Dr. Heather Hulburt Norris named provost and executive vice chancellor at App State

BOONE, N.C. — Dr. Heather Hulburt Norris has been named provost and executive vice chancellor at Appalachian State University, effective May 7. Norris assumed the role in an interim capacity on Feb. 10, 2020.

“Heather’s leadership throughout the pandemic has been exceptional,” said App State Chancellor Sheri Everts. “She has risen to each challenge, building consensus, leading by example and fostering innovation and creative solutions under immensely difficult circumstances.”

Norris joined App State as a faculty member in the Walker College of Business in the fall of 2003, in the Department of Finance, Banking and Insurance. She was named assistant dean for undergraduate programs in 2005, associate dean for undergraduate programs and administration in 2008, senior associate dean in 2012, acting dean in 2014 and interim dean in 2016. In July 2016, following a national search, Norris was named permanent dean of the Walker College.

“Heather’s career has been characterized by her strong, collaborative leadership and service to App State and the greater community,” Everts said. “She is an inspiration to the faculty, staff and administrators who have worked alongside her, as well as the students she has taught and mentored in her time here. She has earned respect and trust across campus, and I appreciate her passion for advancing the success of our great university.”

Prior to App State, Norris served on the faculty at Bowling Green State University, Pennsylvania State University and West Virginia University. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in finance from James Madison University, as well as master’s and Ph.D. degrees in finance from Penn State.

Norris has been published in the Journal of Portfolio Management, Financial Management, Managerial and Decision Economics, and the Journal of Applied Business Research. Her work on corporate restructuring has been cited in The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Business Week and Dow Jones Online News. She is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma and Phi Kappa Phi.

Norris has served on the board of directors of Children’s Hope Alliance, the parent organization of Grandfather Home for Children and Barium Springs Home for Children. She was a member of the board’s finance committee and previously chaired the organization’s Foundation Board. She has also served on the board of directors for the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce.

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About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the state of North Carolina, 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 more than 20,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.