Alumni and Friends

News and Notes

  • Come and celebrate with us as we congratulate more than 450 graduate students who will participate in the Spring 2013 commencement ceremonies on May 10 at 6 pm in the Holmes Convocation Center.
  • Congratulations to our 2012-13 student awards recipients, honored at the reception on April 18. [more]
  • Appalachian graduate students are excited to participate in Solar Decathlon Europe!
  • 2012 graduates theses and dissertations have been posted in the NCDocks: The Online Repository.

General Facts about Graduate Education at Appalachian

  • 47 distinct Master’s programs, 3 specialist programs, 1 doctoral program, 14 graduate certificate programs
  • Technology is an approved Peace Corps Master’s International program
  • 1900 graduate students (degree, certificate, and non-degree unduplicated headcount 2011-12)
  • almost 300 graduates of programs designed to equip K12 teachers, librarians, technology specialists, principals, and superintendents with advanced licensure in 2012
  • almost 100 graduates of programs designed to educate mental health professionals for K12 schools, hospital and aging facilities, and the community in 2012
  • 25% of North Carolina town, city, and county managers are graduates
  • 28% of administrators in North Carolina K12 schools are graduates

Some Outstanding Alumni of Appalachian’s Graduate Programs

  • Dr. Myra Briggs (EdD in Educational Leadership), President of Isothermal Community College
  • Dr. Richard McQuellon (MA in Clinical Psychology), Director of Community Oncology at Bowman Gray Medical Center
  • Josh Martin (MS in Exercise Science), winner of first Transforming North Carolina Award, for helping to develop the cardiopulmonary rehabilitation center at Cannon Memorial Hospital in Linville
  • Jacek Wasilewski (MPA), member of the Polish delegation to the European Union
  • Brock Long (MPA), State Director of Emergency Management in Alabama
  • Dan Ennis (MA English), Chair and Associate Professor of English, Coastal Carolina University, SC
  • James Brooks (EdD), NEA National Outstanding Teachers Award
  • Dr. Andrew Dalton (MS in Computer Science), Outstanding Ph.D. Student Award from the School of Computing at Clemson University, SC
  • Michael Jones (MA/SSP in School Psychology), Member of the North Carolina Psychology Board, which oversees the licensing of Psychologists and Psychological Associates in North Carolina
  • Carmen Wilson (MA in Mathematics Education), North Carolina Teacher of the Year and U.S. Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching
  • Yonatan Strauch (MA in Industrial Technology – Appropriate Technology), Coordinator of the project that won U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s P3 Award

Noteworthy Graduate Programs at Appalachian

  • The Community Counseling program won the 2006 International Association of Addictions and Offender Counselors Outstanding Program Award. 
  • The PSM in Engineering Physics is in the top 13 applied physics master's programs in the country.
  • Appalachian offers the only master’s degree in Appalachian Studies.
  • Psychology graduate students won the research award at the Southeast Psychological Association 8 times in the last 20 years.
  • 40% of the Fellows in the North Carolina Governor's Public Management Fellowship Program were Appalachian MPA graduates.
  • Graduates of the Accounting program score consistently above the national average on the CPA exam.
  • The pass rate for I-O Psychology and HRM students on the Professional in Human Resources certification exam was 100% for the class of 2009. The national pass rate is about 63%.
  • The Educational Media/Instructional Technology (ITC) program recently launched Appalachian’s first graduate degree program delivered entirely in a 3D virtual world.

Giving to the Graduate School

Please follow the GIVE NOW link above on the left or call or email Janice Voss (VossJF@appstate.edu; 828.262.2130) for instructions on how to give to our funds.

  • Joyce V. Lawrence Professional Development Award: To recognize outstanding students and fund their professional development activities
  • Graduate Student Association Senate Research and Travel Fund: To assist students with purchasing supplies needed for research or with travel to present their research at a conference.
  • Ronald and Kathy Zigli Research Award: To recognize outstanding students' research achievements and subsidize the costs of their research.
  • Judith and Floyd Domer Research Award: To recognize outstanding students' research achievements and subsidize the costs of their research.
  • 100 Scholar's Research Award: To recognize faculty who have a sustained record of outstanding research achievements and subsidize the costs of their research.
  • Graduate School General Fund: To support the graduate school in the expenses associated with recognizing its outstanding students and faculty.
  • Creating a Fund: We would be very happy to talk to you about the needs of our outstanding graduate students and faculty. Some areas of need include:
    • tuition scholarships to increase diversity in the graduate student body, including out-of-state, international, under-represented, and lower socioeconomic students
    • awards to recognize outstanding achievement of our students, including top thesis and dissertation awards, outstanding service to the state and region through internships and practica, etc.
    • awards to recognize the outstanding achievement of our faculty, including mentoring graduate students, developing innovative curriculum, etc.