Student Affairs

Matt Dull, CGFM, CEFP

As the Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, Matt's portfolio consits of Administrative Services, the Child Development Center, Electronic Student Services, University Housing, Staff Development & Strategic initiatives, Student Affairs Assessment and Student Affairs Capital Projects. Matt served as the Director of Administrative Support Services from July 2010 until his appointment as Assistant Vice Chancellor. Matt previously served in higher education as the Senior Associate Director of Admissions at Appalachian and as Director for the University of North Carolina System Office at Fudan University in Shanghai, China. He has also provided consulting services to the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, the Ministry of Education of Laos, National University of Laos, USAID in Afghanistan and the Tennessee Department of Human Services. Matt is a native North Carolinian with a BS in Business Administration from Appalachian and a Master of Public Policy in Education Policy from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University. Matt is a Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM) as well as a Certified Educational Facilities Professional (CEFP) .

Matt is a Director of the Appalachian Student Housing Corporation and Appalachian Transformation LLC and serves as the Corporate Secretary.

Judy Haas

Judy currently serves as the Dean of Students with oversight of the following areas: Student Conduct, Case Management, Off-Campus Student Services, Student Legal Clinic, Student Veteran Services and Parent & Family Services. Judy previously served as the Associate Dean of Students, Director of Student Conduct, Assistant Director of Student Conduct and several other roles at Appalachian.  She has been navigating crises on a regular basis and consulting/guiding faculty and staff in supporting and responding to students all while keeping their best interest of the student at the forefront of her decisions. Judy received Bachelor degrees in Accounting and Management from Averett College (now Averett University) and her Master of Arts in Student Development with an emphasis in Counseling from Appalachian State University.

Margaret Bumgarner, MBA, FACHE, FACMPE

Margaret Bumgarner is serving as the Interim Assistant Vice Chancellor for the Division of Student Affairs and the Administrative Director of Student Health Services. Margaret's current portfolio includes the Counseling Center, Student Health Services and Wellness & Prevention Services. Before coming to Appalachian, Margaret served as Vice President, Operations for Hawaii Pacific Health. Margaret received Bachelor of Science degrees in Biology from Meredith College and Medical Technology from Western Carolina University. Her Master's degree is in Business Administration from Wake Forest University. Margaret is Board Certified by the American College of Medical Practice Executives and the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Jeff Cathey

Jeff Cathey serves as an Assistant Vice Chancellor and oversees the following Student Affairs Departments: Intercultural Student Affairs, Community-Engaged Leadership, Campus Activities, the Plemmons Student Union, University Recreation and Orientation. He also co-advises the Student Government Association with Dean of Students, Judy Hass. Jeff served as director of the Department of Student Engagement and Leadership prior to taking on the Assistant Vice Chancellor role, first on an interim basis, in June of 2019. Prior to coming to Appalachian in 2014, Jeff served four and a half years as an Associate Dean of Students at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He also served as Assistant Dean of Students and then Associate Dean of Students at Colorado College from 2001-2009. Jeff received his Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and a Master’s degree in College Student Personnel, both from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Heather Strine-Patterson, PhD

Heather Strine-Patterson is the inaugural Director of Student Affairs Assessment and has significant experience with student affairs assessment. She currently serves as the Editor for the Journal of Student Affairs Inquiry (JSAI) (opens in a new tab), which is the online, peer-reviewed publication by Student Affairs Assessment Leaders (SAAL). Heather holds a Ph.D. in Strategic Leadership with a concentration in Postsecondary Analysis & Leadership from James Madison University. While completing her doctorate, she completed an externship with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) where she served on the Task Force for Student Learning Assessment and Quality in Undergraduate Education. She also earned a Masters of Science in Higher Education Administration from Syracuse University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from The Ohio State University.

Traci Royster

Traci Royster is the Director of Staff Development & Strategic Initiatives for Student Affairs. Traci most recently served as Interim Director of Multicultural Student Development (MSD) for the 2015-16 academic year. Traci brings over 16 years of professional experience in higher education. Prior to her work in Multicultural Student Development, she served as the Director of Parent and Family Services from 2009 to 2015, the Internship & Student Employment Coordinator in the Career Development Center from 2006 to 2009, and the Assistant Director for Student Support Services in the Learning Assistance Program from 2001 to 2006, all at Appalachian State. Traci earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master of Arts in Human Development and Psychological Counseling, both from Appalachian State University.

Arielle Johnson

Arielle Johnson is the Executive Assistant to the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs. She excitedly relocated to North Carolina from Gainesville, FL to join the App State community. Prior to coming to Appalachian State, Arielle served as the Academic Assistant for the University of Florida’s MBA program from 2019 – 2022. Outside of the office, Arielle is the owner of a thriving wedding photography business, Arielle Images, that has relocated with her. She has earned a Master of Entrepreneurship from the University of Florida and a Bachelor of Organizational Management from Santa Fe College.

Molly Kadyk

Molly Kadyk is the Business Officer for Student Affairs and has served in that role since July 2015. She is responsible for the management of all finances, operations and personnel within the Division of Student Development. Molly serves as accountant, budget analyst and resource person for areas within the division. She also administers the Student Emergency Loan Program. Molly began working at the University in 2007 as the Budget Manager in the Office of Arts and Cultural Programs. In 2009, she became the Budget Manager for University Advancement. Molly received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Science degree in Accounting, both from Appalachian State University.

Wanda Stewart

Wanda Stewart is the Accountant for the P3 Projects in Student Affairs. She serves as the acoountant for business partnerships. In this role, she serves as a member of the Student Affairs Administrative Services team in the Office of Student Affairs and assists in the financial management of the university’s public private partnership (P3) housing program for approximately 2,000 on-campus students who reside in buildings operated by University Housing and owned by a private owner. Wanda has been a part of Student Affairs since March 2020. Before coming to Appalachian, she worked as an accountant for Lowe's Hardware.

Maddi Walsleben

Maddi Walsleben is the Marketing and Communications Assistant for Student Affairs. In this role, Maddi creates and develops media efforts for the division while providing assistance to other Divisional departments. Maddi is a recent App State graduate with a degree in Public Relations and a double minor in Marketing and Non-profit Organizations and prior to working at Appalachian, Maddi has worked in marketing and sales. She is working on her Master’s degree in PR and Corporate Communications from Georgetown University and is excited to put her new insight and skills to work. Outside of the office, you can find Maddi at the dog park with her golden retriever or traveling somewhere new.