Professor Dana Clark, a longtime professor of management and director of Appalachian State University's Hospitality & Tourism Management degree program, will serve as macebearer for this semester's Walker College of Business commencement ceremony.
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.
Professor Dana Clark
Dr. Clark is retiring after a storied career teaching in the college. He has earned every major award for hospitality and tourism in North Carolina, including the Barentine Special Achievement Award, the Charles J. Parker Tourism Excellence for Public Service Award presented by the North Carolina Travel Industry Association, the Tourism Excellence Award for an individual, also presented by the North Carolina Travel Industry Association, and the Winners Circle Award presented by Visit North Carolina. Dr. Clark has also earned the Walker College's Sywassink Excellence in Service Award and the college's Spirit of Walker Award.
Dr. Clark recently earned the Sue W. Wilmoth Award for the Advancement of Tourism from the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. Learn more on the Watauga Democrat's website.
For those who wish to honor Dr. Clark upon his retirement, support the Hospitality & Tourism Student-Industry Development Fund, which will allow future App State hospitality and tourism management students to travel to and participate in industry conferences.
Commencement Details
The Walker College's commencement ceremony will be held on Friday, December 16 at 1:00 p.m. in the Holmes Convocation Center. It will be a shared ceremony with the College of Fine and Applied Arts. Find additional details about the commencement ceremonies or the 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 Thursday, December 15 at 2:00 p.m. For information about the hooding ceremony, please contact Kim Kirby, kirbyko@appstate.edu.
Dana Clark to serve as App State macebearer Dec. 16
Dana Clark