focused on developing sustainable solutions for local and regional organizations, is a new way of learning that combines great ideas with a process of collaboration and iteration results in optimal solutions. Lewis’ students are figuring out solutions through innovative thinking — with an innovative process called design thinking. “We’re preparing the leaders of tomorrow by giving them ways of thinking about problems so they come up with solutions that are meaningful and that address the needs of diverse stakeholders,” said Dean Heather Norris. Part of the newly formed Innovation and Design Cooperative, which fosters innovation and creative problem-solving at the university, AppLab is open to upper-level students across campus. The course is co-directed by Lewis and Applied Design Professor Richard Elaver. Throughout the semester, AppLab students work with clients, which, last semester included Appalachian Regional Healthcare System, Blue Ridge Conservancy, Fat Brain Toys and Access Health Africa, to solve complex, real-world problems. The students’ first group exercise as part of the course involved a two-day workshop at the IBM Design Center in Durham. Students took a deep dive into the design thinking process, which is used by designers and multidisciplinary teams at IBM, and is the backbone of the AppLab class. “This workshop helped us kick-start the class and effectively launch the students into using the design thinking process in their work,” said Elaver. “By completing the twoday intensive alongside professional designers, the students became intimately familiar with the process and the benefits of using design thinking.” As part of the workshop, students were challenged to develop strategies that enticed both Boone residents and Appalachian students to repair, instead of replace, broken items. The IBM design team, including Appalachian alum and IBM’s Blockchain UX Lead Kayla White ’13, advised and guided the students through the sustainability-focused challenge. “Taking AppLab students off campus not only
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speeds up team bonding, but also shows students how the skills they will learn in AppLab are applicable to real organizations,” said Lewis. “The world needs innovators, and visiting IBM’s Design Center reinforces this important point.” Lewis and Elaver helped earn AppLab a $65,000 Active Learning Center Grant from Steelcase Education, whose grant program supports teacher and student efforts to create an environment that encourages engagement, collaboration and creativity. Design thinking was part of the grant writing process. Senior interior design major Courtney Sullivan of Greensboro created the renderings for the grant using expertise in Steelcase products and thinking processes obtained during a recent studio course. “The grant proposal process was a great example of the AppLab team working together across all disciplines,” said Elaver. “Our backgrounds brought a diverse set of experiences to the proposal.”
Only 15 Steelcase Education grant winners were selected from a pool of more than 900 applicants. The grant allowed for furniture, design, installation, on site training and pre- and post-occupancy measurement tools for the HOW Space. The off-campus location in downtown Boone — across from The Local at 182 Howard Street — makes it an ideal space to pilot the active learning environment, said Lewis. “Our highest objective is to help develop the next generation of leaders and change-makers, so such individuals can go into their respective industries and work to unlock the status quo…helping to create more value for a greater number of stakeholders.” Lewis said that in doing so, faculty members are intentional about helping to develop a robust set of both hard and soft skills that will help students problem solve during the innovation process. According to Lewis, the power of design thinking is in the integration of hard and soft skills and the application of them to real world challenges. The skills
Below, AppLab students assigned to Fatbrain Toys prepare for their final presentation.
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of leadership, teamwork, empathy and perseverance are critical to learning in the HOW Space. “One of the phrases you’ll hear used often in the College of Business is ‘business for good,’” said Dean Norris. “We want our students going out into the world and helping to make it better by using business practices that can help.” Lewis said that in AppLab, students transition from passive receivers of information to active participants in learning and discovery. “These capabilities will enable them to thrive in a constantly changing world and become visionary leaders if they choose,” he said. Developing new skills requires novel approaches to teaching and new learning environments, like the ‘How Space,’ to support the process. Lewis hopes to help grow and scale such programs across the college and university. “We need to capitalize on these early wins and keep moving forward one step at a time...like innovators do,” he said. ▪
PRACTICE WHAT YOU TEACH
Drs. Jim and Jennifer Westerman operate their home at net positive energy use with solar panels Drs. Jim and Jennifer Westerman, both professors at Appalachian, made a decision that has saved the equivalent of 276 trees and avoided 10,624 pounds of CO2 emissions in a year: having 50 solar panels installed on their 1972 home. They are also accumulating enough energy credits to power them through the High Country’s less sunny winter days, and then some. The family of four is operating at net positive energy consumption, meaning the total amount of renewable energy created at their home exceeds the total amount of energy used by the family on
an annual basis. They expect to generate three times the energy they will use during the summer months. “The extra goes back into the grid,” Jim Westerman explained. “Then, we get credit from Blue Ridge Electric through their net metering program.”
The Westermans in front of their home, which holds 50 solar panels and generates enough power for their family of four with extra to share.
The Westermans have an app on their cellphones that allows them to monitor savings and usage by the minute. Collaborative Solar, a local business, installed the panels.
