After earning a bachelor’s degree in education from WVSU, Byers earned a master’s in fine arts degree in art education from The Ohio State University, and a doctorate in higher education administration from Kent State University.
Byers’ career has included three years teaching high school, 22 years of college teaching and 23 years in higher education administration. He has served WVSU as vice president for planning and advancement, Title III director, and executive director for the WVSU Research & Development Corporation. Although he retired as Provost and Vice for Academic Affairs in 2014, he continued to serve WVSU in a variety of roles, authoring “A Place We Love So Dear: A Collection of Campus Drawings,” teaching part time in the Masters of Education in Instructional Leadership program, and consulting with the WVSU Research & Development Corporation. In July 2019, he returned as interim provost and vice president for academic affairs.
Byers is also involved in a number of community and civic groups including board membership of the Central West Virginia Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Council for Agriculture, Research, and Teaching for the American Public and Land-Grant Universities, The Booker T. Washington Foundation, and he serves as chair of the Board of Trustees at the First Baptist Church of Charleston. He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Distinguished West Virginian Award.