The Magazine of Radford University Spring 2022

06 MOCK TRIAL TEAMS CARRY VISION FORWARD

A NEW LEADER

Radford University’s Board of Visitors announced the selection of the university’s eighth president in early December 2021. Bret S. Danilowicz, Ph.D., will assume the role in July 2022. He and his wife Kay visited campus for the announcement ceremony. Danilowicz joins the Highlander family after serving as the provost and vice president for academic affairs at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton since 2018. The rector of the Board of Visitors, Robert Archer, said, “He is a proven leader and possesses the background and experience required to take us to the next level and into the future.” The next Radford magazine will provide more insight into Danilowicz’s vision and first few months on campus.

Kay and I cannot wait to immerse ourselves in the New River Valley community and meet our new Highlander family!”

Bret S. Danilowicz, Ph.D.

INTERIM PRESIDENT

Carolyn Ringer Lepre, Ph.D.

BOARD OF VISITORS

Robert A. Archer, Rector

Jay A. Brown, Ph.D., Vice Rector

Thomas Brewster M.S. ’95, Ed.D.

Krisha Chachra

Charlene A. Curtis ‘76

Rachel D. Fowlkes, Ed.D.

Susan Whealler Johnston, Ph.D.

Mark S. Lawrence

Lisa W. Pompa ’86

Debra K. McMahon, Ph.D.

Nancy A. Rice

David A. Smith ’85, M.S. ’87

Marquett Smith ’85

Georgia Anne Snyder-Falkinham

Lisa Throckmorton ’94

Katie Hilden, Ph.D. Faculty Representative

Grace Hurst ’22 Student Representative

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Greetings, Fellow Highlanders!

It’s an incredible time to be a Highlander! I love this time of year, especially watching our soon-to-be-graduating students abuzz with excitement and looking ahead toward their next steps. This spring we are celebrating the Class of 2022 during our first campus commencement of this magnitude since the start of the pandemic, a sign of better things to come. Seeing students walk with confidence and ambition in their eyes across the stage to become alumni and hearing cheers of joyful families in the crowd on Moffett Lawn are both heartwarming and reassuring, knowing that our future is in good hands.

These students deserve a celebration like none other. They’ve persevered through one of the most challenging moments of our lifetimes. These last two extraordinary years tested us like never before, but revealed the breadth of our strengths and resilience as a Highlander family. Our outstanding students and exceptional faculty and staff were responsive to our efforts to keep campus safe so we could do our best to provide the best academic experience possible. Our ingenuity endured, and so did our Highlanders.

This is evident through the stories you will find on every page of this magazine.

Stories like our profile of Judy Jenks ’95, M.S.N. ’02, D.N.P. ’16, FNP-BC ’21, who earned three degrees and one certificate from Radford University and empowers students to continue their academic dreams regardless of life’s blessings and hurdles.

The Magazine of Radford University is produced by Advancement and University Relations.

EDITORS AND CONTRIBUTORS

Bailey Black

Becky Brackin

Karen Casteele ’79

Laken Dillow ’19

James Harman ’92

Neil Harvey

Ellen Hines ’18

Mary Beth Kegley

Mark Lambert, M.S. ’97

Wendy Lowery

Margaret McCue

Pam McCallister

Evan Musgrave

Chad Osborne

Stephanie D. Overton

Robert Robinson

Taylor Blue

Foster Sheppard

Meghan Williams Spraker ’03

Laura Turk ’87, M.S. ’90

Justin Ward ’10

Nate Wise

or employment practices.

Or our cover story about an incredible new opportunity for students who want to expand their pathways toward careers in law. Our talented faculty created a mock trial team, expanded an existing pre-law society and have plans to create a legal studies minor after our students expressed a heightened interest in learning more about the legal system.

I’m eager for you to read about the successes of our alumni and prosperous academic programs both on main campus and at RUC. I know you will be inspired by these stories.

Lastly, my time as interim president is nearing an end. It has been an incredible honor and privilege to serve our university in this capacity. Like our graduating students, I am excited about the future of Radford University as Bret Danilowicz, Ph.D., joins our community as Radford’s eighth president. His drive and passion to build off an exciting momentum here is contagious, and his energy and commitment to higher education is encouraging. We look forward to welcoming him to campus on July 1.

Thank you for entrusting me to lead this university for a year and for your dedication and belief in our beloved Radford. With all my heart, I believe that the best days for Radford University are to come, as we continue to do what we do best: work together on behalf of our extraordinary students.

With Highlander Pride, Carolyn Ringer Lepre, Ph.D. Interim President

We want to hear from you!

Let us know what you think of the stories and photos you find in The Magazine of Radford University. The magazine staff welcomes readers’ comments but reserves the right to edit letters or to refuse publication of letters considered libelous or distasteful. Space availability may prevent publication of all letters in the magazine. Please send your letters to editor@radford.edu

Radford University does not discriminate in the administration of its educational programs, activities, admission

On the Cover Members of Radford University’s mock trial team stand in the courtroom classroom in Hemphill Hall. The space allows students to experience the feel of a real courtroom without leaving campus. As more students show interest in legal studies as an undergraduate option, faculty members are developing a legal studies minor to expand pathways to legal careers.

From left:

Emmie Maurer (sophomore, political science, Mount Airy, North Carolina)

Michael Kautzmann (freshman, criminal justice, Hesignue, France)

Emily Fournier (junior, criminal justice, Richmond, Virginia)

Ethan Reynolds (senior, criminal justice, Pulaski, Virginia)

Catherine Plaster (senior, political science, Tazewell County, Virginia)

Erika Meadows (senior, criminal justice, Fredericksburg, Virginia)

THE MAYOR OF RUC

By Mark Lambert, M.S. ’97

Every day, Glen Mayhew, D.H.Sc., associate dean for the Waldron College of Health and Human Services, goes out to the third-floor lobby at Radford University Carilion (RUC) to greet students, faculty and staff as they arrive or leave the building. Mayhew enjoys giving tours of RUC, and when he has time, he ventures to the top floor of the 10-story building and works his way down, saying hello to everyone and seeing if there is anything that he can do to help them.

It’s that kind of hands-on, personable leadership that has earned Mayhew the nickname “the Mayor of RUC.”

“I am a true believer that a smile and small gesture can go a long way helping make someone else’s day better,” Mayhew says. “It also supports the culture we have here at RUC of having an engaging and family-like atmosphere.”

Mayhew can trace his association with the college all the way back to 1985, when he enrolled in the first cohort of the Associate of Science in emergency health sciences program at what was then known as the Community Hospital of Roanoke Valley College of Health Sciences. He graduated two years later and was hired as the lab coordinator for the emergency services and nursing programs.

“I worked for Roanoke Emergency Services at night and at the college during the day,” Mayhew recalls. “When you’re in your 20s, you can burn the candle from both ends.”

He was given the opportunity to assist with the teaching of some of the lab sections and enjoyed engaging with the students and seeing the lightbulb go off when they were able to learn a new skill or understand a new concept.

The director of the emergency services program, the late Claudia Huddleston, started giving Mayhew more opportunities to teach and started encouraging him to return to school and complete a bachelor’s degree.

“I listened to her advice and completed a Bachelor of

Arts majoring in healthcare administration,” Mayhew said. “During that time, I realized how much I enjoyed teaching and seeing my students succeed.”

Mayhew said he vividly remembers one student who was ready to quit paramedic school because he could not understand how to read EKGs. He says he knew the student had what it took to be a good medic.

“We worked hours and hours after classes until he got it,” Mayhew says. “He’s had a very successful career as a captain in a fire/EMS system, and that makes me proud to have been part of his success.”

As his passion for teaching grew, Mayhew went back to school again and completed a Master of Science in education, followed soon thereafter by a Doctor of Health Sciences.

He continued to progress through the academic ranks, leading the development of the bachelor-level emergency services program – “the first of its type in Virginia and one of only about a dozen in the country” – eventually becoming dean of institutional effectiveness at what was then the Jefferson College of Health Sciences (JCHS).

It was during this period that Mayhew got the nickname that has endured to this day.

“I used to tag along with JCHS President Nathaniel L. (NL) Bishop on some of his many college tours and public engagements, or represent the college when he wasn’t available,” Mayhew says. “In one of our leadership meetings, Margie Vest made the comment about NL being the president, but Glen is the mayor, and it stuck.”

Mayhew says it is Bishop whom he credits for helping him hone his persona as an involved and caring leader.

“It wasn’t until later in my career that I worked for NL, and he was a leader that everyone could relate to,” Mayhew says. “He was the consummate ‘people person’ and observing his level of engagement taught me that every person has responsibilities, and no one’s responsibilities are more important than anyone else’s. It takes the whole team pulling in the same direction to make it work like a well-oiled machine.”

In 2019, as JCHS merged into the family of colleges and schools at Radford University, Mayhew would once again move into a new role. As associate dean, he advocates for all the academic programs housed within the college, including most of the healthcare-focused programs offered at RUC. He splits his time between RUC in Roanoke and the main campus in Radford.

“I love coming to work every day and being around people that have a common calling,” he says, smiling. “I want to make sure that I am doing my part to help make sure that our students, faculty and staff have what they need to be successful. That starts with a personal touch.”

I am a true believer that a smile and small gesture can go a long way helping make someone else’s day better. It also supports the culture we have here at RUC of having an engaging and family-like atmosphere.”

Glen Mayhew, D.H.Sc.

New options offer Highlanders expanded pathways toward legal careers

by neil harvey

It’s estimated that about 160 of Radford University’s graduates have gone on to careers in law, but a trio of faculty members recently banded together to potentially raise that number.

In a move to meet students’ rising interest in legal studies, and to enhance undergraduate options for entering into that field, those instructors recently launched a three-pronged initiative — to create for the school a competitive mock trial team; to reimagine and expand the existing pre-law society; and to offer undergraduates the option of minoring in legal studies, possibly as soon as this fall.

It’s a considerable undertaking, a collaboration by Assistant Professor of Political Science Allyson Yankle, Ph.D.; Criminal Justice Instructor Don Martin; and Carter Turner, Ph.D., associate director for University Advancement.

“I don’t know that one person could have orchestrated this,” said College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences Dean Matthew Smith, Ph.D.

“Don moved to the area, Allyson joined the faculty and Carter started making connections, and it just seemed like the planets lined up one by one,” Smith explained. “As I was having conversations with each of them, there was this realization that, hey, there’s something bigger that can happen, given the dynamism of what everyone’s working on.”

In crafting the legal studies minor, Yankle wrote in her statement of purpose that it’s designed to emphasize the skills necessary for success in law school while also allowing students to explore specific areas of the law and its related topics. The minor is currently moving through the approval process and, as of early March, was set to go before the Faculty Senate for consideration.

More than two dozen academic departments have already agreed to participate in the minor, which Smith said will give it “an on-ramp in 28 different places. So, a student who’s in nursing can make the connection that they could get a legal studies minor.”

Even if a student doesn’t go on to law school, these skills are going to be useful to them during their time at Radford and in their post-Radford careers.

As it’s structured, legal studies will require 18 credit hours. Its three core classes will draw from English, philosophy and religious studies to help students improve their logical reasoning and writing skills; other departments offer courses on topics such as the judicial system, policy and regulations.

“When you go to law school, it doesn’t matter if you’ve taken Constitutional Law or Rights of the Criminally Accused,” Yankle explained. “What matters is: Do you have logical skills? Do you have reasoning skills? Do you have writing skills? And so that was the approach that we took when doing this minor, and that’s also been what makes it unique for the entire state.”

The second component of the current initiatives is a new competitive mock trial team launched by Don Martin, a former corporate litigator and government counsel who joined the faculty last year.

Radford University already offers classes covering mock trial in which students learn trial skills, write briefs using actual cases and argue rules of evidence. Martin’s competitive team will be based out of the mock trial class, and it will participate in tournaments sponsored by the American Mock Trial Association.