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It’s about the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ There is a point, Jim Westerman said, at which you maximize the financial benefit. “We hit that point at 36 panels, but we added 14 more so we would be able to give renewable energy back to the community.” The Westermans were influenced in their decision-making by European countries that follow this model and by research that shows the value of net metering. According to the Brookings Institution, “a significant body of costbenefit research conducted by PUCs [public utilities commissions], consultants, and research organizations provides substantial evidence that net metering is more often than not a net benefit to the grid and all ratepayers.” But concerns about climate change were their primary motivation. “It is positive for the environment,” Jim Westerman said, “and it sets an example of environmental sustainability for our kids.” “We are aware of our good fortune and that installing solar panels is not possible for everybody,” Jennifer Westerman added, “but we need to be cognizant of the critical environmental context in which we are living and the impacts we make.” People can have an impact “in a lot of different ways,” Jim Westerman added. “It doesn’t have to be solar panels.” Both professors are deeply entrenched in sustainability efforts. Jim Westerman is director of sustainable business and the James E. Holshouser Distinguished Professor of Ethics in the Walker College. He was integral in launching the “Business for Good” sustainable business awareness series the college hosts each year. “Sustainable business is the future,” Jim Westerman said. “Businesses must be more aware of their environmental impacts and be connected to
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communities. In the business school, we have a good example of this with our new Net Impact student club. We could do more, however. Personally, I’d like to see every business student with a requirement for at least one sustainability-focused course.”
“It is positive for the environment, and it sets an example of environmental sustainability for our kids.” Jim Westerman serves as faculty advisor to Net Impact Appalachian, and the club aims to tap into the skills and abilities of student members to promote social and environmental sustainability in the community and the world. By applying business as a tool for innovation and change, members have the opportunity to create a measurable impact in Boone and throughout their careers. Net Impact members, like the Westermans, are involved in local efforts to effect change. Club representatives sometimes escort Green Yosef, a family project of the Westermans’ to encourage recycling and other sustainable initiatives in Boone. Jennifer Westerman agreed and said she would also like to see every student at Appalachian required to take a class on climate change. She is an associate professor in the College of Fine and Applied Arts’ Department of Sustainable Development (SD). Her research and teaching interests include environmental literature, environmental humanities, environmental and social justice, workingclass studies and environmental writing.
“I love my job at Appalachian and my students,” Jennifer Westerman said. “Many students Appalachian attracts have immense passion and an incredible drive for social change. They want to do meaningful work in this world. I feel it’s my responsibility to model some of the things I teach.” To that end, she is working on a book of creative non-fiction essays focused on particular species and places in southern Appalachia that are changing as the planet warms. For research, she is taking her family to a variety of spots in the region that will or are already experiencing climate change impacts: a creek in Virginia with native salamanders, ice caves in West Virginia, and an old growth forest in the Great Smoky Mountains, for example. All these spaces are susceptible to habitat changes and adaptation challenges. “I am constantly talking about climate change with our kids,” Jennifer Westerman said, “and I’m struggling as a parent, because I see so much inaction. I believe we need to talk about what’s happening with the environment in ways
Net Impact members Cullen Lee, left, and Meredith Lemon with Green Yosef during a Zero Waste stadium clean-up event.
that are personal and might affect change. We need to have all our kids conversant with climate change. These are defining times.” She said she is encouraged by the increased sensitivity to sustainability issues on campus and in the area. She sees true activism on campus across many disciplines and departments around the 3E’s of sustainability — economics, equity and environment. “My colleagues in the SD department are deeply committed to environmental and social justice in their teaching and research. We also have an awardwinning sustainable technology department, faculty across campus who are modeling their sustainability teaching in their own life choices, staff members in our Office of Sustainability working on improving energy infrastructure on campus, and students across campus who are participating in a variety of academic and extracurricular opportunities to strengthen their commitment to a more just and sustainable future. There is a strong desire across
campus to help our students understand that sustainability is more than greenwashing,” she said. But both of the professors expressed some frustration with the status quo. “The technology and tools are already out there,” Jim Westerman said. “We need to be more willing to implement systems to support these endeavors on a mass scale. The local, state and federal incentive structures should be such that putting solar panels on your home is a financial no-brainer for people. Boone seems to be working toward more renewable options. We certainly have the technology to make more significant and meaningful change right now. “If we are looking for enhanced models for our country,” he advised, “we should be looking at Norway, Sweden and Germany” — countries that have embraced sustainability and renewables at the highest levels. ▪
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. prepares to release a rehabilitated hawk into the wild in Blowing Rock, NC. Kennedy, who served as the keynote speaker during the third Business for Good reception, said the public is constantly told that they have to choose between economic prosperity and environmental protection but actually, “Good environmental policy is identical to economic policy.”
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REACHING NEW PEAKS Innovative Student Ideas + Expert Advice As a freshman at Appalachian, Jackson Barbee won first place in the 2017 Big Idea Pitch Competition for his innovative business idea, the Boulder Bag — a purpose-built bag that supports the needs of rock climbers. The design of the bag eliminates common problems experienced when using normal backpacks, such as damage to electronics due to chalk dust, which, according to Barbee, is an unavoidable part of the sport. Barbee is an intended management major from Cary who has been climbing for six years. “If you’re a North Carolina climber, then you should live in Boone,” said Barbee. “The amount of great climbing within a 30-minute drive of campus is astounding; I’ve been coming up here on weekends and breaks since I started climbing and I don’t feel like I’ve touched half of what the area has to offer.” Barbee added that Boone also boasts Center 45, a local bouldering gym, which he says is “a pretty great facility run by great people.” Notably, Center 45 was launched by Appalachian MBA alumnus Chris Grasinger ’13 who experienced support from the entrepreneurship center, too. Grasinger now gives back through the center’s mentoring programs. Watch a Center 45 video at business.appstate.edu/features.
