Dr. Richard Sparks will serve as macebearer for this semester's Walker College of Business Commencement.
Dr. Jeff Kaleta will carry the University Banner, and Dr. Sandra Vannoy will carry the College Banner.
The Mace
Traditionally, the mace is carried by a senior faculty member and precedes the chancellor, both upon entering and leaving a ceremony. The mace serves as a symbol of authority just as it did during the Middle Ages, when a macebearer accompanied an official taking office or opening court. The App State mace symbolizes the university’s mountain heritage, the rustic location, and the sophistication of an emerging, national leader in higher education. Learn more about the App State mace's design at appstate.edu/commencement.
Richard Sparks
Sparks is a two-time graduate of App State, earning a bachelor’s degree in health care management in 1976 and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 1978. Over the years, he remained actively engaged with the university and was awarded a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2001, an Outstanding Service Award in 2010, and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in 2016. After retiring from a 40-year career in health care administration, Sparks joined the Walker College of Business faculty in 2017 to teach graduate courses in leadership, ethics, and executive skills — an experience he finds rewarding, he shared.
Commencement Details
The Walker College's commencement ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 10 at 5:00 p.m. in the Holmes Convocation Center. Find additional details about the commencement ceremonies or watch the ceremony livestreamed at appstate.edu/commencement.
Additionally, students from App State's MBA, MS in Accounting and MS in Applied Data Analytics programs are invited to participate in a Graduate Programs Hooding Ceremony on Friday, May 9. For information about the hooding ceremony, please contact Kim Kirby, kirbyko@appstate.edu.
Sparks to serve as Macebearer for May 10 Commencement
Richard Sparks, App State