Starting this fall, App State’s Walker College of Business will begin offering a concentration in AI for graduate students in the Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Applied Data Analytics programs. Walker College Dean Sandra Vannoy speaks to WFDD about the university’s goals for the program. Vannoy is also a professor in App State’s Department of Computer Information Systems.

Dr. Yalçın Açıkgöz, associate professor in App State’s Department of Psychology, offers WalletHub his expert insight to make predictions about unemployment in the U.S. in 2025. Açıkgöz is part of App State’s Industrial-Organizational Psychology and Human Resource Management program.

App State alumnus Mitch Purgason ’15, a clothing designer and founder of his eponymous business, designed the official blazer for award recipients at last year’s Heisman Trophy ceremony for top collegiate football players. Purgason started his business while he was a student at App State. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in management in 2015.

App State celebrated its new chancellor, Dr. Heather Norris, at the Hickory campus on Friday, Feb. 28. The reception was attended by App State employees from the Boone and Hickory campuses, students, the president of Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, and others from across the region.

myFutureNC honors the 2025 Champions for Attainment — a distinction awarded to individuals and organizations demonstrating outstanding dedication to expanding access, success and completion for adult learners across N.C. App State was recognized for its Aspire Appalachian program, which provides transfer students from 27 partner community colleges with a clear pathway to completing their associate and bachelor’s degrees.

Dr. Rahman Tashakkori, Lowe’s Distinguished Professor in App State’s Department of Computer Science, is featured in this NCInnovation Q&A series. Tashakkori speaks about the two-year grant he received to advance the development of the Beemon system — a unique tool for decreasing honeybee hive die-off and increasing hive production.

Experts, including Dr. Lori Medders, chair and professor in App State’s Department of Finance, Banking and Insurance, explain how “last resort” insurance plans likely won’t have enough reserves to cover damages from natural disasters like the Los Angeles wildfires and hurricanes Helene and Milton, specifically in Florida.

In this WalletHub feature, Dr. Yalçın Açıkgöz, associate professor in App State’s Department of Psychology, offers his expert predictions for the job market in 2025. Açıkgöz is a faculty member in App State’s Industrial-Organizational Psychology and Human Resource Management (IOHRM) program.

The Hickory Daily Record features two recent App State graduates, Vee Bui ’24 and Cody Zimmerman ’24, both first-generation students from Hickory, who speak about their time at the university and their plans for the future. Bui earned her bachelor’s in communication sciences and disorders from App State in 2024, and Zimmerman earned his bachelor’s in both general management and sales from App State in 2024.