Barbee added that Appalachian’s Transportation Insight Center for Entrepreneurship and the connections he’s made through the center have helped him significantly. “I’m a member of the Fast Track Program, and through that program I’ve been connected with my mentor, Dale Tweedy.” Tweedy helped Barbee find a contract manufacturer to bring the bag to market. Barbee advises others to visit the entrepreneurship center. “People don’t realize that anyone can just walk into the center,” he said. “They have connected me with a mentor, helped with a business plan, and they are helping students launch ideas into successful businesses!” Barbee said he’s always surprised when people don’t know about the center, which is located on the second floor of Peacock Hall, adjacent to the Boyles Lobby and Broyhill Commons. Barbee said peers and staff in the center were his sounding board for practicing the dynamic presentation that landed him the $1,000 first prize and the audience choice award at the pitch competition. According to an audience member, Barbee’s poise belied his freshman standing in the university. “I was incredibly nervous, I’d been running through my pitch for a few hours the night before, in the center and then later with a few friends, but when I got on stage it sort of just turned off. It was a great experience!”
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The competition provides Appalachian students the opportunity to showcase their ideas for new business ventures, and, during his three minute pitch, Barbee showed off his well-worn and tested prototype that has gotten rave reviews from climbers. The competition’s second-place winner, Narayana Walters, a senior computer science major from Sandy Ridge, North Carolina, earned a $500 prize for his idea — an online role-playing game for the visually impaired. William “Chandler” Greer, a senior marketing major and student-athlete from Knoxville, Tennessee, won third place in the competition and a $250 prize for his mobile barbershop app idea. Pictured from left to right are 2017 Big Idea Pitch Competition winners Chandler Greer, third place, Jackson Barbee, first place, and Narayana Walters, second place.
Ten finalists were chosen from a larger pool of applicants to compete for the prize money and boasting rights, and a panel of entrepreneur judges voted (with the only exception being the audience choice award) on the most promising ideas and provided feedback to the participants.
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The Hockey Stick Principles, Booneshine Brewing Company and Appalachian Mountain Brewing all provided support for the pitch competition. Appalachian alumnus Bobby Martin ’92, who founded the Hockey Stick Principles, provided remarks during the event. Martin also authored a book containing advice to entrepreneurs titled, “The Hockey Stick Principles: The 4 Key Stages to Entrepreneurial Success.” Prior to the Big Idea Pitch Competition, more than 400 students and community members had heard similar advice on succeeding as an entrepreneur during the 14th annual Carole McLeod Entrepreneur Summit. Participants heard from entrepreneur speakers on a variety of topics related to starting a business, including Donald Thompson, who delivered a keynote address titled Entrepreneurial DNA: The Makeup of Successful Business Leaders. Thompson is an author, advisor, serial entrepreneur and the CEO of Creative Allies, an integrated
marketing firm that focuses on helping consumer brands execute marketing campaigns, engage customers and acquire millennials. Thompson related experiences and lessons learned through his network at Creative Allies. The entrepreneur summit is named for Carole Moore McLeod in recognition of a gift that provides ongoing support of the entrepreneurship program. McLeod is a 1981 business graduate of the Walker College of Business and owner of Advantage Waste Recycling & Disposal Inc. Additional support was provided by community partners SkyLine/SkyBest and LifeStore Bank. Support was also provided by the Small Business and Technology Development Center and the Boone Chamber of Commerce. â–Ş
Donald Thompson, CEO of Creative Allies delivered a keynote address to 400 students and community members during the 14th annual Carole McLeod Entrepreneur Summit.
Learn more about entrepreneurship programs and opportunities at: business.appstate.edu/features.
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Faculty News & Highlights RESEARCH NOTES
Faculty lead efforts to save honeybee population Computer Information Systems Professor Joseph Cazier is passionate about using business — and data analytics — to build a better world. As director of Appalachian’s Center for Analytics Research and Education (CARE), Cazier is dedicated to promoting research that will lead to pro-social human behavioral change. Cazier is now leading cutting-edge research and educating others on measures to save the world’s honeybee population. “We depend on bees for pollination of about a third of the food we eat,” said Cazier. “Bees are in trouble today with bee keepers reporting annual losses of approximately 30 percent of managed populations for the last several years.” Threats to bees include pathogens, pests, pesticides and climate change, but Cazier and his colleagues are teaching beekeepers how to use technology, specifically a software called HiveTracks, to collect and measure data to monitor the health of the bee colonies. Cazier and HiveTracks founder and Computer Science Chair James Wilkes plan to use data analysis to build a genius hive — one that can tell its beekeeper not only what is happening, but also what it needs to thrive — using artificial intelligence techniques to save the bee population. ▪
New River Light and Power Manager Ed Miller
Cross-disciplinary energy conservation research Thanks to a two-year, $214,000 grant from E2e Project, a cross-disciplinary research effort to study behavioral responses of electricity customers may ultimately impact consumer energy conservation. The study, “A University-Utility Collaboration to Study Consumer Responses to Electronic Notifications,” will examine whether electronic notifications encourage consumers to conserve energy. Economics faculty Todd Cherry, Dave McEvoy and Tanga Mohr will lead the study. They will partner with Appalachian Vice Provost for Research Jeff Ramsdell, Georgia State Economics Professor Garth Heutel, and New River Light and Power Manager Ed Miller on the project. Research partners Jason Hoyle and Janet Miller from the Appalachian Energy Center will also support the project. The researchers will first learn how well received electronic messaging is in the average residence, and then investigate how electronic peercomparison messages influence consumer behavior. “Encouraging conservation reduces the external cost of emissions from burning fossil fuels and can reduce electric bills for consumers,” said Cherry. “Learning how to better encourage electricity conservation will benefit utilities, industry, government and the public.”
