Five faculty members at Appalachian State University have been appointed to professorships in the Walker College of Business, and six have been reappointed to second terms.
- Dennis Guignet, Dean's Club Professor
- Alex Holcomb, Dean's Club Professor
- Jeff Kaleta, Dean's Club Professor
- Tammy Kowalczyk, Dean's Club Professor
- Doug Roberts, Honorable Harlan E. Boyles Professor
- Kristl Davison, Beroth Oil – Four Brothers Food Stores Professor (Reappointed)
- Ed Hassler, Dean’s Club Professor (Reappointed)
- Carol Kline, Duane D. Daggett Professor in Management (Reappointed)
- Ash Morgan, Dean’s Club Professor (Reappointed)
- Lubna Nafees, John W. Guffey, Jr. Professor (Reappointed)
- Jim Stoddard, L.M. Baker Jr. Partners in Excellence Professor (Reappointed)
Professorships recognize faculty members who have demonstrated outstanding performance in instruction, service or scholarly activities.
The recipients receive a salary stipend to advance their work.
Recipients of these professorships, which became effective July 1, may be nominated for one additional, two-year term.
Dennis Guignet, Dean's Club Professor
Dr. Dennis Guignet, an associate professor in the Department of Economics, has been named a Dean's Club Professor.
Guignet, whose research focuses on environmental and natural resource economics, is a two-time first-place Dean’s Club Research Prize winner. In addition to being honored for his own mission-driven, high-impact, and innovative scholarly work, Guignet earned the inaugural 2026 Outstanding Mentor Award for his exceptional commitment to mentoring others and to fostering excellence, curiosity, and integrity in research.
Before joining App State’s faculty in 2018, Guignet worked as a research economist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Center for Environmental Economics. Guignet earned his Ph.D. in agricultural and resource economics from the University of Maryland.
The Walker College of Business Dean's Club, an annual giving society designed to benefit the college’s faculty and students, helps fund professorships in the Walker College.
Alex Holcomb, Dean's Club Professor
Dr. Alex Holcomb, an assistant professor in the Department of Finance, Banking and Insurance, has also been named a Dean's Club Professor.
Holcomb joined App State’s faculty in 2019 and teaches corporate finance, financial analysis and valuation. His research interests span corporate debt pricing, tax incentives, financial decision-making, and behavioral and experimental finance. Holcomb earned his Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. from the University of Texas at Dallas.
Jeff Kaleta, Dean's Club Professor
Dr. Jeff Kaleta, an associate professor in the Department of Computer Information Systems, has also been named a Dean's Club Professor.
Kaleta joined App State’s faculty in 2019 and teaches courses in data analytics, data visualization, and unstructured data analytics. As course coordinator for CIS 1060, which has grown into a multi-campus, high-impact course with a Microsoft Certification pass rate exceeding 95%. In 2023, Kaleta earned the Walker College’s Sywassink Spirit of Walker Award for his work cultivating campus connections. Kaleta’s research examines human information behavior, social media sentiment, and interactions within online environments. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Memphis.
Tammy Kowalczyk, Dean's Club Professor
Dr. Tammy Kowalczyk, a professor in the Department of Accounting, has also been named a Dean's Club Professor.
Kowalczyk’s research focuses on sustainability accounting, ESG reporting, carbon accounting, and natural resource economics, and she has received multiple grants supporting conservation and sustainability initiatives. Kowalczyk, who joined App State’s faculty in 2005, founded the Appalachian Impact Clinic at the university, an experiential learning program that connects students with organizations to advance sustainable business practices. Kowalczyk earned her Ph.D. from Texas A&M University.
Doug Roberts, Honorable Harlan E. Boyles Professor
Dr. Doug Roberts, a professor in the Department of Accounting, has been appointed as the Honorable Harlan E. Boyles Professor.
Roberts, who joined App State’s faculty in 2002, teaches accounting information systems and introductory financial and managerial accounting. His research has been published in journals such as the International Journal of Accounting Information Systems and the Journal of Information Systems. His research interests include accounting information systems, accounting education, and the taxation of exempt organizations. Roberts earned his Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee.
An endowment to fund the Boyles professorship was established in 1991 to honor the late N.C. Treasurer Harlan Boyles, who was a member of the state government for more than 49 years. The endowment was funded by contributions from Boyles' family, friends and colleagues.
Reappointments
Dr. Kristl Davison, an associate professor in the Department of Management, has been appointed to a second term of the Beroth Oil – Four Brothers Food Stores Professorship.
Dr. Carol Kline, a professor in the Department of Management, has been appointed to a second term of the Duane D. Daggett Professorship in Management.
Dr. Jim Stoddard, a professor and chair in the Department of Marketing & Supply Chain Management, has been appointed to a second term of the L.M. Baker Jr. Partners in Excellence Professorship.
Dr. Lubna Nafees, an associate professor in the Department of Marketing & Supply Chain Management, has been appointed to a second term of the John W. Guffey, Jr. Professorship.
Two professors in the college have been reappointed to second terms of their Dean’s Club Professorships: Dr. Ed Hassler, an associate professor in the Department of Computer Information Systems and Dr. Ash Morgan, a professor in the Department of Economics.
About Professorships
Professorships are funded in part by generous donations from alumni and friends and often named in honor of significant benefactors to the college. To contribute to professorships in the Walker College, or to set up a new professorship in memory or honor of someone, please contact Executive Director of Development Kyle Allen, allenkb2@appstate.edu.
View the current holders of all Walker College professorships at business.appstate.edu/professorships or view news of past appointments at business.appstate.edu/news/professorships.
From left are faculty members newly named to professorships in the Walker College: Dennis Guignet, Alex Holcomb, Jeff Kaleta, Tammy Kowalczyk, and Doug Roberts
Partners in Excellence Professors