Reich College of Education inducts 3 new Rhododendron Society members

BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University’s Rhododendron Society welcomed three new members Friday, June 14, with the induction of Appalachian alumni Dorothy “Dot” Case ’69, Chris Moody ’99 and Dr. Angela Quick ’91. A brunch for the induction was held at Hound Ears Club in Boone.

The brunch was attended by the award recipients and their guests, past winners, Reich College of Education (RCOE) Advancement Board members and college leadership, including RCOE Dean Melba Spooner and Dr. Monica Lambert, RCOE associate dean. Also in attendance were Dr. Randy Edwards, vice chancellor for university advancement, and Geoff Graham, assistant vice chancellor for gift planning and real estate management.

The RCOE established the Rhododendron Society in 1999, Appalachian’s centennial year. It is named for Appalachian’s one-time yearbook The Rhododendron, which captured the university’s historic moments, activities and accomplishments.

As the highest honor given by the college, the award honors alumni for their exemplary service to education and to their communities. The society recognizes RCOE graduates whose service as teachers, librarians, human service professionals or administrators has reflected great credit on themselves, the field of education and the university.

Case, Moody and Quick join a distinguished group of 65 Rhododendron Society members.

Society members give back to the RCOE through an annual scholarship that is awarded to an undergraduate and a graduate student who are outstanding in their course of study.

The RCOE encourages Rhododendron Society nominations of Appalachian alumni currently working in the field of education, as well as those who have retired.

Learn more about the society and view nomination materials

About Dorothy “Dot” Case

Case has served as an educator for more than 45 years. She earned a bachelor’s degree in social studies education from Appalachian in 1969 and a master’s degree in education from Western Carolina University in 1983.

Case began her education career at Edneyville Junior High School in Henderson County, teaching social studies, English and physical education during her seven-year tenure. In 1977, she began teaching social studies to grades nine through 12 at Edneyville High School, and she completed her teaching career at North Henderson High School, teaching U.S. history and government to 11th–12th graders.

During her teaching career, Case received numerous accolades. She was named Henderson County Teacher of the Year twice and was named the Region 8 Western North Carolina Teacher of the Year in 2010. Additionally, she is a recipient of the National Society of High School Scholars’ Educator of Distinction award, and most recently, she was named “Hometown Hero” by radio station WHKP for her service to the Henderson County community.

“There have been none who were more loved by students and none who instilled more excitement over history as did Dot Case,” one of Case’s nominators wrote.

“What I remember most about my days as a student of Ms. Case were her expectations,” said nominator Fran Nelson, a former student of Case’s who is now a teacher. “No one believed in me the way she did, inside and outside of the classroom. I left her classroom with an immense amount of knowledge … but perhaps more importantly, I left her classroom knowing more about how to be a servant leader, a good person and a life-changer.”

Case, who retired from teaching in 2016, is still active in education and government. In 2018, she was elected to serve on the Henderson County Board of Public Education.

“From her intensive work of over 40 years as a classroom teacher leader, to her commitment as a member of the Henderson County Board of Public Education, Dot serves as an exceptional role model to all stakeholders; she fully represents every facet of an exceptional educator,” said Bo Caldwell, superintendent of Henderson County Pubic Schools.

About Chris Moody

Moody has worked in higher education for over 20 years. He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wake Forest University in 1997 and his master’s degree in college student development (now the student affairs administration program) from Appalachian in 1999. He is pursuing a doctoral degree in higher education administration at George Washington University, where he is writing his dissertation on the effects of legislatively mandated concealed weapons policies on college and university students and their environments.

As the executive director of American College Personnel Association (ACPA)–College Student Educators International, Moody serves as the senior strategy and operations officer for an association of over 6,000 members from thousands of U.S. colleges and universities and over 200 countries globally. He leads the organization in addressing a range of higher education organizational, policy and program issues, including setting priorities, providing financial and staff leadership, and designing and implementing an organizational structure that supports growth and creates a positive workplace atmosphere.

Prior to ACPA, Moody was employed at American University in Washington, D.C., in various roles of increasing responsibility, culminating in becoming the university’s assistant vice president of campus life. His prior professional experiences also include positions at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Appalachian, the University of Memphis and the Semester at Sea program.

Moody has received accolades from both his campuses and his field at large, including a Campus Excellence Award from American University’s GLBTA Resource Center and the Best in Business Award from the university’s Student Government. In 2014, he received the ACPA Diamond Honoree Award, one of the most prestigious awards in the field, and in 2016, he was honored with the ACPA Coalitions' Advocate Award.

Moody is “a passionate and collaborative teacher, with a calming force and energy ... his dedicated hard work and passion are evident in everything he does,” said one of Moody’s nominators.

In her nomination letter for Moody, Dr. Sonja Ardoin, assistant professor in Appalachian’s Department of Human Development and Psychological Counseling, said, “As a faculty member in the program from which Chris Moody graduated, I can attest that we are extremely proud to have him as an alumnus and benefit from his praise of our student affairs master’s program.”

About Dr. Angela Quick

As one of her nominators stated, Quick “has been incredibly successful as a leader in education.” Quick was a North Carolina Teaching Fellow, earning her bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Appalachian in 1991.

She graduated with her master’s degree in science education from the University of South Carolina in 2000, and received her education specialist and doctorate of education degrees — both in education leadership — from Cambridge College in 2004 and 2013, respectively.

Quick began her education career at Pinecrest High School in Moore County, where she taught honors biology. Over her career, she has held the titles of principal, deputy chief academic officer, senior vice president and director of magnet schools. Furthermore, she has led state-level projects that involve the design and creation of curriculum and instruction methodologies, comprehensive assessment systems and accountability models for public schools.

Currently, she is the director of school services/senior education researcher for RTI International. In this role, she develops strategy for unit operations and services, including program development that focuses on school and district supports to teachers, leaders and other educators.

One of Quick’s nominators noted that she has “demonstrated her knowledge and expertise as an outstanding educator, critical and strategic thinker, and skilled manager of personnel.” Another of Quick’s nominators praised her as having “dedicated her professional career to the betterment of education in our state.”

Quick performs research in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) school design, coursework articulation and recruitment of underrepresented populations in STEM programming. She has published articles in the area of student success, specifically in the STEM fields. Most recently, she was the principal investigator for the Department of Defense STEM Education Consortium.

She is a recipient of Pinecrest and Spring Valley high schools’ Teacher of the Year awards, as well as the Principal of the Year Award from Watauga County Schools. She was also the recipient of the State Advocacy Award for Gifted Education. Quick has served as both a member and chair of the RCOE Advancement Board.

What do you think?

Share your feedback on this story.

Rhododendron Society

B. B. Dougherty displayed great energy and vision in 1899 when he established a training institute for the preparation of teachers. His legacy is the remarkable and exemplary accomplishments of our alumni.

To recognize these distinguished alumni, the Reich College of Education established the Rhododendron Society in 1999, Appalachian State University's centennial year. New members are inducted each year at the Black and Gold Reunion luncheon.

Learn more

About the Reich College of Education

Appalachian State University offers one of the largest undergraduate teacher preparation programs in North Carolina, graduating about 500 teachers a year. The Reich College of Education enrolls more than 2,000 students in its bachelor's, master's, education specialist and doctoral degree programs. With so many teacher education graduates working in the state, there is at least one RCOE graduate teaching in every county in North Carolina. Learn more at https://rcoe.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls nearly 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.