Joseph Cazier, left, and James Wilkes presented their work at the World Bee Congress, the largest gathering of beekeepers worldwide. Photo submitted.
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Cherry, Ramsdell, Hoyle and Miller have previously collaborated on energy research at Appalachian with support from the Research Opportunities Initiative (ROI) funding from the University of North Carolina General Administration. Cherry said that the special partnership between the researchers and NRLP is key to furthering energy research in North Carolina. NRLP, which provides
electricity to the campus and surrounding municipality, is owned by the university and an enthusiastic partner in sustainability initiatives.▪
Economics Appalachian’s Department of Economics was recently ranked No. 1 in research among regional university economics departments in the South, according to one recent study. The article, Out of Big Brother’s Shadow: Ranking Economics Faculties at Regional Universities in the U.S. South, notes that “Appalachian is known by many in the U.S. South (and beyond) as what Nobel Laureate George Stigler would refer to as an academic beehive in terms of environmental and resource economics (Stigler, 1985).” ▪ Professor David Dickinson has been awarded a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation to further research
on “Commonly Experienced Sleep Restriction and Behavior in Strategic Social Interactions.” Dickinson’s research team includes fellow Appalachian economics professors Dave Bruner and Dave McEvoy and Monash University’s Sean Drummond. ▪
Accounting Professor Tammy Kowalczyk has been awarded a $1,500 micro-grant from the Aspen Institute’s Business and Society Program, which will allow the Walker College to offer a learning and research opportunity through a graduate level course, Sustainable Business in a Global Business Society. Kowalczyk led a cross-disciplinary team of graduate business students in the Aspen Institute’s Business and Society International MBA Case Competition, and the grant is a continuation of that work. ▪
FACULTY & STAFF EXCELLENCE
Five honored with Sywassink Awards; Kline noted for meritorious research Four Appalachian State University faculty members and one staff member in the Walker College received the college’s 2017 Sywassink Award for Excellence. Management Professor Carol Kline was honored for her research contributions. Since joining Appalachian’s faculty in 2014, Kline has published 29 research papers in prominent journals, including the Journal of Travel Research, Annals of Tourism Research and Tourism Management. Her research interests focus broadly on tourism planning and development and tourism sustainability. Accounting Professor Ron Marden received the award for excellence in teaching, Management Professor Betty Coffey earned the award for service, Accounting Lecturer Rachel Keller was honored as the outstanding nontenure track faculty member and Communications Director Haley Childers received the staff excellence award. The awards are presented annually and are made possible by a contribution from G.A. Sywassink, Chairman of Standard Holding Company of Charlotte, and a former member of the college’s Business Advisory Council, Appalachian’s Board of Trustees, and the UNC Board of Governors. ▪
Read about the latest business research at: business.appstate.edu/ features. Sywassink Award winners are Haley Childers, left, Rachel Keller, Ron Marden, Carol Kline and Betty Coffey.
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Student News & Highlights RESEARCH NOTES
Appalachian dominates financial analyst competition For the sixth year running, a team of students from the Walker College won the regional CFA Institute Research Challenge, sponsored by CFA Society North Carolina (Chartered Financial Analysts). The CFA Institute Research Challenge is an annual global competition that provides university students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis. Students work in teams to research and analyze a publicly traded company. The reports were graded by CFA professionals and the three best teams, based on the report grade, were invited to present their analysis in the North Carolina finals. Appalachian was selected the winning team and competed in the state regional finals against teams from Elon University and UNC Wilmington. Student teams from Appalachian have won seven of the nine years that the competition has been held in North Carolina, and Appalachian is the only university in the state to have a team in the finals in all nine years. “In addition to the solid classroom preparation our finance and banking majors receive, each year our CFA Institute Research Challenge receives invaluable input from CFA mentor Chris Pavese, which helps them prepare for the competition,” said Delbert Goff, chair of the Department of Finance. Pavese is chief investment officer at Broyhill Asset Management. ▪
Walker College of Business students Charles Plummer, left, Mac Shelton, Hollie Brown, John Mosser and Jarrett Jacumin won the N.C. CFA Institute Research Challenge. Photo submitted.
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Kelsey Simon, left, and Ali Moxley earned second place in the international food solutions challenge for their idea to turn corn chip oil into biodiesel.
