The Magazine of Radford University Summer 2021

A BEGINNING

Radford University President

Brian

Rector

O. Hemphill, Ph.D., at his inauguration in October 2016. He is flanked by former Board of Visitors

Christopher J. Wade (left) and former Interim Provost Emeritus

Joseph P. Scartelli, Ph.D.

PRESIDENT

Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D.

BOARD OF VISITORS

Robert A. Archer, Rector

James R. Kibler, Jr., J.D., Vice Rector

Thomas Brewster, M.S. ’95, Ed.D.

Jay A. Brown, Ph.D.

Gregory A. Burton

Krisha Chachra

Rachel D. Fowlkes, Ed.D.

Susan Whealler Johnston, Ph.D.

Mark S. Lawrence

Debra K. McMahon, Ph.D.

Karyn K. Moran ’88

Nancy A. Rice

David A. Smith ’85, M.S. ’87

Georgia Anne Snyder-Falkinham

Lisa Throckmorton ’94

Katie Hilden, Ph.D. Faculty Representative

Samantha Powell Student Representative

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

EDITORS AND CONTRIBUTORS

Bailey Black

Karen Casteele ’79

Robin Dowdy

Christina Edney

Mary Hardbarger

James Harman ’92

Mark Lambert, M.S. ’97

Wendy Lowery

Pam McCallister

Nancy S. Moseley ‘97

Chad Osborne

Stephanie D. Overton

Ashley Schumaker

Foster Sheppard

Meghan Williams Spraker ’03

Laura Turk ’87, M.S. ’90

Justin Ward ’10

Jolanta Wawrzycka, Ph.D.

Radford

Greetings, Highlanders!

As the Summer 2021 edition of The Magazine of Radford University is being proudly shared with Highlanders both near and far, I am concluding my final days as your president. It has truly been an incredible honor to lead this outstanding institution, which is deeply rooted in tradition and has remained student-centered above all else. The truth is that my family and I will always be Highlanders. We are forever grateful for the manner in which our family was embraced upon arriving in the region and on campus in the summer of 2016. We immediately felt the care and compassion of the broader community, a place in which neighbors became friends and friends became family.

Over the past five years, Radford University has reached unprecedented heights. Together, we have celebrated many accomplishments and achieved significant milestones. Our substantial progress and incredible success were made possible by dedicated members of the Radford family, which comprises of talented students, world-class faculty, hardworking staff, passionate alumni and a caring community. To the amazing individuals who proudly serve Radford University, you will always hold a special place in my heart!

The legacy of the past five years belongs to those who were committed to our worthwhile mission, believed in our visionary approach and stood strong in the face of adversity. Together, we expanded the footprint of our institution. Together, we delivered cutting-edge programs through new modalities. Together, we secured new levels of support from the Commonwealth, the community and beyond. Most importantly, we impacted the lives of individual Highlanders and created new opportunities and expanded possibilities for Radford University!

In sharing the Radford story, we often say to students and their families that the Highlander journey is transformational. Without question, it is true. My life has been forever changed because of my time on this campus and in this region. Although it is now time to bid a fond farewell, my family and I will take our Highlander spirit and Radford values with us in our new journey at Old Dominion University. God bless each of you, and GO HIGHLANDERS!

Forever a Highlander,

Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D. President

@BrianOHemphill

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The Hemphill Years

The Hemphill Years

By Mary Hardbarger

President Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D., reflects on his journey at Radford University.

If you have had the opportunity to listen in on one of the hundreds of speeches President Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D., has delivered as Radford University’s seventh president, you are likely aware of the quote by American scientist George Washington Carver.

It is President Hemphill’s signature quote, and one he manages to weave into not only his words, but the way in which he lives his life.

individual has

George Washington Carver

“I believe in that,” President Hemphill said one busy day this spring in his Martin Hall office. “I think about my distinct and legitimate reason. That is what I focus on — not my legacy.”

On the afternoon of April 21, 2021, President Hemphill, relaxed and reflective, spoke of the many milestones, challenges, partnerships and people that have marked his historic service to Radford University.

Although he does not like to label it a legacy, his tenure here has been monumental. His legacy is one of a bold vision that came to life in so many “distinct and legitimate ways.”

No

any right to come into the world and go out of it without leaving behind distinct and legitimate reasons for having passed through it.

From the very beginning of your presidency in July 2016, you have stressed the importance of transparency and campus engagement. You have kept the campus community informed throughout your tenure with numerous updates through various messaging approaches — State of the University addresses; consistent email communication; meetings with our campus senates; cross-campus conversations (United As One Radford Family); and most recently, Zoom Q&As related to the COVID-19 global health pandemic.

Why do you value transparency so much, and how do you think it supports and strengthens the campus community?