The current group, which has about 10 members, stalled at the regional level this season, but all new teams have to start somewhere.

“They’re all rookies and green, and no one on the team has ever done this before,” said Martin, who previously coached mock trial teams for American University and the University of Richmond.

Students on the new team, meanwhile, praised their experiences.

“Coming to Radford my freshman year, I knew I loved the courtroom setting, and I found that mock trial was a way to get into that setting and see all that goes into trial prep,” said Emmie Maurer, a sophomore from Mount Airy, North Carolina, who majors in political science with a minor in criminal justice.

Catherine Plaster, a senior from Tazewell County, is currently applying to law schools and hopes to ultimately become a prosecutor.

“The opportunity to participate in mock trial helped to confirm that I am on the right path,” Plaster said.

The third of the new initiatives is the reconfiguring of Radford University’s Prelaw Society.

I want to do more than just advocate for civil rights,” brummitt declared .

“I want to get people justice.

Founded in 2016, its goal is to educate students on law professions, support those who want to study it beyond the undergraduate level and enhance the overall diversity of members within the profession. Now rebranded as the Radford University Law Society, this new version will also be open to alumni working in law.

“I started to realize that we had all these alumni out there who have law degrees, who really feel loyal to Radford and want to support it, and it felt like we needed to have a home for them,” Carter Turner said.

Keith Hurley ’79 worked for the Virginia State Police and the governor’s security detail before pivoting to law school. In 2013, he was appointed to a General District Court judgeship. He also teaches in the criminal justice department at Virginia Commonwealth University and is a recent addition to Radford’s Law Society.

Hurley’s advice to students: “Make sure it’s what you want to do. Go watch court, go talk to the judges or lawyers. That’s where the Law Society would probably be of benefit to students.”

Hurley also recommended that law school hopefuls look beyond the typical major of political science.

“Try to diversify your background. Because that’s what law schools look for, is the diversity and your experience. I think my work with the state police helped me get in,” he said.

Another Law Society member, Chris Huther ’88, cautioned aspiring lawyers that, while the profession is extremely rewarding, they need to be fully aware of what they’re getting into.

“A mock trial program provides helpful insight into what the practice of law is like,” said Huther, a Washington, D.C., attorney who specializes in communications-based litigation. “Television and the movies give you an incomplete understanding of the practice of law, day in and day out. You might spend 2,000 hours getting ready for a trial that lasts a week.

“The more that we can do as an institution to expose our students to the commitment that’s required and the opportunities that are available, the more prepared our students will be to succeed in the study and practice of law.”

Turner hopes that as the society grows, more alumni will get involved.

“A lot of them really like that idea, just the opportunity to come back to campus or visit virtually and connect with our students again,” he explained. “You can have guest speakers in front of your students, but when those speakers have been students here themselves, they’re received differently.”

A recent example of that came Feb. 21, with an on-campus question-and-answer session called “So You Want to Be a Lawyer,” led by Drew Robinson ‘01, a former prosecutor who now works as a private attorney in Fairfax.

About 40 students showed up for the talk, and for the better part of an hour, they kept Robinson busy.

One of those on hand was sophomore Sydney Brummitt, a political science major from Rocky Mount, Virginia. After the session, Brummitt said current events and her involvement in the Model United Nations had recently increased her interest in global affairs.

“I want to study international law and, maybe, in the future, own my own law firm,” she said. “I’m actually the president of the Model UN club right now, so I’m really interested in what’s going on in other countries.

“I want to do more than just advocate for civil rights,” Brummitt declared. “I want to get people justice.”

Students and alumni interested in participating can connect with the Radford University Law Society by email at lawsociety@radford.edu

DOCTORS IN THE HOUSE

First Ed.D. class prepares to graduate

By Chad Osborne

Working in school administration is a rewarding but often demanding position, with enormous commitments and long hours stretching the boundaries way beyond a typical 40-hour workweek.

Yet, nearly three years ago, a small group of administrators from Virginia public schools decided to tack even greater responsibilities onto their already laborious schedules by enrolling in Radford University’s then-new Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) program.

“All of our students work full time and have very heavyresponsibility jobs,” explained Brad Bizzell, Ph.D., the program’s director. “We have superintendents and directors and high school principals. Some work 60 and 70 hours a week before they even begin their doctoral work.”

Sandy Stayer ’91 is one of those students who jumped headfirst into the program when the first cohort took shape in January 2020. She was hesitant to enroll at first, but a couple of her fellow Henry County Public Schools administrators convinced her it was a perfect program for her and the school system she guides as superintendent. But it only took a small nudge to fully commit because, as Strayer said, “we’ve been begging for this program for years.”

Radford University’s Doctor of Education degree prepares practicing professional educators to fill positions as educational leaders at the district level in Virginia.

Administered by the College of Education and Human Development, this 63-credit hour program includes courses in educational foundations, educational leadership, applied research, field experiences and elective choices. The fully online program is designed to be completed in three years as a part-time student, and it qualifies individuals for licensure as a superintendent.

“We are not preparing people to go into higher education and be researchers,” said Bizzell, who also is a faculty member in the program. “We are preparing people to lead school divisions.”

For Strayer, who has served as Henry County’s superintendent since 2018, enrolling in the doctoral program meant following her joy and dedication to helping

kids learn. “I’m very passionate about making education better,” she said.

Part of the program, Bizzell said, is asking each student who enrolls in the program “to think of a problem or concern within their school or school division that they want to attempt to solve.”

And then, “we engage them with a series of tools and processes around school improvement to address the problem with the idea being they will take those tools and processes with them to use for any subsequent problems they face as a school leader,” Bizzell continued. “Our students are gaining process expertise.”

The tools and processes have been especially beneficial to Strayer, who is enrolled in the program with three fellow administrators from Henry County: Wendy Durham ’97, director of K-12 instruction; Matthew Woods, director of student support services; and Elizabeth Motley ’06, principal at Drewry Mason Elementary School.

“One benefit to this program is it gives us a common language we can use to help us find solutions,” Strayer explained. “It helps us understand that first, you have to look really deeply at a problem and understand the root causes, and we discuss among ourselves ways we can analyze and solve an issue.

When the rubber meets the road, we’re actually putting the knowledge we are learning from the doctoral program into place every single day to try to improve education for our students.”

“For example,” she continued, “Wendy is working on coaching and professional development, Matt is working with leadership, and Liz is working on improving scores in her school. We all have issues we tackle daily, and in this program, we find ourselves talking with each other and collaborating with others before we enact a solution to something we think might be a problem.”

The Henry County contingent said there is added value in working with individuals from other school systems from around Virginia.

“The networking piece of the program is so big,” Woods said. “I’m always eager to connect with other folks in other districts, even if they don’t have the same role as me, just to bounce an idea off of them. That’s one of the beauties of this doctoral program.”

Those connections were especially helpful when the COVID-19 global health pandemic closed school buildings and moved classes online in March 2020, just weeks into the cohort’s first courses in the program.

“This program was an absolute blessing during that time,” Durham said. “We were able to network with people across the entire state of Virginia and see how they were handling things during the pandemic.”

Everyone stuck with the program, which is a bit unusual for a doctoral program, Bizzell said, and each of the 20-member cohort is scheduled to graduate in December 2022. “That’s a huge success,” he said.

Students who first enrolled in the program had an average of 10 years of experience in school division leadership, but that experience didn’t immediately gel into confidence when it came to the program. “They were smart and had such incredible life and professional experiences,” Bizzell noted. Yet, many of them came in with apprehension about embarking on doctoral work.

“They came in questioning whether they are capable of doctoral work; they came in not fully realizing their life’s experiences as an educator and how much value they added to the program because of those experiences,” Bizzell explained. “They’ve all experienced growth, and I think they’ve all developed a greater confidence in themselves.”

And because of the collaborations and efforts students in the cohort put forth, “the program is helping to change how school divisions operate,” Bizzell said, “which is our intended outcome.”

And that, said Motley, who, like Woods, is the parent of a young child, makes all the work and extra hours worth the sacrifice.

“When the rubber meets the road, we’re actually putting the knowledge we are learning from the doctoral program into place every single day to try to improve education for our students,” she said. “It’s all for the betterment of our school systems, our students and our communities.”

Navigating the Doctor of Education program together are, from left, Matthew Woods, Wendy Durham ‘97, Elizabeth Motley ’06 and Sandy Stayer ’91, all from Henry County Public Schools.

FORGING LINKS TO THE FUTURE

Susan Whealler Johnston, Ph.D.

By Justin Ward ’10

For the last eight years, Susan Whealler Johnston, Ph.D., has watched Radford University grow and evolve from a unique perspective. As a member of the Board of Visitors, she’s had a hand in positioning Radford University for a strong future.

Since 2014, Johnston has seen the creation of Radford University Carilion (RUC); REAL, a new undergraduate general education curriculum; new programs and new delivery methods; the creation of The Highlander hotel and conference center; and two presidential searches. During the most recent presidential search, she chaired the committee that found Radford’s eighth president, Bret S. Danilowicz, Ph.D. This summer, after serving two terms on the board, she is stepping down from her position, but she will always be a member of the Radford family.

“Radford University is an extremely welcoming place. Whether joining as a student – as my niece did several years ago – or as a board member, as I did, I think the feeling is the same,” Johnston said. “One of the ways in which the Radford family has impressed me is the number of families who have made Radford University their home. I’ve met mothers and daughters who have graduated from Radford, grandmothers and grandchildren, and – of course – husbands and wives. To me, that adds a special, joyful understanding to what it means to be part of the Radford family.”

Through the last two years, Johnston and the remaining board members have worked with university leadership to overcome the challenges of COVID-19 and build a stronger

future. Weathering the pandemic is one of her most proud accomplishments while on the board.

“Outstanding leadership, long-term considerations and practical and tactical decision making all led to a strong and healthy Radford as we look to emerge from the pandemic,” Johnston said.

Looking at what the future holds for Radford excites Johnston as she steps off the board, having helped position the university for the next generation.

“At Radford, we educate students for the future. We build programs to address future local, state and regional needs,” Johnston said. “To me, it’s exciting to build links and opportunities between what we know and believe now to a future that we can’t yet see or know. It’s just around the corner, but if we can get that link right, we can build a very powerful engine – the university – for financial growth, social growth, intellectual growth of individuals and regions.”

Her full-time job outside of the Board of Visitors is very similar to her volunteer role as a board member. Johnston serves as the president and CEO of the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO). Its members include nearly 2,000 colleges and universities and approximately 40,000 individuals working within higher education’s business and finance offices.

NACUBO provides technical and leadership training, guidance with policies, and tools to enable members and other partners to collaborate to solve problems.

Throughout her exciting career in higher education and having an important seat at an important table, Johnston said her focus has always been keeping students at the core of what she believes is important. That includes helping them also become successful.

“Define ‘successful’ for yourself,” Johnston said. “You may have to do this several times throughout your life, but be aware that your ‘successful’ may be very different from everyone else’s. Look for people who can help you move thoughtfully toward your success – mentors, professors, coaches, relatives or neighbors. Remember that you live a whole life, and success in one area, even a hobby or a volunteer job, may be your desideratum. Keep learning.”

It’s exciting to build links and opportunities between what we know and believe now to a future that we can’t yet see or know.”

“

Susan Whealler Johnston, Ph.D.

THE MAR V ELOUS

NURSE EDUCATOR BRANCHES OUT FROM RADFORD ROOTS

BY MARK LAMBERT, M.S. ’97

JUDY JENKS ’95, M.S.N. ’02, D.N.P. ’16, FNP-BC ’21, AND HER FAMILY HAVE DEEP ROOTS AS HIGHLANDERS AT RADFORD UNIVERSITY.

A native of Radford, Jenks earned four of her eight college degrees and certificates at Radford University. Those include a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) in 1995, a Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) in 2002 and a Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) in 2016, as well as her latest, a post-graduate certificate in Appalachian Studies, awarded in 2021.