Concept for turning corn chip oil into biodiesel fuel earns students second place in international Food Solutions Challenge What has 18 wheels and runs on corn chips? Thanks to a food solution from two students, a chip producer’s transportation fleet well could. Senior chemistry major and sustainable business minor Kelsey Simon and senior management major and nutrition and sustainable business minor Ali Moxley placed second in the international Food Solutions Challenge, held during the Global Food Solutions Conference at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Their food solution converts used frying oil from corn chip production to biodiesel to fuel a chip company’s transportation fleet. The Food Solutions Challenge is designed to raise awareness and holistic thinking around issues stemming from food production and distribution with a goal of making the food supply chain more carbon neutral. Appalachian was one of six finalists in the competition, which began as a field of 50. The other finalists were McGill University, the University of California Berkeley, California College of the Arts, Texas State University and the DC Net Impact professionals chapter. Kernersville native Simon, who served as president of Appalachian’s chapter of Net Impact, a professional network that supports and promotes sustainable business practices, credited Moxley with the food solution idea. For their work, the students earned a $1,000 prize for Appalachian’s Net Impact Club. ▪
Staff News & Notes WALKER IMPACT NETWORK Sheryl Kane has been
named director of advising for the Walker College. Kane served as interim director of business advising since the retirement of Kathy Smith in 2017. Previously, Kane served as assistant director of advising in the Walker College and joined the staff in 2010. “Sheryl’s experience in the college, as well as her excellent analytical, communication and interpersonal skills, will ensure the continued success of our advising center,” said Walker College of Business Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs and Administration Sam Formby. “I know Sheryl and her staff will continue the center’s work of helping business students at Appalachian explore and reach their academic goals.” Kane will lead a staff of seven, including four academic advisors and three records administrators. Kane holds a master’s degree in counselor education and a
bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Alabama.▪
We are Walker: staff partners crosscampus to enhance business building
Walker College Communications Director Haley Childers was honored by Appalachian’s Office of Human Resources with a 2017 Appalachian Staff Excellence Award. The awards are given annually in recognition of exemplary service, commitment, collegiality and leadership to the university community.
As part of a working retreat, Walker College staff members collaborated with Appalachian’s Physical Plant employees to plant seasonal bulbs, mulch and paint, among other enhancement projects, around Peacock Hall.
Greg Langdon,
associate director of the Brantley Risk & Insurance Center, and Lisa Wetherell, records specialist in the college’s Office of Academic Advising, were recently honored for 25 years of service to the university.▪
The group also strategically placed painted rocks around the building, in partnership with Color Watauga, a service project aiming to spread positivity throughout the High Country community. The business team then participated in an interactive team-building opportunity facilitated by Appalachian’s Office of Human Resource;s Professional Development Coordinator Emily Wilson. The day was coordinated by the college’s Walker Impact Network, which aims to support staff excellence and aspires to support the college’s vision, mission and values. “Our landscapers had a blast partnering with the Walker College team,” said Physical Plant Analyst Michelle Novacek. “We supplied the tools and a little know-how, but they brought the enthusiasm — and it was catching. They made their little corner of campus more beautiful.” ▪
Kathy Graham, Greg Langdon, Amy Odom, Barbara Rule, Erich Schlenker and Josh Silvey were named
among the university’s “Most Helpful Staff” by Appalachian’s Mapworks Office.▪
A painted rock is strategically placed near Peacock Hall with support from Color Watauga, a service project aiming to spread positivity throughout the High Country.
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In Pictures: Alumni & Friends
1 1. Since the fall of 2015, the Broyhill Commons, a networking space on the second floor of Peacock Hall, has provided students in the Walker College a place to study, work on group projects, share ideas, build relationships and network with industry representatives and faculty. During a March 8, 2017 naming ceremony for the commons, Dean Heather Norris, Paul Broyhill, Allene Stevens, Jim Broyhill and Dr. Randy Edwards, vice chancellor for university advancement at Appalachian, helped dedicate the space with a ribbon cutting. 2. WEDGE Capital Management Partner Brad Fisher delivered heart-felt remarks to scholarship recipients and donors during the annual scholarship reception in 2017. Fisher earned his Bachelor of Science degree in finance and information systems from Appalachian and his MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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3. John Silvia, chief economist for Wells Fargo, was the 59th speaker at the Harlan E. Boyles Distinguished Lecture on March 31, 2017. 4. The Travelers Institute, the Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina; the Brantley Risk and Insurance Center; NC Vision Zero; Gamma Iota Sigma fraternity; the National Safety Council; and the Road to Zero Coalition hosted Every Second Matters– a distracted driving event in an effort to help change behavior around distracted driving. 5. Jeff Ramsdell served as the keynote speaker during the 2017 International Awards Ceremony and luncheon. “I greatly value my extensive international experience, as it has led to a stronger embracing of diversity and a much clearer view of others’ perspectives,” said Ramsdell. “Not just others of different country origin and ethnic groups, but of different thoughts, beliefs and actions.”
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6. From left, Julienne Cronin, Jessica Diaz, Sabrina Tull and Melissa Hill discussed what it takes to be a strong leader during an interactive panel discussion, Women in Leadership, at the fifth annual Business Connections event in September 2017.
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Sarah Freed ’09 was awarded Appalachian’s 2017 Young Alumni Award, which honors individuals under age 40 for their exceptional service to the university and career accomplishments.
