3 minute read
President's Message
Greetings, Fellow Highlanders!
As this edition of The Magazine of Radford University arrives, summer is in full swing on campus, in the New River Valley and across the Commonwealth of Virginia. As such, it is a perfect time to look back on our many accomplishments of the past, while also making exciting plans for the future. In the spirit of recognizing the past and preparing for the future, this edition focuses on the many ways in which our campus and our community are expanding opportunities for our students as they pursue their academic passions and fulfilling the University’s mission to serve current and future generations of Highlanders.
Within these pages, you will meet talented students, world-class faculty, dedicated staff and passionate alumni who are providing critical knowledge, diversity of thought and personal commitment to the Radford family. I can think of no better example of the Radford University pride and passion that we feel for our beautiful campus, our close-knit community and our fellow Highlanders than Mary Ann Jennings Hovis ’65. Mary Ann was a devoted member of the Radford family and a sitting member of the Board of Visitors upon her passing last August. Mary Ann is memorialized in this edition with the recent dedication of the Mary Ann Jennings Hovis Memorial Board Room. The Radford family will always remember Mary Ann for her boundless energy and limitless enthusiasm for Radford University, as well as her lasting legacy of supporting Radford students in pursuing their hopes and dreams of achieving a college degree. In accordance with the Highlander values embodied by Mary Ann and so many other members of the Radford family, our institution is fulfilling its vision of being an innovative, premier university in the Commonwealth of Virginia and beyond with a keen focus on teaching, research and service.
At Radford University, we provide experiences and opportunities that are second to none. In this edition, you will read about a few of the individuals and initiatives where tradition meets innovation and history is being made each and every day. With the ongoing implementation of our recently adopted, five-year strategic plan, we are Embracing the Tradition and Envisioning the Future through a detailed plan setting forth our strategic priorities and our collective efforts through 2023. The visionary document is the product of Task Force Co-Chairs Jack Call and Kenna Colley and Task Force members, as well as subgroup co-chairs and subgroup members, including students, faculty, staff and alumni. Their dedication to detailed discussions, in-depth planning and careful analysis will define Radford University well into the future. The strategic plan, like this edition of the magazine, contains exciting initiatives and innovative programs. The Student Venture Lab, the Appalachian Community Outreach Institute and the Enrollment Data Council are just a few of the plan’s transformative features. In concert with the University’s pioneering competency-based education IMPACT program, the Radford family is embracing innovation. And, through the merger of the Jefferson College of Health Sciences into the Radford University family of colleges and departments, we are also enhancing and expanding academic offerings and our longstanding commitment to health sciences.
With the help of our friends and supporters in the New River and Roanoke valleys, throughout the Commonwealth and across the globe, the principles of excellence, accountability, transparency and student-centeredness are guiding the Radford family each and every day. Indeed, the pages of this edition are a showcase of our University and those who make it so very special. Please enjoy the latest edition of The Magazine of Radford University, and GO HIGHLANDERS!
With Highlander Pride,