In addition, her two sons, Craig and Clay Branscom, followed in her footsteps and graduated cum laude from Radford on the same day in 2018.

“With six degrees from Radford University in my immediate family, the university should name a building after me — presumably the Bursar’s Office,” Jenks laughs. “All joking aside, though, Radford University has been very good to me and my family.”

Jenks says the education and experience she gained at Radford have been a vital part of her stellar 35-year career as a healthcare professional, educator, community volunteer and business owner. Her story, though, begins with a volunteer assignment at a local hospital.

At 16, Jenks was working in a factory after high school every day, but she wanted more. In 10th grade, she began volunteering as a candy striper at Radford Hospital and decided on a career in nursing. She received her associate degree in 1986 and began working in a critical care unit.

“I AM AN ADVOCATE FOR RURAL HEALTH AND, IN PARTICULAR, ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE FOR OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.”

Clockwise from top left: Judy Jenks working as an RN in the early 1990’s; Jenks’ sons Clay, age 7, and Craig, age 8, at her FNP graduation in 2002; Jenks and colleague Theresa Burris in Ukraine at the Appalachian/Carpathian International Conference; Jenks and her sons at their graduation, where both graduated on the same day in 2018; and Jenks receiving the Founders Award at Radford’s 2021 Fall Convocation with interim President Carolyn Ringer Lepre, Ph.D. (left) and interim Vice President for Academic Affairs J. Orion Rogers, Ph.D.

Jenks’ sons were born while she was pursuing her bachelor’s degree, and the prospect of helping her family by means of a stable and lucrative career in healthcare helped spur her to excel. As a multitasking mother, she brought both boys with her to class in baby carriers.

She finished her bachelor’s degree in 1995 but would return to Radford four years later for a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree with a nurse practitioner concentration. Her boys, who were then 5 and 6 years old, visited campus for picnics and play time.

“They were wide-eyed and excited,” Jenks remembers. “As Clay ran across Moffett Lawn at full speed, Craig grabbed my hand and said, ‘Momma, one day I’m going to teach here.’ So, Radford has always played a large part in the life of my family.”

EDUCATOR AND ENTREPRENEUR

After a few years as a nurse practitioner (NP), she felt the call to return to school again, returning to Radford for a D.N.P. degree. During that time, she also founded a thriving business that would also allow her to continue caring for patients.

“My area of study in the D.N.P. program was nurse executive leadership and administration,” Jenks recalled. “I worked with my advisor to write a business plan as one of my projects, and it ended up becoming my company, The Jenks Initiative LLC.” Jenks works through her company as an NP independent contractor, negotiating her own contracts with area providers. She also founded a second business called Clinic420 LLC, which is the first nurse practitioner-owned medical cannabis clinic in Southwest Virginia and the second in the state.

Jenks finished her D.N.P. in 2016 and began teaching at Jefferson College of Health Sciences (JCHS) in Roanoke. As JCHS merged into Radford University Carilion just three years later, Jenks became a Highlander once again. Today, she is an assistant professor of nursing at RUC.

As if being an active nurse practitioner, teaching and running two businesses weren’t enough, Jenks also volunteers at healthcare clinics in the region and across the country, providing care to underserved populations.

“I am an advocate for rural health and, in particular, access to healthcare for our most vulnerable populations,” Jenks says.

Jenks works closely with RAMUSA, which organizes Remote Area Medical (RAM) pop-up clinics. She also participated in a clinic in Puerto Rico shortly after Hurricane Maria. She provided healthcare at South Dakota’s Rosebud Indian Reservation. She remembers that as the only female practitioner on site, she was asked to provide women’s health services, working in a dentist’s office with a dentist’s chair as the exam table.

“The stories these women confided to me were incredible, and I felt honored that they trusted me enough to talk,” Jenks recalled. “We were invited to participate in a sweat lodge at the home of a family that was grateful for the services being offered. It was one of the most incredible and spiritual experiences I have ever had.”

Jenks normally takes some of her NP students with her to work the clinics, seeing patients in spaces like horse stalls in barns or makeshift exam rooms in elementary schools or airport hangers.

“Most of our NP students have little experience in underserved areas, and I try to introduce this to them in the classroom and in trips that give them the opportunity to work with this population of patients,” Jenks said.

Over the last year, Jenks has received a lot of attention for all that she does.

In March 2021, Jenks received the Education Award from the Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners (VCNP). Jenks said the award validates the effort she puts into educating NP students: “It is vital that they understand that every patient is unique and brings their own set of needs,” she said.

In August, at the university’s annual convocation ceremony, Jenks was recognized by Radford as the 2021 recipient of the Founders Award. The award was created by Douglas Covington Ph.D., who served as Radford University’s fifth president from 1995 to 2005, on the premise that education opens the doors to opportunity.

“Personally, it is the most profound award I have won in my career,” Jenks says. “It was so unexpected, and there are so many deserving faculty on the main campus and at RUC that I can’t imagine how I was chosen for this. Reliving the moment makes me smile and shake my head at the same time.”

“ You have to create opportunities.”

Lourdes Hanks ’21

NOT DENIED

By Chad Osborne

Lourdes Hanks ’21 still has her Radford University admissions acceptance letter.

“I was so happy when I got it,” she said. “Because I knew there was a purpose for me to be at Radford.”

Lourdes grew up the second oldest of 10 children in Siguatepeque, Honduras, where, at age 8, she began working and dreaming of a business career. However, “there are many challenges growing up in a third-world country,” Lourdes said. “You don’t have access to books or computers. Everything is so hard, especially if you grow up in a very poor family. You have to create opportunities.”

When Hurricane Marco left parts of Honduras in ruins in 1996, Lourdes, at age 26, moved to Galax, Virginia, and began creating opportunities in her new home. And, when the factory where she worked for several years closed, she enrolled at a local community college. After completing her studies there, Lourdes applied to Radford University, thanks to the help and encouragement of a friend and Radford graduate, Leslie Hawes ’06, M.S. ’11, who soon thereafter would become her sister-in-law.

When Lourdes was accepted into Radford, “I felt my dream was still alive,” she said.

At age 44, Lourdes enrolled as a freshman in the fall of 2016. “I was so excited, but in the same way, I was so scared,” she admitted. “I have dreams, but I also have fears.”

Fears like “fitting in with younger students,” she explained, and like the responsibilities of managing a full course load while, as a single mother, working and caring for a teenage daughter and son.

Through most of her four years at Radford, Lourdes worked part-time as a machine operator in Galax and attended classes throughout the day, driving an hour to Radford in a maroon Suzuki Grand Vitara that she has had for 12 years.

“It was very hard,” Lourdes said, “It was exhausting. My back hurt when I got home, and sometimes I didn’t feel like doing homework.”

But she did it; Lourdes graduated in the spring of 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Her children, Rachel and Ryan, inspired her, and she inspired them. They both want to attend Radford when it’s their turn for college. “Mom, I’m going to Radford, too,” Ryan tells her.

Davis College of Business and Economics faculty and the entire Radford community, she says, were also an inspiration and a tremendous ally.

“Sometimes, I was discouraged, and some young girls would just smile at me, and it made my day,” Lourdes recalled, wiping a happy tear from her eye. “Radford is one of the best schools ever. I always felt welcome and accepted there.”

In her 40s, Lourdes Hanks fulfills her dream of a business degree

A ‘ PIPELINE ’ FOR BLOOD PIPELINE

DAIM student’s inventory innovation could save lives

By Chad Osborne

“Imagine you’re lying on an operating table with your chest cavity open.”

That’s Tracey Dudding’s jolting opening sentence as she began to explain the importance of the capstone project she’s been working on almost every day for a year and a half.

“You realize you’ve had a heart attack,” she continued in a dramatic tone, “and you need blood to stay alive. The hospital doesn’t know the exact blood inventory they have.

“And then, they realize they don’t have the right blood for you. What will they do?”

Dudding’s analogy is alarming, but it properly conveys the importance for hospitals and medical facilities to maintain consistent working knowledge of their precise, up-to-date blood inventory at a moment’s notice, an inventory that goes well beyond a manually maintained spreadsheet.

It’s information and knowledge that could make a difference between life and death.

Dudding developed an interest in the healthcare field a few years ago as a junior undergraduate student majoring in statistics at Virginia Tech. It was then that three of her close family members suffered heart attacks in four months.

“One of them had open-heart surgery,” recalled Dudding, who is in her second year of Radford’s Data and Information Management (DAIM) program. “So, that definitely got me interested in healthcare and helping others in ways that I could.”

She chose those last five words carefully – “in ways that I could” – because, as she explained it, she is somewhat limited in her abilities to help.

“I actually pass out at the sight of blood,” Dudding sheepishly admitted. “It’s happened to me about three times.”

But still, “I wanted to find a way to make a difference,” she said.

When Dudding first came to Radford and enrolled in DAIM – a program that prepares graduates for leadership roles as data engineers, data architects, information managers, senior database administrators and other data management positions – faculty members presented her with the idea of working on a project with Carilion Clinic in Roanoke to improve inventory management at the Roanoke Blood Bank and identify factors associated with blood utilization to help manage the blood inventory more effectively and efficiently.

It was a challenging and rewarding opportunity for Dudding as she explored ideas to employ her skills and talents in a meaningful and critical endeavor.

In the beginning, Dudding quickly learned about some vital statistics involving blood inventories around the United States. One was from the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB), which estimated that in 2013, 932,000 whole blood units were wasted due to expiration.

“Blood is an extremely precious resource that only comes from donors, and once the blood is drawn, it may only be used for 30 days,” explained Professor and DAIM Graduate Coordinator Jeff Pittges, Ph.D., Dudding’s faculty mentor. “Plus, blood is stored frozen, and when it is thawed, it must be used within 60 minutes.”

Another statistic Dudding found revealed that only 38% of people in the United States meet the criteria to donate blood, and out of that group, about 10% do donate.

So, for her capstone, “the ultimate idea was to find ways to reduce blood waste,” Dudding said.

To do so, variables needed to be identified to be used

in predictive modeling. That information can lead to more effective inventory communication through inventory reports, dashboards and automated alerts, all of which can reduce waste and improve how blood is utilized.

Dudding talked with professionals at Carilion and the Roanoke Blood Bank to assess their needs – the information and the need and how often they need to see it – and quickly began building a “pipeline,” she said, for an inventory management system.

“Surgeons and other healthcare workers need accurate and timely information on the blood supply to make good decisions,” Pittges explained, “especially if we have a crisis, like a shooting or a multi-car accident on the highway.”

Once completed, Dudding’s system could vastly improve the ways blood inventories are communicated.

“It will ensure data quality and improve data access by removing manual steps in the current process that may produce errors,” Pittges said, “integrating data from multiple sources to provide a complete view of blood inventory, and producing a dashboard and live reports with multiple updates throughout the day.”

Dudding’s prototype is scheduled to be finished by late April or early May, right in time for her graduation from the program and securing employment in the healthcare field.

“Hopefully, I will end up working at Carilion,” the Pembroke, Virginia, native said. “I was born and raised locally, and I would love to work there and make a contribution working in data engineering and statistics.

“Blood makes me squeamish,” she continued with a smile, “but through Radford and this program, I have found a way to make a difference in the healthcare field … from behind a computer.”

“ Through Radford and this program, I have found a way to make a difference in the healthcare field … from behind a computer.”

Tracey Dudding

Volunteer Summit brings Highlanders TOGETHER

In its sixth year, the Volunteer Summit welcomed alumni and friends back to campus to connect, learn about volunteering and stay engaged with Radford University and its students.

The Office of Alumni Relations is host to the annual event focused on sharing updates and information about Radford and providing training sessions that prepare volunteers to share in recruiting new generations of Highlanders, mentoring diverse students and serving in a variety of capacities that contribute to student success and building a robust and active alumni network.

