BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University’s Departmental Leadership Awards Program has honored two department chairs — Dr. Gail Donaldson and Dr. Cathy Marcum — for their exemplary contributions to the university’s academic community. App State’s Division of Academic Affairs instituted the program this year and presented the inaugural awards on July 25, during the Chancellor’s Chair Summer Institute.

Donaldson, chair of App State’s Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, received the Distinguished Leadership Award, which recognizes a department chair who has served in the role for three or more years and has demonstrated exceptional leadership in advancing faculty, staff, students and programs in their department.

Marcum, chair of App State’s Department of Government and Justice Studies, received the Emerging Leader Award, which recognizes a department chair who has shown outstanding achievements in advancing faculty, staff, students and programs within their first two years of assuming their leadership role.

About the awards winners

Dr. Gail Donaldson
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences
Beaver College of Health Sciences

Donaldson joined App State’s faculty in 2017, as the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Distinguished Professor. She was also chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, now known as the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences. According to a nominator, Donaldson has been instrumental in forming and leading the department.

Donaldson also facilitated the development and creation of a minor in American sign language that has grown from 17 students to over 160 students since 2020. It is now the largest minor in the Beaver College of Health Sciences and one of the top 10 largest minors at App State.

In 2023, Donaldson received Beaver College’s Making a Difference Award in recognition of her service as interim chair of the Department of Social Work in the 2022–23 academic year, while also continuing to serve as chair of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences.

“During her time as interim chair, she did more than just maintain the two departments,” said Dr. Marie Huff, dean of the Beaver College of Health Sciences. “Instead, she took time to get to know the people and the programs and actively supported their growth. I honestly don’t know how she managed it all, but her success speaks to her organizational skills, her intellect, her genuineness and her ability to balance and prioritize her responsibilities.”

A nominator said Donaldson’s leadership style and dedication have not only served as an inspiration to others in the Beaver College of Health Sciences, but across all of App State.

“She is kind, approachable, steady and hardworking,” said the nominator. “It is not uncommon for other chairs to model their work after what Dr. Donaldson has already completed.”

Before joining App State, Donaldson served as a faculty member at the University of South Florida from 2004 to 2017 and on the research faculty at the University of Minnesota from 1994 to 2004. Her research focuses on sound and speech perception in adults with cochlear implants. She has served as principal investigator and co-investigator on several grants awarded by the National Institutes of Health and has published extensively in her area of expertise.

Donaldson holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Duke University, master’s and doctoral degrees in audiology from the University of Virginia and a postdoctoral degree in auditory physiology from Duke University.

Dr. Cathy Marcum
Department of Government and Justice Studies
College of Arts and Sciences

Marcum joined App State’s faculty in 2012 and was promoted to full professor in 2020. She became chair of the Department of Government and Justice Studies in 2022.

As chair, Marcum has been proactive in advancing academic programs within the department, including initiating conversations with regional and local law enforcement agencies to expand App State’s presence in the field. She is also engaged in communications to keep the department informed through weekly newsletters, social media posts and much more.

“Dr. Marcum is an exceptional leader whose contributions have significantly shaped the culture and mission of her department,” said Dr. Mike Madritch, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “She truly embodies the qualities of an emerging leader in academia, and she will continue to have an outsized impact on the university in the coming years.”

A nominator noted that Marcum’s ability to improve office morale is one of her finest qualities as leader of the Department of Government and Justice Studies. The nominator said Marcum is known to leave treats in the break room, host holiday gatherings and other events and take the time to get to know students, faculty and staff on an individual level.

“She is truly one of the most consistently optimistic, energetic, clear-minded and admirable individuals I have ever met,” said the nominator.

Marcum’s teaching and research focus on correctional issues, cybercrime and victimization. She has published over 60 peer-reviewed journal articles and 20 books in her fields. Previously, Marcum served as editor of the journal Corrections: Policy, Practice and Research. She was appointed editor of the Journal of Criminal Justice Education last year.

Marcum enjoys working with students and has taught a variety of courses in her areas of expertise, including an undergraduate course on correctional systems, an honors seminar on cybercrime and a graduate course on crime policy and legislation.

She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in criminal justice from West Virginia State University and Marshall University, respectively, and a doctorate in criminology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

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About the Beaver College of Health Sciences

Appalachian State University’s Beaver College of Health Sciences (BCHS), opened in 2010, is transforming the health and quality of life for the communities it serves through interprofessional collaboration and innovation in teaching, scholarship, service and clinical outreach. The college enrolls more than 3,600 students and offers 10 undergraduate degree programs, nine graduate degree programs and four certificates across six departments: Nursing, Nutrition and Health Care Management, Public Health and Exercise Science, Recreation Management and Physical Education, Rehabilitation Sciences, and Social Work. The college’s academic programs are located in the Holmes Convocation Center on App State’s main campus and the Levine Hall of Health Sciences, a state-of-the-art, 203,000-square-foot facility that is the cornerstone of Boone’s Wellness District. In addition, the college supports the Appalachian Institute for Health and Wellness and has collaborative partnerships with the Wake Forest University School of Medicine’s Physician Assistant Program, UNC Health Appalachian and numerous other health agencies. Learn more at https://healthsciences.appstate.edu.

About the College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) at Appalachian State University is home to 17 academic departments, two centers and one residential college. These units span the humanities and the social, mathematical and natural sciences. CAS aims to develop a distinctive identity built upon our university's strengths, traditions and locations. The college’s values lie not only in service to the university and local community, but through inspiring, training, educating and sustaining the development of its students as global citizens. More than 6,800 student majors are enrolled in the college. As the college is also largely responsible for implementing App State’s general education curriculum, it is heavily involved in the education of all students at the university, including those pursuing majors in other colleges. Learn more at https://cas.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.