CHANGE MAKERS Freed named 2017 young alumna Sarah Freed ’09 could be described as a one-woman corporate conscience. Or a crusader for youth. Or an international matchmaker for nongovernmental organizations, private enterprise and finance. An accounting and international business graduate of the Walker College of Business, Freed is an entrepreneurial social responsibility leader with a decade of experience contributing solutions to systemic global sustainability challenges. “Sarah has an innovative mindset, entrepreneurial spirit and has made significant social change,” said Dean Heather Norris. She is the co-founder of Obliquity Group, an international consulting firm that provides third-party, independent audits and performance benchmarking of corporate
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social responsibility programs. She recently was named community partnerships manager for Uber, where she will lead the organization’s social responsibility strategy to create authentic, meaningful solutions to key sustainability challenges. “My work has brought me to more than 25 countries where I’ve experienced firsthand the power that the private sector can have in addressing core issues related to some of the world’s most pressing problems,” she said. “Her commitment to making the world a better place was clearly evidenced when she turned down an opportunity to pursue a career with one of the nation’s largest accounting firms to pursue her passion for working with the less economically advantaged in
Africa,” said Marty Meznar, associate dean for global and civic engagement. “She makes regular visits to Appalachian from her home in Seattle to speak and to mentor,” Meznar said. Freed earned her bachelor’s degree – magna cum laude – from Appalachian and graduated from Cambridge University’s Master of Studies program in Sustainability Leadership. Social sustainability, entrepreneurship and youth development have guided her life choices since her college years. She launched the college’s annual Global Opportunities Conference in 2009. The conference highlights innovative and entrepreneurial ways of addressing global challenges with a goal to inspire students, faculty and the local community to use their knowledge and skills in the business of building a better world. Freed founded and was the first president of Appalachian’s chapter of AIESEC, a worldwide student-run organization that aims to develop the leadership potential of youth through experiential learning, volunteer experiences and professional internships.
Previously Freed was a partner and chief operating officer for Empact, a social enterprise specializing in entrepreneurship, innovation and leadership programs. As deputy director of youth economic opportunities for Making Cents International, she initiated and cultivated strategic partnerships with USAID, the World Bank, the United Nations, private sector companies and international development practitioners. She was recognized by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) as part of the 2016 AACSB Influential Leaders Challenge. Dale Tweedy, a 1989 College of Arts & Sciences graduate, was also honored with an alumni award. He earned the Distinguished Alumni Award, which honors those who have attained extraordinary career distinction and success and demonstrated exceptional and sustained leadership in the community. Tweedy is a Transportation Insight Center for Entrepreneurship Advisory Board member and the namesake of the college’s Tweedy Mentor Program. ▪
From Left, Pam Dunston, Tammy Kowalczyk and Leigh Dunston receive 2017 Green E Awards.
Three earn Green E Awards Accounting Professor Tammy Kowalczyk, Finance Lecturer Leigh Dunston and his wife, Pam Dunston, were named 2017 Green E Daniel Award recipients. The Green ESiblings award recognizes and Hannah individuals for outstanding accomplishments Emery came to in the area of sustainable businessAppalachian at Appalachian. from East LanThe “E” stands for economy, environment and sing, Michigan. equity. Kowalczyk teaches financial accounting and sustainability accounting, and her research interests include judgment and decision-making in accounting environments, taxation and sustainability accounting. Kowalczyk was the first acting sustainability fellow at Appalachian, where she served 2014-16 to promote academic sustainability programs and broaden sustainability across the curriculum and support research initiatives. Leigh Dunston joined the faculty at Appalachian in 2002, and he has served as an executivein-residence in business law and ethics and a finance lecturer. Previously, Dunston was a civil trial lawyer. He and his wife, Pam Dunston, have been instrumental in bringing key speakers to campus to share sustainability insight with faculty members and students.
Entrepreneurship advisory board member Dale Tweedy earned the university’s Distinguished Alumni Award.
The awards were presented during the third Business for Good conference in August 2017. ▪
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Alumni News & Notes 2013 Cameron Annas FIN, RMI ‘13 was
named to Insurance Business Magazine’s 2018 Hot 100 list. Annas also earned the Thoroughbred Award for top new business performer in North Carolina Keystone Insurers Group. Annas is vice president of business development for Granite Insurance Agency. ▪
2012 Andrew Kota MBA ‘12
was named executive director of the Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina. Kota will be responsible for the success of the conservancy’s work by ensuring that its land and water conservation programs and operations run smoothly and effectively, and that the conservancy adheres to the standards and practices required to maintain national accreditation. ▪
2006 Stacy Robinson Reedy ACC ‘06 MSA ‘07 was
named chief financial officer for North State Bank. A certified public accountant,
Reedy started her banking career in the mid-2000s as an audit manager for Dixon Hughes Goodman and joined North State Bank in 2013, most recently serving as general auditor and chief risk officer. ▪ Andrew “Moss” Withers ECO, FIN ‘06 was named
Commercial Realtor of the Year by the Triangle Commercial Association of Realtors. Withers is a broker specializing in land, office and investment properties with NAI Carolantic, part of a global network of owner-operated commercial real estate brokerage firms. ▪
2004 Matt Vincent FIN ‘04
earned the 2017 Wade Brown Award for Community Involvement, presented by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. Vincent is owner and president of VPC Builders, a fullservice construction firm specializing in commercial and residential construction, custom home building, Green Building, and remodeling in North Carolina and South Carolina. ▪
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1986 Marshall Croom ACC ‘86 was named chief
financial officer for Lowe’s Companies. Croom, who previously served as Lowe’s’ chief risk officer, succeeded Bob Hull Jr., who retired March 2017. Croom is a member of the Walker College’s Business Advisory Council. ▪
1975 Wayne Sumner MGT ‘75 was named to the
Order of the Long Leaf Pine, which is an honor conferred by the governor for “exemplary service to the State of North Carolina and their communities that is above and beyond the call of duty and which has made a significant impact and strengthened North Carolina.” Sumner is former chair of the Boone Rural Fire Protection Board, a previous recipient of Appalachian’s Outstanding Service Award and the namesake of the university’s Sumner Broadcast Studio. Sumner also was named 2017 IIABSC Industry Person of the Year. ▪
Appalachian’s Sales Advisory Board members in Peacock Hall. Photo submitted.