Jesse Kofler ’06

Jesse Kofler ’06 returned to Radford for the first time since his graduation to attend the Volunteer Summit. He reconnected through a virtual alumni coffee chat and decided 2022 would be the year that he started giving back to his alma mater. He has since volunteered as an Admissions ambassador, serving as one of the many alumni who write postcards to welcome newly admitted Radford students. He also hosted an alumni networking event in his home in Northern Virginia.

“It’s time for my generation of alumni to be supportive and get involved. There’s a lot that can be done,” Kofler said. “It was my first time back on campus and first time attending the summit. The campus is different than when I was there, with many new programs that are widely impactful. There’s a lot of alumni engagement that can happen just by getting people back on campus.”

The Volunteer Summit is free to attend. Learn how to become an alumni volunteer by contacting the Office of Alumni Relations, 540-831-5248.

HIGHLANDERS

PROFILES IN LEADERSHIP AT THE HELM

Radford University has long had a passion for developing leaders, in the many classrooms across the university where leadership is taught and university-wide programs like our LEAD Scholar and Citizen Leader programs. Additionally, Radford’s many student activities give students opportunities to put their leadership skills to practice. This emphasis on leadership is more important now than ever.

Today’s leaders must not only think about the financial bottom line of the organizations they serve, but they must also think about the company cultures they create. As we have experienced “The Great Resignation” this past year, employees have cited many reasons for their departure, including lack of leadership that serves and mentors those in a leader’s care. Successful leaders in today’s economy must have a service-minded vision for both their employees and their customers. Creative, civic-minded leaders are an essential part of the modern work landscape, and Radford is proud to play a part in their development.”

SANDRA FRENCH ’91 professor, school of communication

French earned her B.S. in communication at Radford University, M.A. at Wake Forest University and Ph.D. at Pennsylvania State University. She has served as an honors faculty fellow and was awarded the College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences Distinguished Teaching Award in 2019. She was an associate editor for the Journal of Business Communication, and her research has been published in the Journal of Business Communication and Business Communication Quarterly. French also led leadership training sessions for the U.S. State Department’s US-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) at the University of Delaware, which fosters partnerships between civic-minded young adults from the Middle East and their American counterparts.

“One of the best aspects of teaching at a liberal arts institution like Radford is our focus on developing the whole person.

ceo and co-founder

ENGLISH MEADOWS SENIOR LIVING

Vision driven

by

service

by stephanie d. overton

MIKE WILLIAMS ’93

Williams has had an entrepreneurial spirit from day one of his career and has always been self-employed. He and his wife, Patti, were in the restaurant business and owned and operated a Radford-based restaurant before purchasing the first English Meadows facility in 2008. Today, the company owns and operates 16 senior living communities in Virginia, Washington, D.C., West Virginia and South Carolina and will manage an independent living community in Christiansburg, Virginia.

“Vision is the most crucial aspect,” Williams shared as he reflected on the growth of his business. “I have been successful because I’ve been able to see what’s going to happen down the road … and being somewhat accurate at it is important. I trust my intuition, but we do the research, and I believe in our vision and can see what things can be.”

For Williams and the English Meadows team, service is in every second of the work they do taking care of their residents.

“We’re all driven by service. We are blessed that we get to interact with the lives of so many residents who have amazing stories. Serving others is in my nature and what I enjoy. I feel blessed to be a part of their lives,” Williams said.

“You can’t be successful without seeing and knowing where you’re going,” said Mike Williams ’93, CEO and co-founder of English Meadows Senior Living.

He feels the same about his leadership team and employees. Williams says that in his business, it really is a family atmosphere.

“We have more than 50 people on our senior management team, people who have grown and been elevated within the company. For me, it’s not about putting the dollar first. We’re in the wrong industry for that mindset,” he said.

Williams speaks fondly of the mentors he has had and how they have impacted his career. His goal is to be that same type of influence, and he measures his success by how successful and happy the individuals around him are in their work.

“When I started, I was a micromanager. Being self-employed, it took a while to step back and trust people to do their jobs. At the beginning of COVID, I did a lot of soul-searching, looked at how I was working and considered ‘should I be doing this or someone else?’” Williams said. “I went all-in seven days a week to work through the changes that impacted our business during COVID. Now, I’m trying to be more of a coach to those who report directly to me and let them run with the work they do. If I can come up with an idea and others have already thought of it, then I feel like I’m doing my job without being the one who is steering the ship 24/7.”

While his business has branched beyond the New River Valley, Williams remains grounded in his local community and connected to his beginnings, especially Radford University. It is easy to understand why he is dedicated to supporting his alma mater when he shares his personal connection and why service extends to his community.

“A third of my life has taken place in Radford –school, business, events. Radford University is an important part of our lives. We have a vested interest in seeing it grow and do amazing things,” says Williams. “From the beginning, Radford gave me what I was looking for as a student – smaller classes, interaction with professors and the support I needed when focusing on my first career goals. Support from Radford University also helped my restaurant business. Ninety percent of my customer base was from the university.”

Williams has a vision to expand English Meadows beyond the communities it currently serves but without sacrificing the values and philosophy the business has been built on. He often thinks of a quote from the character Shoeless Joe Jackson in the movie “Field of Dreams” and says when making decisions about the business, “we’re going to do what’s right.”

“When it’s all said and done, I want someone to say to me, ‘Hey rookie, you were good!’” Williams said.

“Radford University is an important part of our lives. We have a vested interest in seeing it grow and do amazing things.

Leading as an

advocate and mentor

by bailey black

CHARLESIAH MCLEAN ’99

u s head of diversity and inclusion, talent attraction and engagement

Leadership has been a core value throughout McLean’s career and a skill he strengthened as a student at Radford University. McLean served as a Student Support Services advisor, president of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity and president of the National Pan-Hellenic Council. These experiences allowed him to develop strong leadership fundamentals and thrive professionally in various industries, including finance, retail, defense, and pharmaceuticals.

McLean started his career in education as a middle school teacher in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. During the summer months, he worked in diversity and inclusion for the Northwest Education Center, which led him to the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, where he served as area director for health careers and workforce diversity.

“Starting in education allowed me to tap into my passion for helping others as a diversity and inclusion champion, advocate and practitioner,” McLean said.

“Leadership is the ability to unleash the true power of human capital,” said Charlesiah McLean ’99, Ed.D.

He is now the U.S. head of diversity and inclusion talent, attraction and engagement at Novartis, a global healthcare company based in Switzerland and one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. In this role, McLean designs, develops and implements diversity-focused recruitment and sourcing strategies, programs and initiatives. He also leads and manages partnerships with external organizations to advance diverse talent attraction.

“Impactful, inclusive and effective leadership includes mindfulness and self-awareness that allows me to remove barriers to allow my team to do their very best work,” McLean said.

Prior to Novartis, he was the global head of inclusion and diversity at Leidos, an aerospace and defensive information technology company. He has also served as a board member of Disability:IN D.C. Metro, an organization that advocates for the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in today’s workforce and marketplace, and he is an active member of the Black Doctoral Network, which connects companies to a national network of black and Latino Ph.D. scholars for cutting-edge expertise across many disciplines. McLean holds a Doctor of Education degree in educational leadership and administration.

McLean’s work and service have allowed him to support organizations in unlocking the power of diversity and inclusion to fuel innovation.

“It is critical as a leader to embrace how diverse perspectives can fuel innovative solutions,” McLean said. “You have a call-to-action to serve as an inclusion ambassador by creating a psychologically safe environment modeling inclusive behaviors that lead to continuous learning and an openness to all possibilities, which drives a high-performing culture. Leaders can leverage inclusion to drive strategic growth and business outcomes.”

Being curious, inspired and agile have been important to his journey, but McLean emphasizes

the importance of building a supportive network that can hold one accountable in setting a career timeline and achieving key milestones. Part of building a network is finding mentors, which McLean says has been the key to his success. Based on his mentors’ impact on him, he has chosen to serve as a mentor to undergraduates and early career talent because he believes in paying it forward to the next generation.

When he reflects on his time at Radford, he remembers the impact his mentor Owen Watkins, M.S. ’88, who worked in multicultural student affairs, had on his student experience.

“He was like a second father to me in taking the time to be a listening ear, a coach and a mentor, helping me to navigate my undergraduate career as a first-generation college student,” says McLean.

His advice to those who hope to unlock the power of mentorship is, “For mentees, I would encourage you to approach each relationship with goals and objectives for what you want to accomplish. For mentors, I encourage active listening and willingness to learn and embrace how this unique relationship can also serve as a learning opportunity.

“Mentoring is a two-way relationship and a shared experience between the mentor and the mentee,” McLean said. “I have been a mentor for more than 15 years, and I learn just as much from the mentees I work with [as they do from me]. What has been most beneficial is the wealth in the intergenerational exchange that takes place.”

It is critical as a leader to embrace how diverse perspectives can fuel innovative solutions.”

Stepping into greatness

through civic-minded, ethical leadership

by stephanie d. overton

CINDY

CHACE ’86

Cindy Chace ’86 had a rewarding career with United Parcel Service (UPS) and was afforded many opportunities for growth at a company that saw very few women when she started.

co-founder and president

GO FOR THE GREENS FOUNDATION

She began her UPS career unloading 18-wheelers during the 3 a.m. to 8 a.m. shift in an environment where her male co-workers didn’t think she would make it. But she did, and UPS saw her drive and potential. The company continued to groom her and promote her, and after 33 years, Chace retired from UPS in 2019 as the director of sales - government sector, a sector that she had a hand in developing and building.

Before all that, Chace was recruited to Radford University to play women’s varsity basketball. During her student-athlete career, she experienced a few changes in the program’s structure and leadership. The Highlanders transitioned from NCAA Division II to Division I athletics, and of course, that meant a whole new ball game in terms of recruiting. Teamwork is ingrained in Chace’s DNA, so when changes impacted her position on the team, she re-evaluated her role and embraced the opportunity to lead from a different place on the team.

“I was no longer going to be a senior with additional playing time during my last season, but the coach wanted me to help get the new freshman and another teammate integrated as starters,” said Chace. “It was a humbling experience that taught me a lot about leadership.”

While it was difficult to take this step back, especially as a senior, Chace took the opportunity to step forward as a mentor and leader. As she progressed in her career, being a good leader was important to her.

“I grew up in a military family … my father was a marine,” Chace shared. “When I was moving through the ranks at UPS, I would ask him, ‘How will I know if I am truly meant to be a leader?’ He told this story about leadership that I still reflect on: When he and his troops would make camp at night, my father would help all of the other marines build their beds. It was important to him to make sure they were taken care of. When the last bed was made, he would go to make his own bed. When he would get to his camp, his bed would already be made. My father said, ‘A true sign that you are a leader and people will follow you is that they will also take care of you without you asking.’”

As co-founder and president of the Florida-based nonprofit Go for the Greens Foundation, Inc., Chace embeds this philosophy in her leadership style. The 15-year-old foundation is focused on leadership development for women and provides a unique, boutique-style annual conference, sponsored by UPS and Walt Disney World, that brings in guest speakers who have often been the first women and leaders in their fields.

When she returned to Radford University in February 2022 for the first annual “Champion Her Future” leadership dinner, held by Radford Athletics to support female student-athletes through professional and personal development and mentorship, Chace was excited to share her commitment to helping other women network and gain exposure for their talents.

“Part of my giving back to Radford is helping future leaders have exposure to others in leadership,” Chace said as she considered what meeting other successful, career-oriented women would have meant to her when she was starting her career.

She is committed to building the bridges necessary to give others opportunities and supporting the communities that mean so much to her. At Go for the Greens, Chace’s goals are that “teamwork is number one; that everyone is going in the right direction and being heard; and that everyone who is contributing feels that they are contributing.

“I believe in taking care of people. Trust, honesty, fairness – that’s ethics and is a part of my DNA. We’re all different, but everyone has something to contribute to make the world a better place. At the end of the day, I want to know that I made a difference – to society, to someone,” said Chace.

“I believe in taking care of people. Trust, honesty, fairness – that’s ethics and is a part of my DNA.

