Features: Alumni
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As traditional and time-tested businesses and industries decline, the new economy is embracing entrepreneurism. Appalachian alumni and students are in the forefront of that development. Many young professionals are commercializing their passions and personal interests, supported by the skills and knowledge they learned at Appalachian. [ more . . . ]
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As a student, Jim Bridges found his passion in photography. Now he’s working amid the stars. [ more . . . ]
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Dan Hauser '92 '97 has amassed one of the most extensive collections of antique sports equipment in the United States. After 13 years of collecting, "several thousand" items fill his basement- from 19th-century baseball gloves to a high-wheeler bicycle, silver trophy cups and vintage uniforms. [ more . . . ]
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Students from Appalachian State University and China's Fudan University have the opportunity to learn each others' culture and business practices through a prestigious exchange program. It's called the William R. Holland Fellows for Business Study in Asia. [ more . . . ]
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Brad Sparks and Derrick Rehn had a chance meeting at the bottom of the world. The Appalachian State University alumnus and student explored the Antarctica Peninsula together as part of Inspire Antarctica Expedition 2009 (IAE). [ more . . . ]
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Gastonia's efforts to revitalize its once thriving downtown provided Jennifer Harper '06 the opportunity to spotlight her design skills, complete a master's degree, and take a look at the roots of her community and family history. Harper, a Gastonia native and Appalachian interior design graduate, hoped to one day see the Parkdale Mills area where her grandmother worked in the 1950s restored and thriving again. When she learned the city was planning a new convention center with arts and entertainment venues downtown, she decided to get involved. [ more . . . ]
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Gill Beck '78, a third-generation Mountaineer and third-generation North Carolina attorney, has led a career of distinction as both a civilian and a soldier. Since graduating second in his class at Appalachian, he has served with the U.S. Army Reserve in a variety of positions. He has been an assistant U.S. attorney in the middle district of North Carolina since 1992. His career reached a pinnacle of distinction in December 2008 when former President George W. Bush promoted him to brigadier general with the Army Reserve. Beck, who will receive Appalachian's Distinguished Alumni Award in spring 2009, reflects on the experiences that took him from college student, to soldier, to lawyer and judge. [ more . . . ]
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Antony R. Farmer '96 MBA, a 25-year veteran of the Winston-Salem Fire Department, was sworn in as the city's new fire chief in December 2008. Farmer oversees the city's 18 fire stations, 316 firefighters and an annual budget of about $25 million. Previously, Farmer served as a firefighter, engineer, captain, battalion chief and most recently a district fire chief with the department. [ more . . . ]
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Linda Combs '68 '78 has been elected to serve a four-year term on the Appalachian State University Foundation Board of Directors. She retired in 2007 from a career serving the U.S. government at the highest level.
Over 14 years, Combs worked for three presidents, earned five Senate confirmations for various appointments, and served in the departments of Education, Veterans Affairs, Transportation and Treasury, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency. As controller of the United States in the Office of Management and Budget—her final position and a presidential appointment—she was responsible for audits totaling about $3 trillion a year. [ more . . . ]
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Christian Kucab '08 of Raleigh is one of the rare individuals to receive a perfect score on the LSAT, the law school admissions test. A recent summa cum laude graduate of Appalachian's Department of Government and Justice Studies, Kucab aspires to a career in public interest law and eventually politics. His score of 180 is good insurance he will be accepted into a law school of his choosing. [ more . . . ]
Resources for Alumni
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