Walker College establishes advisory board to guide sales marketing programs Barrett Garner ’94, Medtronic; Duncan Ham ’00, Tom James Custom Clothiers; and marketing professor Jeff Foreman ’97 are three of the founding members of the college’s sales advisory committee, formed in 2017 to provide expertise to the developing sales education program, housed in the Department of Marketing. In 2016, the department added a major in sales, a minor in sales for non-business majors, and a minor in professional selling for business majors to its offerings. The sales advisory board was organized by marketing professor Bonnie Guy, who, along with marketing chair Jim Stoddard, has helped lead the development of the curriculum. The sales major prepares graduates to begin careers with a solid foundation in business and specialized knowledge in sales and marketing. Students learn to drive industry initiatives that develop customer satisfaction, generate company revenues and build connections with suppliers, distributors and the community. The sales advisory board is one of eight councils that offers professional insight to help guide the programs of the Walker College. The others are: Accounting, Computer Information Systems, Supply Chain Management, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Insurance, and the Business Advisory Council (BAC) — the overarching body that aims to assist in the planning, evaluation and strengthening of the college’s programs. See page 34 for a list of current BAC members. ▪
Impactful Giving ALUMNUS’ NEW ENDOWMENT FUND HONORS INFORMATION SYSTEMS PROFESSOR
Appalachian’s Board of Trustees announces appointments New and reappointed members of Appalachian State University’s Board of Trustees were sworn in during the Sept. 22, 2017 board meeting.
James (Jimmy) Barnes MGT ‘84 of Raleigh was named chair; Charles Murray MGT ‘87 of Winston-Salem and M. Lee Barnes, Jr. MGT ‘90
of Durham were each re-appointed to serve an additional four-year term; and Scott Lampe ACC ‘94 of Charlotte was appointed to a first term. ▪
A new endowment fund and meeting and networking space have been established to honor Dr. Albert L. Harris, a long-time professor in the Department of Computer Information Systems and Supply Chain Management. The new fund and Peacock Hall conference room honor Harris’ 28 years of outstanding service to the university and its students. Harris, who retired in July 2017, was known on campus for his dynamic personality and active engagement with students, “especially through his work in providing students with international opportunities,” said Dean Heather Norris.
systems from Appalachian, Stroupe earned his master’s in engineering management from George Washington University.
Harris said his dedication to creating globally minded citizens stems from his belief that international experience is important to development. During his time at Appalachian, he led dozens of study abroad trips, creating transformational educational experiences for hundreds of Appalachian students. The naming of the Harris Conference Room was made possible through a major contribution from T. Richard Stroupe Jr. CIS ‘98 and his wife, Christina D. Stroupe.
“Traveling takes you out of your comfort zone and teaches you to adapt, allowing you to see how people all over the world are different, yet the same,” said Harris.
In 2015, Harris received the college’s Lifetime Achievement Award for devoting his career to international opportunities. He traveled to Portugal in 2006 and then Poland in 2016 as a Fulbright scholar and, throughout his career, served as visiting faculty around the world. Harris and his wife, Jackie, also support student travel through The Al and Jackie Harris Study Abroad Scholarship.
The earnings from the Al Harris Fund for Excellence Endowment will support information systems and supply chain student scholarships for international travel as well as veteran student scholarships and enhancement of global and civic engagement. ▪
“For an alumnus to come back to campus to honor a professor in such a significant way demonstrates the transformational nature of the Appalachian experience,” said Norris. “Our faculty members are dedicated to high-quality teaching and learning. The impact they have through their engagement with students is, in many ways, lifelong.” “Dr. Harris’ leadership and contributions to his students went beyond the classroom,” said T. Richard Stroupe. “We are truly honored to have the opportunity to recognize Dr. Harris for his many years of service to Appalachian and the direct impact he has had on our lives.” Pictured during an Oct. 5 reception for the Al Harris Stroupe is an entrepreneur, investor and advisor based in Washington, D.C. He is co-founder and CEO of Sequoia Holdings Inc. and TAOS Capital. After earning a BSBA in computer information
Fund for Excellence Endowment are, from left, Jackie Harris, Computer Information Systems Professor Emeritus Al Harris, Sequoia Holdings CEO T. Richard Stroupe, Appalachian State University Chancellor Sheri Everts, and Walker College of Business Dean Heather Norris.