Your gifts touch every facet of the campus community and will make a tremendous difference in providing experiences for our students that will impact their lives today and well into the future.

he TOGETHER Campaign has hit a pivotal point as we celebrate reaching 80% of our goal and recognize much work and support is still on the horizon.

We continue to focus on sharing the success of our students and faculty and showcasing the numerous stories of donors who make a difference in the lives of our students every day. With the addition of the campaign e-newsletter, we can share updates of our efforts and recognize the impact of charitable support. We encourage you to read each issue and consider the impact Radford University has had on your career and life. There are many opportunities for each of us to get involved and give back to a place that has provided a solid foundation for so many. We also share news and information through the TOGETHER Campaign website, an award-winning site that we encourage you to visit often to learn more about our continued efforts and to get involved.

As we embark on the final months of this fiscal year, consider making a gift of any size to the TOGETHER Campaign. Your gifts touch every facet of the campus community and will make a tremendous difference in providing experiences for our students that will impact their lives today and well into the future.

A special thank you to those of you who have contributed and helped us reach a milestone in our campaign efforts and to those of you who will help us to successfully reach our $100 million goal in the months ahead. Please give today! Radford University and our students need us.

In FY22 so far:

2,000 donors

$3,109,294 in cash and pledge gifts

$1,120,863 in planned gifts

$241,661 in new scholarships

$1,211,499 gifts in-kind

Sandra C. Davis Chair, Together Campaign Steering Committee

William C. and Sandy C. Davis, right, with some of their scholarship recipients

By Neil Harvey

Picture a young woman from Michigan, college-aged, on the cusp of 20. Her name is Madeline Smith, and she’s ordinary in almost every way, except that she has no home.

But while it’s estimated that just over a half million people in the United States are unhoused, Smith can’t actually be counted among them. She is, in fact, a symbol, a hypothetical figure devised by a group of interior design majors who are using their skills to create dwellings for those who have no place to live.

For students in Radford University’s Design 205 class, homelessness is their semester-long theme.

Earlier this year, they were split into four groups of four and assigned to fabricate inexpensive shelters that could be assembled and used by someone who is unhoused.

“Your shelter must be habitable, portable, resistant to moisture and cold, provide light and ventilation to the interior and be aesthetically pleasing,” the rules explained. “Understanding a homeless person’s point of view and lifestyle will be your challenge this semester. These individuals are in a crisis situation.”

The first step they took to that end was to humanize the shelters’ virtual recipients, and that’s how Madeline Smith came about.

“We had to create the personal profile of the individual and how they would use the shelter, and how it would suit their personality and their needs,” said Lora Ellen Robinson, a sophomore from Hillsville, Virginia, who’s majoring in interior design while minoring in biology and entrepreneurship.

Robinson’s group also included Hannah Ferris, Raella Papes and Grace Sale.

They picked Michigan as Smith’s home state and conceived their design with an eye toward that specific climate. They also based Smith’s physical description on state averages – she would stand about 5 feet 7 inches, statistics determined –and they sized their structure accordingly.

Design students focus on the plight of the unhoused

Robinson said the professor, Joan Dickinson, Ph.D., “wanted us to spend the least amount of money that we could and really use resources that we had, rather than going out and buying them, as if we were in their position. We went to Goodwill and thrifted a lot of it.”

A found window frame was repurposed as their shelter’s doorway. Part of a shower curtain formed a window. They managed to scrounge some scrap wood. The only piece of the puzzle they actually had to purchase was an inexpensive tarp they got at Walmart.

The construction of their shelter – which measured approximately 3 feet in width and 6 feet in both length and height – took roughly four days and marked the group’s biggest challenge.

“We’re designers. None of us had ever built anything before. So that was hard, trying to figure out how to put it together and how to actually build it to make our design come to life,” Robinson said.

The three other groups in the class built their shelters for different imaginary occupants and to accommodate different climates – one was designed for Hawaii, two others for Washington state. They, too, utilized tarps and wooden frames but also incorporated foam rubber, PVC pipes and even particle board cubbyholes.

donations from passersby. Over the course of about two hours, the four teams raised more than $500 for To Our House, a New River Community Action program that helps homeless adults find housing during winter.

Their plans for the interior were somewhat personal: As their profile figure was a woman their age, they were essentially making the shelter they would want, were they to find themselves in her circumstances, and they outfitted it with pastel walls, a hanging plant and a fluffy blanket.

When they had to define the concept for their shelter, Robinson said, “Ours was ‘a warm hug,’ because a hug makes you feel comforted and protected.”

During the four weeks they spent working on the project, students were also asked to read journalist Barbara Ehrenreich’s 2001 book “Nickel and Dimed,” about some of the issues lowincome workers face, particularly the hidden costs of establishing and keeping a residence. They also watched a Netflix miniseries, “The Maid,” based on a memoir by Stephanie Land, which dramatizes the obstacles Land once faced trying to live paycheck to paycheck.

Once the shelter projects were complete, in February, the students assembled them outside Hurlburt Student Center and used their work to attract

Three of the shelters were on display on different floors of McConnell Library in early March. The one Robinson’s team created is hosted in Stuart Hall.

With those projects now behind them, the Design 205 students are moving on to individually create plans on an even larger scale – a permanent two-story group shelter measuring 2,000 square feet on the first floor and 1,000 square feet on the second.

“We’re information gathering, creating a process packet like we did for the last one,” Robinson said. “Then, we’re going to actually create a model of the prototype building itself. It’s going to take the rest of the semester.”

Members of the Design 205 class with their shelter from left to right: Hannah Ferris, Raella Papes, Ellen Robinson and Grace Sale.

SPORTS

Women’s basketball offices named after Radford legend

The women’s basketball offices now bear the name of Charlene Curtis ’76, former women’s player and coach, Board of Visitors member and legend at Radford. Curtis had a 121-53 record at her alma mater, a .695 winning percentage and a dominant 46-2 record (.958) in Big South competition, including the first four regular seasons championships, three tournament crowns and Radford’s first postseason national appearance, winning two of three games at the 1989 Women’s National Invitational Tournament.

Big South All-Academic Team

Shaq Jules of the men’s basketball team and Bridget Birkhead of the women’s basketball team made the Big South All-Academic Team. Jules, from Orlando, Florida, represents the Highlanders on the list thanks to a 3.80 term GPA in the fall and a 3.35 cumulative GPA as a communications major. Jules also had a solid season on the court, averaging 5.8 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 61.9% from the field. He also added a career-high 12 blocks and six steals.

Bridget Birkhead, women’s basketball team member and education major, earned a 3.82 GPA in the fall term and has a 3.86 cumulative GPA as well. On the court, the Doylestown, Pennsylvania native was excellent for the Highlanders. She averaged 10.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists and shot 37.3% from beyond the arc across 30.2 minutes per game.

Moran earns Big South accolades

Cross-country student-athlete Hannah Moran was named Big South Conference Runner of the Year and U.S. Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association (USTFCCAA) All-Academic Athlete. Moran finished her 2021 campaign with 18th place at the NCAA Southeast Regional, becoming just the second Highlander ever to earn NCAA All-Region honors. Moran covered the 6K course in 20:42.8 to set a new Radford school record for the distance. That capped off a season of incredible highlights for Moran, who, in the meet prior, took home the Big South individual championship. Moran’s 17:09.5 made her the first Highlander woman since 1990 to earn the trophy; in addition, she led Radford’s team to a second-place finish for the second consecutive year. Moran was also the leader of a Radford group that was ranked in the NCAA Southeast Region for the first time ever and maintained that ranking for the entire season.

Radford student-athletes make the grade

An impressive 225 of Radford’s 261 total student-athletes reached the 3.0 mark, helping 13 of the Highlanders 16 varsity athletics programs report a team GPA of 3.0 or better. The team GPA for the department ended at 3.20.

DARRIS NICHOLS COMES HOME TO HELM HIGHLANDER SQUAD

By Nate Wise

The grocery store. The bank. The gas station. Even the dentist’s office. It doesn’t matter where Darris Nichols goes in the city of Radford, it’s inevitable he’s going to know someone there.

Born in May 1986 to parents Donna and William Nichols, Darris quickly became a beloved member of the community. He attended McHarg Elementary School, Belle Heth Elementary School, John Dalton Intermediate School and then Radford High School, with his love of basketball growing by the day.

As a Bobcat, he became a household name thanks to a stellar career on the hardwood. Nichols was a standout point guard on the Radford High School boys’ basketball team, leading the Bobcats to four appearances in the Group A tournament, and was named the 2004 Timesland Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

Nichols was so good, in fact, that he was recruited by Jon Beilein to play college basketball at West Virginia. He made the decision to commit and become a Mountaineer, beginning a 17-year journey away from the only place he had ever called home.

A four-year letter winner playing under Beilein, and later Bob Huggins, Nichols scored 993 points and 399 assists in his career. He shot a tremendous 37.5% from three-point range in his time in Morgantown, helping WVU reach the NCAA tournament three times to join the ranks of the Top Five winningest players in program history. He also played disciplined basketball unlike any other player, setting the record for most career games without fouling out in NCAA history.

Although his professional career was cut short due to a knee injury that was sustained in his one year playing for Atomerömü SE in Turkey, it opened the door for his coaching career to officially begin.

Nichols returned to his alma mater to serve as a graduate assistant for the Mountaineers during the 2010-11 season and then landed his first full-time job as an assistant coach at Northern Kentucky.

His impact as a voice on the bench was immediate, helping the Norse go 23-7 in his very first year. The team transitioned from Division II to Division I for the 201213 season but still found success in the Atlantic Sun Conference with Nichols’ guiding hand on the wheel.

From there, he spent one year at Wofford College and became a crucial part of a Terrier squad that won 20 games and the Southern Conference Tournament championship en route to an NCAA Tournament berth.

His talent as a coach was on full display, leading to one year at Louisiana Tech and eventually his hiring by the Florida Gators – one of the nation’s premier basketball powers of the 2000s.

It was no longer just friends and family back home in Radford noticing Nichols, but the entire country. The kid from Southwest Virginia was named to ESPN’s 40 Under 40 list in the summer of 2020, ranking as the 17th-best collegiate coach under 40 years of age in the United States.

Year after year of winning and accolades at Florida put Nichols squarely at the top of Radford Director of Athletics Robert Lineburg’s list for the Highlanders’ head coaching job when it came open in 2021.

Finally, after many years away from the New River Valley, Nichols had his chance to return home.

On April 21, 2021, he was announced as the eighth head men’s basketball coach in the history of Radford University. He was home.

A press conference was held that very same day to introduce Nichols to the Radford University family and reunite him with the place overflowing with lifelong family. Within a week, he had made his first hire – one that was all too fitting.

Darris Nichols would be joined by his older brother, Shane Nichols, who was busy building a coaching legacy of his own that included a close relationship

with now-NBA star Ja Morant while at Murray State in Kentucky.

In the same vein as his brother, Shane had become a pillar of the New River Valley basketball community thanks to a stellar career at Radford High School. He scored 1,903 points in his career as a Bobcat, being named a two-time All-Timesland First Team member as well as a two-time All-Group A First Team pick.

The duo was inducted into the Radford High School Hall of Fame in October 2021 and are now side by side as they lead the Radford University squad together for the very first time.

With roots as deep as Darris has grown in the area, it’s hard to imagine there are even more people in Radford with whom he can connect. But who knows, maybe a new friendly face and fan will stop him to say hello next time he goes shopping for groceries.

40 YEARS AND NEVER A DULL MOMENT

By Neil Harvey

A fixture of Radford University and its athletic program quietly reached a key milestone late last year. The Dedmon Center marked its 40th anniversary.

After construction that spanned two years, the famously soft-domed, 3,800-seat multipurpose arena by the banks of the New River opened its revolving doors on a cold and snowy day, Dec. 9, 1981.

At that time, the facility – named for President Donald Dedmon – was one of just 10 air-supported roofs in the United States, and in addition to its basketball and volleyball courts, it offered a 5,000 square foot weight room.

Over the past four decades, it has expanded dramatically, with spaces for baseball, football, soccer, softball, field hockey, track and tennis, plus the Learning Enhancement Center. Extensive upgrades have been installed, including advanced lighting and air circulation systems and a scoreboard, and, in 2008, trusses were installed to support its cloth top without air.

During all that time, scores of Highlanders have passed through its threshold for sporting events, training exercises, concerts, political gatherings, commencement ceremonies and more.

It would require several full issues of this magazine to cover everything worth mentioning, but here’s a slideshow of just a few of the Dedmon Center’s high points over the past 40 years.

The first live TV broadcast

Younger readers may have to bear with us on this, but believe it or not, there once was a time when college sports weren’t always available to watch as they occurred. Fans sometimes had to wait until after they’d already been played or even read about the results the next day.

For Radford University, the first wave of a turning technological tide came on Dec. 12, 1987, when – along with WSLS-TV – Radford University broadcast live from the Dedmon Center for the very first time.

Some 4,200 poured in to watch the Highlanders face off against George Mason University. The home team did not prevail, but most fans seemed to take that in stride.

“It wasn’t winning that was most important. What was important was the magical and united feeling the student body felt,” the Beehive reported. “The stands were filled to the brim with students with painted faces, wearing sweatshirts bearing the college name.

“It was a dream come true to many Highlanders fans.”

“Capital” gains

Twenty-five years ago, hundreds of visitors to the Dedmon Center were perhaps surprised to discover a beehive of truly aweinspiring proportions, 12 feet by 8, hanging inside. This was, of course, entirely by design.

The nest was human-made – constructed to represent the university’s longtime symbol for industry, thrift and wisdom – and it served as an entryway into the Dedmon Center’s dining area during a 1997 reception for “Investing in Lifetimes,” the first capital campaign for Radford University.

Some 440 guests attended and, once inside, dined under a canopy made of 1,300 yards of multicolored fabric donated by NRB Industries of Radford. The sculpture, built by Diane Whitehead, was inspired by the work of Dorothy Gillespie, distinguished professor of art.

A video of student and alumni testimonials was shown and included a theme song performed live by Professor Robert Trent,

D.M.A., and his wife, Pamela; former dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts (and later Provost) Joseph Scartelli, Ph.D.; senior Anne Kempton; and nationally known bagpiper Burt Mitchell.

Such sprawling displays reflected the outsized ambition of the capital campaign’s goal of $22 million toward faculty and student excellence projects, the library, the Selu Conservancy and other initiatives. Roughly $10.6 million of that campaign was earmarked for scholarship endowments.

The effort was already well on its way that night. It was announced, at the gala, that about 65% of the goal, or $14.5 million, had already been achieved.

“When I’m … cheering for a three-point shot on the basketball court that is doubling as our gala room tonight, I feel blessed to be in a partnership with this university that was given so much to our community,” capital campaign co-chair Barbara Turk told attendees.

By the time the campaign concluded in December 2000, “Investing in Lifetimes” had met its goal and more, winding down with a final tally of $27 million.

Buzzer beaters

You don’t have to use your imagination to envision the events that rocked the Dedmon Center on March 4, 2018.

Just YouTube it. Search “Radford wins Big South championship” and enjoy a 39-second visual shot of espresso.

A clip hosted by Stadium offers multiple angles of redshirt freshman Carlik Jones sharpshooting a 3-pointer right at the buzzer against Liberty University. That tipped the final to the Highlanders, 55-52, and delivered Radford University its first NCAA Tournament spot in nine years.

“Fans from both schools drenched themselves in red and flocked to the Dedmon Center,” Roanoke Times sportswriter Aaron McFarling later wrote. “Liberty’s fans were loud and proud, but so were RU’s.

“This was as much a community event as a basketball game, the chance to celebrate something that, if you’re lucky, happens once a decade or so,” he declared.

Even before the game’s 3,859 spectators had cleared the scene, the game net was cut away from its hoop to be “transformed into a nylon trophy.”

Spectators that day included former Highlander guard Doug Day ‘93, who, during his four years on the team, sank 401 threepointers and tallied 2,027 points, making him the program’s alltime leading scorer.

Day knows a thing or two about buzzer-beaters as well.

On Dec. 9, 1991, he hit a three-point basket in the last second to beat Virginia Commonwealth University, giving the Highlanders a big in-state win.

Crowds of fans stormed the floor on that day, too, which, as fate would have it, landed on the Dedmon Center’s 10th anniversary.

Easy “D.C.”

For more than 10 years, Student Life hosted “Evening in D.C.” During that time, an average of 2,000 to 3,000 students and staffers attended annually.

Before you envision a convoy of busloads of Highlanders bound for our nation’s capital, bear in mind that the D.C. in question here is, of course, the Dedmon Center, and the “evening” was a combination concert, carnival and – above all – casino night.

First held in 1982, within five years “Evening in D.C.” boasted up to 90 gambling tables, offering blackjack, roulette, horse racing and other games of chance. While the thrill was real, the cash was not – attendees were issued $10,000 in funny money which, if they increased their bankroll, could later be traded in for prizes.

Low rollers, too, had options in the form of shuffleboard, mini-golf, a bag toss, and in later years they could even stomp out a tune on a giant floor piano, like the keyboard Tom Hanks danced upon in “Big.”

If that music didn’t suit, no worries. Local bands such as the Boneshakers and Awareness Art Ensemble were frequent headliners.

Each “Evening” had its own theme and decor. “Hollywood” was one, “Jamaican Reggae Festival” another. For “Mardi Gras,” organizers arranged New Orleans-style lampposts, street signs, park benches and flowers.

In 1991, “Evening in D.C.” was rescheduled to coincide with homecoming weekend, but the event appears to have fallen away sometime later that decade. As the saying goes, however, it was fun while it lasted.

“Everyone was in a festive mood and so dressed up,” said Scott Silverthorne in 1987, when he was a sophomore. “This isn’t your usual college scene.”

“Center” stage

During the years when it offered larger concerts, the Dedmon Center racked up a considerable roster of memorable acts, starting on its fourth anniversary.

Its very first concert, on Dec. 9, 1985, was one for the ages: R.E.M., just before the Athens, Georgia, quartet catapulted from college rock staples to chart-toppers, jangling through 30 songs in two hours with a sellout crowd of 3,200. A sad footnote: Opening act The Minutemen played one of its final shows in Radford; the legendary band lost its front man, D. Boon, in a tour van crash just 13 days later.

In November 1987, Australian rockers INXS bypassed Roanoke to play Dedmon one month after releasing the album “Kick,” which spawned four Top 10 singles and a Billboard No. 1. Radford got namechecked on MTV News (an ’80s version of going viral, more or less), and the yearbook declared the show produced “an energy that threatened to burst the air-supported roof of the Dedmon Center.”

That same decade, the Dedmon welcomed other left-of-center hitmakers like The Bangles and 10,000 Maniacs; old standards Kool & the Gang and James Taylor; and new-wave faves such as Squeeze and General Public.

The ’90s brought visits from rock icons on the level of Bob Dylan, but also gnarlier fare from Primus, The Offspring and Blind Melon.

When Outkast took the Dedmon stage in April 2001, they were deep into touring behind their fourth album, “Stankonia,” which eventually sold 4 million copies and went quadruple platinum. Group members Andre 3000 and Big Boi performed for four staggering hours, serving the hits “Miss Jackson” and “Rosa Parks.” Said The Beehive: “Remnants of Outkast songs still linger in the heads of those who attended the concert, and the echoes will forever be a part of the Dedmon Center.”

In 2009, the year he was nominated for a Grammy for “Low,” Florida rapper Flo Rida performed for a crowd of just 1,300, and four years after that, in 2013, A$AP Rocky entertained some 2,145 fans.

Rising to the challenge

For decades, the Dedmon Center has been a locus for athletics, entertainment, and large group events.

On the flip side of that equation, however, the coliseum can also be used to help during more serious times.

That’s exactly what occurred in early 2021, the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, when vaccines became available. Those needed to be distributed to as many people as possible but with as much social distancing as feasible.

The main factor required to pull off such a feat, of course, is an enormous building that’s long and wide and high-ceilinged. In essence? The Dedmon Center. So it was that in April 2021, Radford’s largest capsule-shaped facility was repurposed into a COVID-19 vaccination station for as many residents of the New River Valley as wanted it.

One week alone saw the clinic offer nearly 2,700 people singledose vaccines from Johnson & Johnson.

But with so large an undertaking, volunteers were needed, and lots of them. That’s where the Highlanders came in, with university staff and students stepping in to assist. They helped with registration, processed patient data, worked call centers, monitored shot recipients and even administered vaccinations.

In addition to their work at the Dedmon Center, they also helped staff Blue Ridge Church, the Roanoke Rescue Mission and Martin’s Pharmacy in Dublin and Pulaski, according to Maggie Bassett, emeritus professor of nursing.

“We had students at the clinics every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday,” Bassett said at the time.

2021 Dalton Eminent Scholar Awards

Five distinguished Radford University faculty members were named 2021 recipients of the university’s most prestigious award. The Dalton Eminent Scholar Award goes to faculty members with distinguished national or international reputations in their fields. The annual awards provide these faculty members the opportunities they deserve to go above and beyond in their respective disciplines.

Each faculty winner receives a $10,000 award to fund research travel and materials and a $5,000 award following the successful completion of research and scholarly activity. The awards are provided by the Radford University Foundation, Inc., and through the Dalton Eminent Scholars Fund.

The recipients of the 2021 Dalton Eminent Scholar Awards are:

• Karen Powers, Ph.D., professor of biology in the Artis College of Science and Technology.

• Kristan Morrison, Ph.D., professor and graduate program coordinator of the School of Teacher Education and Leadership in the College of Education and Human Development.

• Sharon Roger Hepburn, Ph.D., chair and professor of the Department of History in the College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences.

• Robert Trent, D.M.A., interim chair, graduate program coordinator and professor of the Department of Music in the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

The 2021 Dalton Eminent Scholar Rising Star Award recipient is:

• Richard Gruss, Ph.D., assistant professor of management in the Davis College of Business and Economics.

Stephanie Jennelle begins new role as interim VP

In March 2022, Stephanie Jennelle became the interim vice president for Finance and Administration. She joined Radford University in 2010 as the associate controller. Since 2016, she has served as the associate vice president for Finance and university controller. Jennelle is a certified public accountant and previously worked as the auditor of public accounts. She is a graduate of Virginia Tech and has 18 years of service with the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Graduate school programs acknowledged by U.S. News & World Report

Radford University’s strong academic tradition and commitment to student success continue to garner recognition. U.S. News & World Reports named five Radford University graduate programs in its 2023 Best Graduate Schools rankings. Psychology, social work, part-time MBA, nursing (master’s) and nursing (D.N.P.) made the lists.

Mekolichick uses national position in policymakers’ briefing

Jeanne Mekolichick, Ph.D., associate provost for research, faculty success and strategic initiatives, participated in a policymakers’ briefing in March on Girls in STEM: High-Quality Hands-on Experiences Matter. She was joined by four other educational leaders from across the nation to discuss policy ideas that provide girls with experiential learning opportunities in high school and the overall impact this exposure has on their confidence to pursue STEM fields.

Mekolichick participated in her role as the president of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR). More than 700 institutions and 13,000 individuals belong to CUR, an organization dedicated to supporting faculty development for high-quality undergraduate studentfaculty collaborative research and scholarship.

CollegeNET ranks Radford University high in annual Social Mobility Index

Radford University was recognized as one of the top institutions in the Commonwealth of Virginia for advancing the social mobility of its students.

Radford ranked number 173 nationally out of 1,549 four-year institutions reviewed and No. 3 in Virginia in CollegeNET, Inc.’s eighth annual Social Mobility Index (SMI) rankings.

CollegeNET’s SMI reviews four-year colleges and universities according to how effectively they enroll students from low-income backgrounds and graduate them into good-paying jobs.

