Spring 2026 Commencement
Commencement Ceremonies
Business undergraduate and graduate degrees will be conferred on Friday, May 8, in two ceremonies.
- 9 a.m. ceremony: Management, Marketing and Supply Chain Management
- 1 p.m. ceremony: Accounting, Computer Information Systems, Economics, Finance, Banking and Insurance, MBA, MSA, MSADA
Complete information, including schedule, participant and guest information, and venue bag and admission policy at appstate.edu/commencement.
Macebearer, 9 a.m. Ceremony
Dr. Mark Lewis
Dr. Mark Lewis joined App State’s faculty in 2011 and serves as an associate professor and chair of the Department of Management. As chair, Lewis has expanded industry engagement, driven growth in the department’s internship program, innovated to align the undergraduate curriculum more closely with evolving workforce needs and partnered with University Advancement to secure external support for key strategic initiatives. His broader work centers on strategy, design thinking and systems approaches to organizational transformation. In addition to an active research and publication stream, Lewis collaborates with corporate partners to design and deliver training programs that develop innovators and leaders capable of driving change within their organizations. His work has appeared in MIS Quarterly Executive and MIT Supply Chain Strategy, and his case study on innovation in a long-term outsourcing relationship has been used by over 10,000 students in 29 countries.
Macebearer, 1 p.m. Ceremony
Dr. David Dickinson
Dr. David Dickinson, professor of economics, joined App State’s faculty in 2004 and currently holds the Walker College of Business Research Excellence Professorship. His research, which focuses on experimental, behavioral and labor economics, has brought over $1 million in National Science Foundation grant funding to App State, and he has co-authored several published papers with App State students via faculty-mentored research engagement. Dickinson is a faculty partner in App State’s Center for Economic Research and Policy Analysis, a research fellow at the IZA Institute of Labor Economics in Luxembourg and a research affiliate with Chapman University's Economic Science Institute. He won the Walker College of Business Dean’s Club Research Prize in 2019 and 2023.
College Banner Carrier
Dr. Sandra Vannoy
Dr. Sandra Vannoy, Dean of the Walker College of Business, will carry the college banner at both ceremonies
Name Reader
Dr. Jeff Kaleta
Dr. Jeff Kaleta, Assistant Professor of Computer Information Systems, will serve as name reader for both ceremonies.
Congratulations on your graduation from Appalachian State University!
Commencement is the ultimate celebration of one of the most significant accomplishments of our students' lifetimes. We are proud to honor your achievement.
Hooding Ceremony
Thursday, May 7
In addition to being recognized at the 1 p.m. Commencement ceremony, graduates earning an MBA, an MS in Accounting, or an MS in Applied Data Analytics will be hooded during the Graduate Program Hooding & Awards Ceremony on Thursday, May 7.
Participation is limited to graduates and families. Contact Kim Kirby with questions, kirbyko@appstate.edu.
The Graduate Program Hooding & Awards Ceremony is especially meaningful this year, as we mark three significant milestones and honor the people and commitment behind the Walker College’s graduate programs.
- Master of Business Administration — 50 Years
- Master of Science in Accounting — 50 Years
- Master of Science in Applied Data Analytics — 10 Years