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FACULTY CHANGES
Warm welcomes
In the past two years, undergraduate enrollment has grown 24 percent (to 2,898 students). To accommodate the influx, the college welcomed 21 new faculty members in 2017. The Department of Accounting added Scot Justice, Dwayne McSwain, Derinda “Rindy” Stiene and Kim Zahller. The Department of Computer Information Systems & Supply Chain Management added Lewis Alexander, Craig Demarest, Taylor Douglas and Lakshmi Iyer. The Department of Economics welcomed Imran Arif, Scott Callahan and Brock Stoddard. The Department of Finance, Banking & Insurance welcomed David Brooks, Austin Eggers, Brandy Hadley, Kevin Huff, Lorilee Medders and Laura Pell. The Department of Management welcomed Madelyn Hjertmann, Jessica Smith, Bob Stec and Michael Young. ▪
Fond farewells
Among 2017 retiring faculty are long-time accounting professors Bill Baker, Ron Marden and Phil Witmer, and economics professor Mike McKee. Economics professor Tim Perri, information systems professor Al Harris and finance professor Robert Cherry transitioned to faculty emeriti. ▪
Alexander
Arif
Callahan
Demarest
Douglas
Eggers
Hadley
Huff
Hjertmann
Iyer
Justice
McSwain
Medders
Pell
Smith
Steine
Stoddard
Stec
Young
Zahller
Business Advisory Council CHAIRMAN Doug Johnson ‘77 Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer, Blue Ridge Energy VICE CHAIRMAN H. Edward Boyles Jr. Managing Director, Wells Fargo Securities
Steve Camp ‘68 President & CEO - Retired, Midlands Convention Center Authority
Beth Monaghan ‘82 Founder and CEO - Retired, Monaghan Group
Marshall A. Croom ‘86 Chief Financial Officer, Lowe’s Companies, Inc.
Samuel (Bo) Moss Litigation Associate, McNair Law Firm, PA
Brian Dalgetty IoT Industry Offerings Leader, IBM Watson IoT Business Unit
Phillip Ostwalt ‘83 Partner, KPMG, LLP
MEMBERS J. Cantey Alexander III ‘86 President - Triad Region, BB&T
Richard Finlay Partner - Retired, Conyers, Dill & Pearman
Don Bailey ‘88 Principal, Financial Services Advisory, Grant Thornton LLP
Patrick Getzen Vice President & Chief Actuary, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of NC
Roger L. Beahm Executive Director, Center for Retail Innovation, Wake Forest University School of Business; Chairman & CEO, Beahm & Associates, LLC
Benjamin Hamrick ‘82 Chief Executive Officer, Johnson Price Sprinkle PA
Ryan Bolick ‘01 Vice President, Business Improvement, Turner Broadcasting Systems, Inc.
Thomas H. Hudspeth Jr. ‘82, ‘83 Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Helen Hollifield ‘87 Tax Partner, Deloitte & Touche
34 | Walker College of Business
Jack Sheffield Jr. Managing Director, Alex.Brown John E. Silvia Chief Economist, Wells Fargo Hayes Smith ‘82 Managing Partner, Second Creek Development Company Gerry Smith ‘70 First VP Investments - Retired, Smith Barney Richard G. Sparks ‘76, ‘78 President & CEO - Retired, Appalachian Regional Healthcare System
Jill Sparks ‘91, ‘96 Executive Director, Small Business Center and Business Incubation, Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Richard Stroupe ‘98 Founder and Managing Principal, Crimson Holdings, LLC David Thompson General Partner & CFO - Retired, WEDGE Capital Management, LLP Joseph Towell ‘74, ‘78 CEO - Retired, Yadkin Bank MEMBERS EMERITI W. Winfield Beroth ‘65 President, Beroth Oil/4 Brothers Stores William S. Creekmuir Executive VP & CFO, Simmons Company Robert G. Darst Retired, Burlington Industries, Inc. Joseph F. Freeman, Jr. President Emeritus, Freeman & Co.
Robin H. Gagnon ‘82, ‘95 Partner, We Sell Restaurants James E. Harris ‘84 CFO, Coca-Cola Bottling Co. William R. Holland Chairman, EnPro Industries, Inc. Scott K. Lampe ‘94 CFO, Hendrick Motorsports Charles V. Murray ‘87 President, Murray Supply Company Jeffrey A. Shepard Retired CEO, Footstar Frank H. Skidmore, Jr. Retired IBM Global Services, Managing Partner Mike Steinback Partner, Stonebridge Partner G.A. Sywassink ‘94 Chairman & CEO, Standard Holding Corporation Allan Singer Manager, McNair Law Firm, PA
Above, snowy Peacock Hall during winter storm “Benji” Dec. 8-10, 2017. Campus accumulations totaled approximately 9 inches.
In memoriam
Marketing Professor Michael J. “Mike” Dotson joined the
faculty in the Walker College of Business in 1983, where he was a member of the Department of Marketing until his death. He served as a professor and chairperson, and, in the 34 years he spent at Appalachian, he taught Marketing Research, Consumer Behavior, and Advertising to
thousands of students. He was a prolific researcher, having published 58 refereed journal articles and was a recipient of the Sywassink Award for Excellence in Research in 2012. March 30, 1951 Aug. 8, 2017
as a professor of accounting at Appalachian State University from 1972-2004. His accounting review class was often cited as a major factor contributing to Appalachian’s high pass rate on the CPA exam. Accounting Professor Raymond Leigh “Ray” Larson served
March 20, 1935 March 11, 2017
Appalachian State University | 35
Non-profit US Postage Paid Boone, NC Permit No. 36
APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY
ASU Box 32037 Boone, NC 28608-2037
BOYLES Distinguished Lecture
March 23
Friday, 3:00 P.M. | Holmes Convocation Center
Lord Michael Hastings Global Head of Citizenship KPMG International Attending the Boyles Lecture is one of many ways we hope alumni will engage with the students and faculty of the Walker College. Visit business.appstate.edu/alumni for more dates to return to campus, and stay connected by following @walkercob on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.