Fortune magazine names Best Part-Time MBA program in first ranking

One of Radford University’s business degrees has been ranked among the best of its kind by Fortune magazine.

Late last fall, the publication included the Davis College of Business and Economics’ part-time MBA program in its list of the country’s top part-time MBA programs for 2022.

This is the first year Fortune has assembled those rankings, culled through evaluations of 150 schools across the United States. From those, the magazine chose 70 programs to highlight.

Online MBA program ranked among 100 Most Affordable

Online MBA Coach named Radford University’s online MBA program in the Davis College of Business and Economics as one of the 100 Most Affordable Online MBA Programs for 2022.

The program was ranked number 46 overall. Online MBA Coach instructs, trains and encourages students through the process of thriving in an online MBA program.

Radford University BSN programs ranked as best in Virginia by nursingprocess.org

The Radford University Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs have been ranked as the best BSN programs in the state of Virginia by nursingprocess. org, an educational resource dedicated to providing information that is accurate, reliable and backed by extensive research for those interested in earning degrees in nursing.

According to nursingprocess.org, the organization gathered a list of all nursing schools offering BSN programs in every state and then ranked them based on the following three factors:

• Average NCLEX-RN first-time pass rates of recent five years (40% of overall score).

• Academic quality – enrollment, graduation and retention rates (30% of overall score).

• Nursingprocess.org editorial staff ratings and nursing school reputation (30% of overall score).

1970s

Teresa Devlin Stephenson ’71 and William Stafford Stephenson ’71 celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Dec. 18, 2021.

1980s

Suzanne Rice ’84 retired from her position as chief of administrative services for Suffolk Public Schools.

Tim Greenway ’86 is a member of the Vinton Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors for 2022. Greenway is the owner and broker of Mountain View Real Estate, LLC in Vinton, Virginia.

Carol Lynn (DiGiuseppe) Zuniga, M.S. ’86, was appointed CEO of Hegira Health, Inc., headquartered in Livonia, Michigan. She was promoted after serving as the organization’s executive director since 2016.

Mike Donnelly ’88 was named to Atlanta Magazine’s 500 Most Powerful Leaders in 2022. Donnelly serves as a region president of Wells Fargo’s North Metro Atlanta division, chairs the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education and is a past chair of Leadership Atlanta. He has also held leadership positions with the Metro Atlanta Chamber, the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership, the Buckhead Coalition, the Woodruff Arts Center and the University of Georgia Board of Visitors. The Waynesboro School Board appointed Leola Burks ’88 director of special education for Waynesboro Public Schools in Virginia.

1990s

Ken Weikel ’90 was selected as the independent franchise owner/operator of a new Chick-fil-A restaurant in Waldorf, Maryland.

Jamilyn Penn, M.A. ’92, was named interim vice president at Highline College in Des Moines, Washington. She will oversee the student services division.

Brian Robinson ’93, head of prime brokerage sales for the Americas at Goldman Sachs and member of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation’s board of trustees, delivered the keynote address at Radford University’s

David Tucker ’86, president and chief operating officer of Commonwealth Care of Roanoke (CCR), was recognized with the 2021 James G. Dunton Distinguished Service Award for Lifetime Achievement by the Virginia Health Care AssociationVirginia Center for Assisted Living (VHCAVCAL). This is VHCA-VCAL’s highest honor and is named for Jim Dunton, former VHCA executive director. The award is presented to candidates who have risen to the top of their professions by pursuing excellence, expanding into new areas and contributing to Virginia’s long-term care.

winter commencement ceremony in December 2021.

Danville Regional Foundation

President and CEO Clark Casteel ’93 delivered the commencement address during Averett University’s winter commencement ceremony in December 2021.

The Trust Company of Tennessee hired Marc Foster ’94 as a senior trust officer based in the firm’s Knoxville office. The company helps individuals, families, business owners and nonprofits make better financial

decisions through wealth management, personal investment strategy, corporate retirement plans, estate planning and personal trust services.

Nano One announced Frank Fannon ’95, former U.S. assistant secretary of state for energy resources, as a strategic advisor. Nano One is a clean technology company with patented processes for the low-cost, lowenvironmental footprint production of high-performance cathode materials used in lithium-ion batteries.

Calling all members of the Class of 1972!

Start planning now for your special Golden Reunion celebration during Radford University’s Homecoming Sept. 29 - Oct. 1, 2022. It’s not too early to let us know if you plan to participate. We would love to have you join us as a volunteer for the reunion!

Call the Office of Alumni Relations at 888-478-4723 or email alumni@radford.edu.

Healthcare Corporation of America (HCA) Capital Division announced the promotion of Erin Keister ’96 as the new division chief nurse executive. Keister will establish the strategic direction for nursing operations and care for the division’s 19 hospitals across four states: Virginia, Indiana, Kentucky and New Hampshire.

Ryan Barber ’98 was appointed assistant superintendent of Waynesboro Public Schools. Barber has worked for Waynesboro Public Schools for the past six years as the executive director of student services.  Hope Perry, M.S. ’98, was named principal of Patrick County High School in Stuart, Virginia. Perry has served as the secondary math and science curriculum coordinator at the district level and most recently as the principal at Fieldale-Collinsville Middle School in Henry County.

National architecture, engineering and planning firm Bergmann has hired Marie Carone ’99 as government practice leader in its Buffalo, New York, office. Carone brings over 20 years of experience as both a project architect and a project manager, is professionally registered as an architect in New York and is an accredited LEED AP professional.

2000s

Adéola Oduwole, M.S. ’01, vice president and chief of equity, diversity and inclusion at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, was elected to the board of directors of Prevent Blindness. Prevent Blindness is the nation’s leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight.

Marie Carone ’99

James Pennix, M.S.W. ’01, is the new senior associate director of recruitment at Virginia Tech.

Phillie-BOP Productions LLC announced the single release “Sweetest of Melody” from its R&B/soul artist Rina Chanel ’02 in November 2021. This is the fourth single from Chanel released by the label and is part of the upcoming EP “Rina,” to be released in 2022 by Phillie-BOP’s future indie label, Soul Phinesse Records.

SAVE THE DATE! Friday, Aug. 12, 2022

The Radford University Alumni Association is partnering with the Washington Nationals as part of their College Day Series. Join us at the park and use the Radford ticket link to receive a limited-edition Radford/Nationals co-branded hat. Game tickets and VIP Hospitality tickets are on sale now!

This special commemorative, limited-edition print is in honor of TOGETHER – The Campaign for Radford University. Proceeds from the sale of The Fountain will benefit the P. Buckley Moss Teaching Scholarship for aspiring teachers at Radford University.

The Marching Stars from the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders, under the direction of Stephen Howard ’04, was one of 10 marching bands to perform in the 2021 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Kwabena Osei-Sarpong ’05, president and CEO of RIFE International, received the 2021 Outstanding Alumnus Award at Radford University’s Alumni Volunteer Leadership Business Lunch and Awards Ceremony.

Angela Brown Rigney, M.S. ’05, was nominated as a national finalist for the Association for Career & Technical Education (ACTE) 2021 Trade & Industrial Education Lifetime Achievement Award. Rigney is the director of Career & Technical

The Fountain, Radford University

P. Buckley Moss Gallery

x 16” image with 1” border – $125

x 25.5” image with 1” border – $325

Stephen Howard ’04 and The Marching Stars

Tracy Fisher ’01 plays the Asst. City Manager in upcoming film “No Vacancy” to be released on May 9, 2022 in more than 800 theaters nationwide. The film, a Kingstone Studios/Saylor Bros. production, stars Sean Young, Dean Cain and T.C. Stallings and is based on a true story.

Education/Adult Education for Pittsylvania County Schools.

Megan Cayton ’06 son, Griffin Layne Cayton, on Dec. 20, 2020.

Christopher Consultants announced that Claire O’Connor ’08 team as the business development manager in Richmond, Virginia.

Sara E. Hawkins ’08 welcomed her first child, Constance Britton Ross, on May 25, 2021.

ConnectWise, the world’s leading software company dedicated to the success of IT solution providers, named Patrick Beggs ’08 chief information security officer. Beggs has more than 20 years of operational duties in information security

Constance Britton Ross

spanning the commercial, federal civilian, defense, law enforcement and intelligence communities.

Angela Whyte ’09 was promoted from assistant portfolio manager to portfolio manager at Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer in Newport News, Virginia.

2010s

A New Leaf Gallery inside The Station in Floyd, Virginia hosted new guest artist Sidra Kaluszka, M.F.A. ’10, for its opening reception in November 2021. Kaluszka’s work includes watercolor and ceramics.

Police Chief Andy Ellington of Farmville, Virginia, introduced new police officer Kyle Britton ’10 at the Farmville Town Council work session held on Feb. 2, 2022.

Arielle Retting ’12 was named the recipient of the 2021 Radford University College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences Outstanding Alumni Award. Retting has built her career in journalism as a writer and editor for national media outlets like the Washington Post, Wired magazine and NPR.

The Vinton Area Chamber of Commerce elected Page Stovall ’12 to serve on its executive committee as the second vice president of the chamber. Stovall is the business office manager at The Elks, a Noble Senior Living Community in Bedford, Virginia.  Tucker Davis ’13 was named president of the Kentucky Coal Association.

Shaun C. Whiteside, M.F.A. ’11, was awarded first place for his work “Obstruction” at Riverviews Artspace’s 13th Annual Juried Art Show.

Drew Johnson ’12, band director at Eisenhower Middle School in Liberal, Kansas, joined band directors from across the country on Jan. 1, 2022 in the annual Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade. The parade entry’s theme was, “America’s band directors: We teach music. We teach life.”

Isle of Wight County Schools (IWCS) in Smithfield, Virginia, named Summer Dawkins ’13 the 2021-2022 Teacher of the Year at Carrsville Elementary School. Dawkins teaches third grade. Brian Padgett ’14 married Kathryn (Kat) Lazaro ’14 on Sept. 3, 2021 at Shadow Creek in Purcellville, Virginia.

Alexander E. Metzner ’14 was named president of Katz Metzner Financial LLC, the Money Concepts Planning Center of Frederick.

Food City announced the addition of two licensed registered dietitians to their health and wellness team, one being Kirby Moir ’14 to the Tri-City division.

The Bank of Botetourt hired Tina Huffman ’14 as the deposit compliance officer.

Radford basketball legend Javonte Green ’15 was honored during the Radford men’s basketball game against Eastern Kentucky on Nov. 28, 2021. His jersey was retired at halftime. Green currently plays for the Chicago Bulls. Patrick O’Keefe ’15 was named director of tennis at the Sea Pines Resort in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. O’Keefe was a four-year varsity athlete at Radford University and was named Big South Men’s Tennis Player of the Year during his senior year.

Michelle and Logan Robins ’15 announced the birth of their daughter, Eliza Grace, on Jan 12, 2022.

Darla Denham ’16 married Cameron Wolf ’16 on Nov. 2, 2019. In September 2020, Cameron joined OCTO Consulting Group as a senior developer. In November 2021, Darla joined the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) as a program coordinator and ROTC administrator. She is also the executive assistant to the vice president of membership and meetings.

Hannah Copeland Osborne, M.S. ’16, joined the rehabilitation services department at Ashe Memorial Hospital in Jefferson, North Carolina, as a speech language pathologist. Lawrence Davin ’18 was selected for the 2022 KIPP Alumni Accelerator Fellowship, a yearlong program of professional development, mentorship and network-building. Davin is active in local politics in the Washington, D.C. area. His most immediate goal is to graduate from law school and focus his studies on legal housing, education and economic development issues so he can continue to run for office and impact the local community.

Shaun C. Whiteside, M.F.A. ’11, was awarded first place for his work “Obstruction” at Riverviews Artspace’s 13th Annual Juried Art Show.

To submit a class note, please visit www.radford.edu/alumniupdate or call 1-888-4RU-GRAD Photographs may be submitted as .jpg files with a resolution of at least 300 dpi. If you submitted a class note and it does not appear in this issue, please look for it in the next magazine.

Chelsea Stowe ’19 married James Curtis ’19 at the Paul J. Ciener Botanical Gardens in Kernersville, North Carolina, on June 13, 2021. The bridal party featured several Radford University alumni: Jake Sharp ’18, Hannah Skeens ’18, Meg Robertson ’19, Anna Pallozzi ’19 and Paige Rigney ’19. Event videography was provided by Wydell Lynch ’19 and Cameron Eggleston ’19.

Teresa Devlin Stephenson ’71 and William Stafford Stephenson ’71 celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Dec. 18, 2021.

Megan Cayton ’06 welcomed her son, Griffin Layne Cayton, on Dec. 20, 2020.

Michelle and Logan Robins ’15 announced the birth of their daughter, Eliza Grace, on Jan. 12, 2022.

Brian Padgett ’14 married Kathryn (Kat) Lazaro ’14 on Sept. 3, 2021 at Shadow Creek in Purcellville, Virginia.

Nora Williams ’19 married Alex Anderson ’20 on June 30, 2020, in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.

Chelsea Stowe ’19 married James Curtis ’19 at the Paul J. Ciener Botanical Gardens in Kernersville, North Carolina, on June 13, 2021. The bridal party featured several Radford University alumni: Jake Sharp ’18, Hannah Skeens ’18, Meg Robertson ’19, Anna Pallozzi ’19 and Paige Rigney ’19. Event videography was provided by Wydell Lynch ’19 and Cameron Eggleston ’19

2020s

Obituaries

1940s

Iola M. Miller ’43 of Richmond, Virginia, Nov. 15, 2021.

Jeanette Bales ’45 of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Nov. 23, 2021.

1950s

Edna E. Blume ’50 of Blacksburg, Virginia, Sept. 16, 2021.

Mary N. McDaniel ’50 of Richmond, Virginia, Oct. 16, 2021.

Garnett E. Woody ’50 of Christiansburg, Virginia, Sept. 24, 2021.

Frances R. Jones ’52 of Rustburg, Virginia, Sept. 9, 2021.

Alma E. Shufflebarger ’53, M.S. ’65, of Bastian, Virginia, Jan. 16, 2022.

Shirley A. Bruce ’53 of Christiansburg, Virginia, Sept. 21, 2021. Virginia K. Arey ’54 of Owings Mills, Maryland, Sept. 1, 2021.

Nancy C. Herndon ’56 of Jacksonville, Florida, Jan. 21, 2022.

James and Erica (Borges) Brantley ’15, M.S. ’20, announced the birth of their son, Jackson Fitzpatrick, on Nov. 4, 2021.

The Roanoker Magazine’s 40 Under 40 featured Hannah Curtis, M.H.A. ’20, in its Class of 2022. Curtis is an awardwinning communicator who currently serves as media relations consultant and public information officer at Carilion Clinic.

Andrew Doney ’21 joined the Pulaski Police Department Virginia nonprofit Artistic Remedies for Creative Hearts (ARCH) hired Ellen Morris, M.F.A. ’21, as its social media manager. ARCH is a nonprofit arts organization offering a place to take classes, exhibit artwork and be part of a supportive, creative community.

Sovah Health announced that Alexa El Kadi, M.S. ’21, joined its medical staff as a nurse practitioner at Sovah Urology-Martinsville.

Nancy C. Wood ’56 of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Nov. 16, 2021.

Constance S. Vick ’58 of Roswell, Georgia, Sept. 20, 2021.

Winifred A. Howell ’59 of Christiansburg, Virginia, Sept. 5, 2021.

Charles B. Franklin ’59 of Radford, Virginia, Oct. 19, 2021.

Arlene Davis ’59 of Ashland, Virginia, Feb. 12, 2022.

1960s

Mary H. Brown ’60 of Mount Airy, North Carolina, Aug. 30, 2021.

Nancy D. Whitesell ’60 of Moore Haven, Florida, Nov. 15, 2021.

Carol L. Willmes ’60 of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Jan. 12, 2022.

Mary L. Simmons ’60 of Hampton, Virginia, Aug. 18, 2021.

Rachel A. Grace ’61 of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, Dec. 23, 2021.

Mary C. Mitton ’61 of Beverly Hills, Michigan, Dec. 30, 2021.

Mary F. Davis ’62 of Rochester Hills, Michigan, Nov. 30, 2021.

Jackson Fitzpatrick Brantley

Judith L. Parks ’64, M.S. ’68, of Wytheville, Virginia, Dec. 25, 2021.

Charlotte Churchill ’64 of Apex, North Carolina, Feb. 5, 2022.

Susan E. Crockett-Spoon ’65, M.S. ’66, of Wichita, Kansas, Nov. 18, 2021.

Connie C. Moore ’65, M.S. ’77, of Wytheville, Virginia, Oct. 10, 2021.

Joyce W. Graham ’65 of Clintwood, Virginia, Nov. 15, 2021.

Claire E. Moorefield ’65 of Greensboro, North Carolina, Nov. 15, 2021.

Lester T. Simpson, M.S. ’65 of Tifton, Georgia, Feb. 2, 2022.

Joan L. Hvozdovic ’66 of Blacksburg, Virginia, Oct. 23, 2021.

Wanda S. Simpson ’67 of Appomattox, Virginia, Nov. 10, 2021.

Richard Miley, M.S. ’67 of Roanoke, Virginia, Sept. 22, 2021.

Scarlett L. Lucas ’69 of Ashburn, Virginia, Oct. 8, 2021.

1970s

Linda L. Barnhart ’70, M.S. ’72, of Boones Mill, Virginia, Sept. 16, 2021.

Louise E. Bohlinger ’70 of Tabb, Virginia, Aug. 25, 2021.

Roger L. Shutt, M.S. ’70, of Bluefield, West Virginia, Aug. 28, 2021.

Margaret A. Spencer ’71 of Roanoke, Virginia, Sept. 9, 2021.

Janet L. Coiner ’71 of Bellingham, Washington, Sept. 12, 2021.

Mary Akers ’71 of Rocky Mount, Virginia, Dec. 28, 2021.

Robert J. Ayers, M.S. ’71, of Wytheville, Virginia, Oct. 6, 2021.

Lloyd E. Parsell, M.S. ’71, of Roanoke, Virginia, Jan. 9, 2022.

Judith S. Morris ’72, M.S. ’73, of Galax, Virginia, Oct. 1, 2021.

Helen J. Pratt ’72, M.S. ’77, of Draper, Virginia, Jan. 3, 2022.

June Totten, M.S. ’72, of Saltville, Virginia, Sept. 25, 2021.

Kenna S. Lee, M.S. ’72, of Princeton, West Virginia, Dec. 18, 2021.

Frank R. Moseley, M.A. ’72, of Christiansburg, Virginia, Nov. 16, 2021.

Thomas L. Newman, M.A. ’73, of Richmond, Virginia, Jan. 6, 2022.

Jean C. Shultz ’74 of Roanoke, Virginia, Aug. 22, 2021.

Helen M. Given ’74 of Charlottesville, Virginia, Sept. 19, 2021.

Kathy F. Lyons ’74 of Concord, North Carolina, Nov. 5, 2021.

Karen P. Clifton ’74 of Bassett, Virginia, Nov. 23, 2021.

June G. Nichols ’75, M.S. ’79, of Roanoke, Virginia, Nov. 30, 2021.

Barbara Witten ’76 of Fairlawn, Virginia, Sept. 19, 2021.

Margaret Cooke, M.S. ’76, of Kissimmee, Florida, Sept. 24, 2021.

Velma M. Harman, M.S. ’76, of Bluefield, West Virginia, Jan. 20, 2022.

Margaret J. Wade ’77 of Galax, Virginia, Sept. 27, 2021.

Rosanna P. Myers, M.S. ’77, of Troutville, Virginia, Oct. 1, 2021.

Elizabeth R. Parker, M.S. ’77, of Roanoke, Virginia, Feb. 14, 2022.

Alan N. Sigmon ’78 of Rocky Mount, Virginia, Nov. 25, 2021.

Edward L. Russell ’79 of Marion, Virginia, Dec. 19, 2021.

1980s

Lester L. Meadows ’81 of Weyers Cave, Virginia, Dec. 16, 2021.

Sylvia B. Neal, M.A. ’81, of Greensboro, North Carolina, Nov. 3, 2021.

Natalie M. Taylor ’82 of Kernersville, North Carolina, Jan. 26, 2022.

Lanny M. Harris, M.S. ’82, of Pulaski, Virginia, Oct. 4, 2021.

Eliot T. Armistead, M.S. ’82, of Blacksburg, Virginia, Nov. 1, 2021.

Patsy J. Dillon-Long ’84 of Blacksburg, Virginia, Oct. 21, 2021.

Donald R. Johnson ’84 of Vinton, Virginia, Feb. 7, 2022.

Nancy A. Beesley ’84 of Palm Bay, Florida, Dec. 1, 2021.

Randall T. Sperger ’86 of Roanoke, Virginia, Dec. 31, 2021.

Kimberly D. Davison ’89 of Strasburg, Virginia, Sept. 26, 2021.

Emily S. Valencia ’89 of North Chesterfield, Virginia, Nov. 2, 2021.

Velma R. Nester ’89 of Christiansburg, Virginia, Feb. 6, 2022.

1990s

Bobbie L. Funkhouser ’90 of Mount Jackson, Virginia, Nov. 7, 2021.

Charles M. Shankin ’90 of Floyd, Virginia, Jan. 10, 2022.

Linda F. Matthews ’90 of Radford, Virginia, Sept. 29, 2021.

Glenn F. Dubiel ’91, MBA ’93, of Midlothian, Virginia, Oct. 24, 2021.

Tyler B. Humphreys ’92 of Christiansburg, Virginia, Sept. 24, 2021.

Scott H. Langendorfer ’92 of Wytheville, Virginia, Dec. 8, 2021.

Peter M. McKenna ’96 of Roanoke, Virginia, Oct. 13, 2021.

Thomas B. DeMille ’98 of of Virginia Beach, Virginia, Oct. 8, 2021.

Leigh Faulconer, M.S.W. ’98, of Radford, Virginia, Oct. 25, 2021.

Kimberly S. Crisp ’99 of Radford, Virginia, Dec. 7, 2021.

2000s

Stephen T. Joyner ’01 of Virginia Beach, Virginia, Oct. 24, 2021.

Lee C. Ackerman ’04 of Portland, Oregon, Aug. 22, 2021.

2010s

Walter R. Lawson ’11 of Radford, Virginia, Aug. 25, 2021.

Non-Degreed

Vashti L. Elliott ’57 of Waynesboro, Virginia, Oct. 11, 2021.

Janet S. Hatfield ’64 of Radford, Virginia, Jan. 21, 2022.

Retired/Former Faculty/Staff

Coreen L. Mett of Christiansburg, Virginia, Sept. 16, 2021.

Bill H. Dalton of Pulaski, Virginia, Nov. 15, 2021.

Clarence E. Walters of Salem, Virginia, Nov. 22, 2021.

Dickie S. Pennington of Pulaski, Virginia, Dec. 16, 2021.

Debra A. Sumner of Dublin, Virginia, Dec. 18, 2021.

Louis T. Kent of Radford, Virginia, Jan. 8, 2022.

A heartfelt thank you to Carolyn “Lyn” Ringer Lepre, Ph.D., for leading Radford University as interim president during academic year 2021-22. She is an inspiration to faculty, staff, students, parents, donors and alumni as she represented us before the general assembly, spoke at innumerable events and interacted with each of us as individuals. Her genuine passion for higher education was evident throughout the year as was her warmth and encouragement as she greeted students and their families. We appreciate her strong and thoughtful leadership and look forward to benefiting from her continued service as a Highlander.

P.O. Box 6915

Radford University

Radford, VA 24142

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