Appalachian State University graduates realize a positive resident-student return on investment for every undergraduate and graduate academic program. Students have numerous opportunities, such as the career and internship fair depicted in this photo by App State alumna Kyla Willoughby ’23, who works in University Communications, to explore where their App State degrees can take them — immediately upon graduation and well into the future.
Message from Chancellor Heather Norris: February 20, 2026
At Appalachian State University, we are proud to be an educational resource for the state of North Carolina’s college and career access goals. Our university has a long-held commitment to removing barriers to access and degree completion for those who want to earn an App State degree, and we are proud that every undergraduate and graduate academic program provides a positive resident-student return on investment for our graduates.
Last week, myFutureNC — a statewide commission on educational attainment with a goal of ensuring that 2 million North Carolinians ages 25 to 44 obtain a high-quality credential or postsecondary degree by 2030 — released its 2026 North Carolina State of Educational Attainment report. The report and accompanying regional broadcasts shared that North Carolina has been ranked the top state for business for the third year, and this year, our state was also ranked the top state in the nation for workforce development. As our state continues to develop and expand goals and strategies that support economic growth, there are significant opportunities for expanding access to a high-quality, cost-effective education that can transform lives — and build the skills and innovations in these communities that are needed for our future. App State is an active and enthusiastic partner in these ambitious goals for our state.
Our newest degree programs further demonstrate our commitment to offer pathways to higher wages, greater opportunities and improved quality of life in communities throughout the region. Our BSBA in supply chain management, offered in partnership with Project Kitty Hawk, and our Doctor of Nursing Practice program, set to begin in August, are representative of the many programs we offer that align with the top labor market needs myFutureNC has identified that have significant demand for credentialed employees.
We are also building and strengthening partnerships with learning institutions — from K–12 schools, to community colleges, to private four-year institutions — and collaborating on strong, reliable and outcome-based educational and workforce pipelines for the people of our state. Educational attainment that benefits the needs of our students and area industries requires a combined vision and a solid foundation. Last week, Senior Vice Provost Jamie Parson joined education and business partners across the northwest region of our state for a meeting of the North Carolina Department of Commerce that focused on educational attainment as an economic development strategy. And this week, I was joined by Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Neva Specht and Vice Chancellor Christine Hendren in the continuation of an ongoing series of discussions with our higher education partners in Catawba Valley.
We are focusing our collaborative efforts toward building pathways to educational attainment that include certification programs and dual enrollment agreements; developing lasting partnerships with businesses in the region to align with their labor demand forecasting and workforce planning; and creating smooth pathways for employers to engage with our educational institutions. I am proud of App State’s collaborations with our partner institutions at Lenoir-Rhyne University, Catawba Valley Community College, Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute — and our sister institution, the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Morganton — and our combined contributions to our state’s efforts to create upward mobility and enhanced economic prosperity for the people and communities of our region.
As we all look to the future, opportunities for collaboration with state, education and business partners help showcase the many ways we can work together — with our shared missions of service — to provide the broadest array of benefits and help drive lasting prosperity for the people of this region.
Our focus on student success is also a focus on their success in the future. Twelve students have been selected to participate in one of App State’s signature study abroad programs, the William R. Holland International Business Fellowship. After a rigorous and competitive selection process, these high-achieving business majors will travel to Cambodia, Hong Kong and Vietnam this year, representing App State in an international business environment. The two-semester fellowship, which turns 30 this year, offers App State students an immersive curriculum that includes interactions with local and global industry leaders in multiple destinations across Asia and direct experience with 21st-century business concepts and challenges, including circular economy practices and resilience against disruptions.
This week, students in the Hayes School of Music had an opportunity to spend time with professional classical musicians from the elite Curtis Institute of Music conservatory. The ensemble members, which include emerging professional artists performing alongside established musicians, were in residence for two days, engaging our students in classroom presentations, dialogues and performances, and performing a public concert. Their visit to App State was made possible with support from the Barbara and Lawrence Freiman Guest Artist Residency Endowment, which was established to bring distinguished musicians to work with our students, helping them develop their musicianship for a variety of professional career paths. We’re fortunate to have the longtime support of Barbara Freiman — upon whom the university bestowed an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters — who, along with her late husband, Lawrence Freiman, and their family, has established three endowments for student scholarships and guest artist residencies at App State. Their lasting commitment to supporting the arts ensures our students have enriching professional and artist development experiences that help them progress as both artists and professionals, preparing them for a variety of careers.
I’m also excited to support our hardworking student-athletes, who strive to represent App State’s strong work ethic and commitment to academic and athletic success each day. Congratulations to Coach Whitney Jones and the Mountaineers Softball team for a terrific 8–1 start to the season — the best start in program history. In preparation for conference play that begins in a month, we will play UNC-Chapel Hill tonight at the Tar Heel Invitational and take on Tennessee and Penn State at the Tennessee Invitational next weekend. And we’ll be cheering on our Wrestling team Sunday afternoon, as they look to bring home a Southern Conference regular season championship for the fourth time in the last five years with a home match against Gardner–Webb.
At App State, hard work, perseverance, creativity, innovation in response to the current and future needs of our state and region, and broadening personal and professional horizons are fundamental to what it means to be a Mountaineer. I’m proud to share these values and look forward to the many accomplishments we will continue to achieve together.
Heather Norris
Chancellor
From left to right: Longtime arts supporter Barbara Freiman, third from left, joins musicians from the elite Curtis Institute of Music conservatory during a two-day residency program at App State, during which Hayes School of Music students spent time developing performance and professional development skills. Pictured in 2025, Holland Fellows hold a Walker College of Business banner in front of the Victoria Harbour waterfront in Hong Kong. The latest class of Holland Fellows will begin exploring business design and internationalization strategies later this year. App State pitcher Sophie Moshos has been central to the Mountaineers’ strong start to the softball season. Thanks to Melinda Friddel, Jesse Pipes and Jacob Plecker for these photos, which capture many elements of the App State Experience.
