Walker College of Business

Dr. Randal K. (Randy) Edwards became the sixth Dean of the Walker College of Business. Previously, Dr. Edwards had served as chair of the Department of Accounting for 13 years, having first joined the business faculty in 1981. During Dr. Edwards' tenure, the Walker Fellows, a student ambassadorial group, was founded (2009). In 2014, Dean Edwards would be appointed chief of staff of Appalachian by the Office of the Chancellor, replacing Dr. Lorin Baumhover, who first held the position from 2005 to 2009 and again beginning in fall 2012 through June 2014.

The Martha Guy Summer Institute was established with twenty-two participants the first year. The business exploration program aimed to recruit top talent to Appalachian to major in business. Dr. Martha Guy (1922 - 2019) was an icon and pioneer for women in the banking industry. A native of Newland, Guy served and led Avery County Bank for more than 60 years in every capacity from assistant cashier to president. She was inducted into the North Carolina Banking Hall of Fame in 2010 and has been honored by the North Carolina Bankers Association with its Legends in Banking Award.

Under the leadership of Dr. Kenneth E. Peacock (2004-14), Appalachian became a destination of choice for high-achieving, intellectually curious students wanting to be engaged in the community. In addition to small classes and challenging academics, Appalachian became known for its undergraduate research, internationalized curriculum, service-learning and sustainability, both in academic programs and campus practices. The university grew significantly in the areas of healthcare and the nexus of energy, the environment and economics.

Dr. Lyle Schoenfeldt serves as acting dean of the Walker College of Business. Dr. Schoenfeldt joined Appalachian's faculty in the Department of Management in 1996 and was well known for a standard textbook on human resources.

In May 2003, President Molly Broad appointed Dr. Harvey R. Durham as acting chancellor after 24 years of service as the university’s chief academic officer and 14 years prior as professor, department chair and associate vice chancellor. Dr. Durham served as acting chancellor for the school year 2003-04.

• In 2003, the college began offering a BSBA in International Business. In the late 2010s, the college would create a global orientation as an integral component of all business students' academic experience. 
• In 2008, the Walker College would host its first annual Global Opportunities Conference, envisoned and coordinated by student Sarah Green.
• In 2017, the college would name Dr.

• In 2000, the Elbert V. Bowden Student Managed Investment Fund was established in the Department of Finance, Banking & Insurance to provide students with hands-on, real-world experience in managing investments.
• In 2017, a section of the Broyhill Commons would highlight accomplishments of the Broyhill Fellows, a competition subset of the Bowden Investment group. Broyhill Fellows are selected annually from members of Appalachian’s Bowden Investment Group.

• In 1998, Bank of America identified the accounting and finance programs among the top ten nationwide for recruiting,
• In 1999, the Walker College accounting students ranked 4th in the nation on overall pass rate on the CPA exams.
  

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Bank of America identified the accounting and finance programs among the top ten nationwide for recruiting,

• The William R. Holland Fellows program was established to provide students opportunities to learn about doing business in Asia in partnership with students and faculty at Fudan University in Shanghai, China.

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