By Linda Coutant
As dean, Dr. Neva Specht leads the College of Arts and Sciences’ approximately 5,850 students and 16 academic departments that span the humanities, social sciences, and the mathematical and natural sciences. The college also includes two stand-alone academic programs (Appalachian studies and fermentation sciences), Watauga Residential College, the Center for Appalachian Studies and the Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies.