Dr. Steven Leon has been named honors program director for the Walker College of Business at Appalachian State University, effective January 1.
Dr. Leon, an associate professor in the Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management, takes over for Dr. Lori Medders. Dr. Medders held the position from 2018-2023 and was recently named chair of the Department of Finance, Banking and Insurance.
Dr. Leon brings to the role several years of experience serving on App State's Honors College executive committee, where he also mentors and advises honors college students. He has taught honors courses in operations and supply chain management and has been involved in student research, serving on thesis and dissertation committees. Dr. Leon's own research interests are in the areas of supply chain, service operations, and air transportation.
Dr. Leon will be responsible for recruitment, enrollment, advising, curriculum development and assessment of the honors program. He will work closely with the university honors program staff and faculty in the Walker College to attract and nurture promising students to the program and provide faculty with opportunities to innovate and engage with them.
Dr. Leon will continue to serve as an undergraduate and graduate faculty member in the Walker College's Department of Marketing & Supply Chain Management.
In addition to more than seven years on faculty at App State, Dr. Leon spent 20 years in the airline industry, primarily in flight operations and in satellite communications. An Airline Transport Pilot and flight instructor, he has flown throughout the Americas and Europe and is still an active member of the National Business Aviation Association. Dr. Leon is also a member of APICS and is on the Transportation Journal editorial review board.
Dr. Leon received his Ph.D. in Transportation and Logistics from North Dakota State University, an M.B.A. in International Business from Loyola University Maryland’s Sellinger School of Business, and a B.S. from the University of North Dakota’s John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences. Read more about Dr. Leon.
About Walker College of Business Honors
Qualified business students can choose to participate in the university honors program, the business honors program, or both. The business honors program is a selective program for students maintaining a minimum of a 3.4 GPA. It offers special recognition at graduation and on the transcript, and it provides access to smaller Walker College classes. Like the university honors program, the business honors program offers extra opportunities to develop mentoring relationships with instructors and fellow students. Learn more on the Walker College Honors Program webpage.
Dr. Steven Leon