You have a very bold vision for Radford University, one that you implemented from the very beginning of your presidency: “To transform Radford University into an innovative, premier university in the Commonwealth of Virginia and beyond with a keen focus on teaching, research and service.”

We have seen this vision come to life through the 2018-2023 Strategic Plan, “Embracing the Tradition and Envisioning the Future.” This was a huge undertaking that involved input from dozens of faculty, staff and students that was ignited by your leadership.

What has it been like to see the strategic plan become a reality? I value transparency because I firmly believe every faculty and staff member and student on this campus has a vested interest in the success of this institution.

There are a lot of brilliant people in this community, and I think it is important to share information. Share successes, share challenges and share opportunities because it allows you to bring in additional perspectives and thoughts. It allows others to weigh in, and it can help guide and inform your decisions that will affect the entire Highlander family.

I have a very simple principle: if I know that we are dealing with a challenge, and it is something that is keeping me up at night, why would I do that alone? Why not have others up worrying with me?

Be transparent. Share the challenge. Share the opportunity.

As I think back, it is amazing to realize that we had more than 180 people engage in the comprehensive strategic planning process. We have witnessed, over the past five years, that many of the initiatives that were a clear area of focus for us have come to life, from academic excellence to fundraising. There are a number of things that I am proud of, but for us to name health sciences as a signature for the institution and then be able to deliver Radford University Carilion (RUC) was critical. It allowed us to expand the footprint in areas of critical need across the Commonwealth and the nation in terms of these healthcare warriors. It is something that I am very excited about. It is very memorable on multiple levels.

President Hemphill is joined by Carilion Clinic Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer Jeanne Armentrout ’81, left, and Jefferson College of Health Sciences President Nathaniel Bishop ’88, D.Min. at the announcement of the merger in 2018.

President Hemphill addresses administrative and professional faculty and staff at his first forum.

What are some of your proudest achievements of the plan thus far?

When we talk about achievements and areas that have seen significant growth, understand that this is a collective effort. There are so many people who were involved. The biggest part of leadership is getting everyone to simply pull in the same direction and believe in the vision. That is always the greatest challenge, and we were able to successfully do that.

We were able to launch what was the very first competencybased program (IMPACT) of a four-year public institution in the Commonwealth, which was significant. I remember how excited we were when former Governor Terry McAuliffe came to campus and officially launched the program in cybersecurity and geospatial science. Then, we established Appalachian Support for Specialized Education Training (ASSET). We are three-plus years in that program, and we are approaching 6,000 learners. That is something very significant.

Another area that really spoke to me is the way that our donors and supporters stepped forward to make this happen.

Jack and Sandy Davis stepped forward in significant ways to support our campus and community and invest in our students with the naming of the Davis College of Business and Economics. That was something I will never forget. The way that Nancy E. Artis ‘73 and H. Pat Artis, Ph.D., stepped forward, believing in our students and what they are doing in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) was transformational.

Those transformative gifts will forever impact the lives of students on this campus.

We talk a lot about these major gifts, but there are so many people and so many donors from across the Commonwealth and country who step forward and support this institution every day. Because of their generosity, we have been able to grow our endowment by 42% over a five-year period. It is every single person who decides that he or she wants to invest in a Highlander’s education and experience. That is what has really allowed us to have such great momentum. I am extremely proud of the work we have done in fundraising.

In 2017, Governor Terry McAuliffe joined President Hemphill and First Lady Marisela Rosas Hemphill, Ph.D., for the ceremonial launch of IMPACT.

Dr. Hemphill believed that cybersecurity would play a prominent role in all sectors, like government, business, education and infrastructure. He convinced me to take an active role in what became the Vinod Chachra IMPACT Lab at Radford University.

Vinod Chachra, Ph.D., entrepreneur, donor and namesake of the Vinod Chachra IMPACT Lab

Is there a particular person who influenced, inspired and supported you throughout your Radford journey?

George M. Harvey Sr. (local businessman and founder of Harvey’s Chevrolet Cadillac Buick in Radford): George Harvey was a true gentleman who loved his family and cared for the entire Radford community.

He is someone who had an amazing journey in life that took him to the military as an 18-year-old after leaving this community and working on a farm.

He was also a boxer and was very, very good at it. He told me that his trainer once told him, after realizing his talent: ‘George, you’re small, but you hit hard.’

His journey was one that brought him back to Radford as a hard-working person. He started a service station and worked around the clock. He built that business to the point where he was able to sell the service station and buy his first cars out of Pennsylvania. That started what was Harvey’s. From there, it turned into a full-blown career and legacy.

He is someone I learned so much from as it relates to this community and the connection and power of making a difference for the people you have an opportunity to serve.

For the last six weeks of his life, I sat with him for an hour, hour and a half, once a week. We sat there and just talked. There were so many stories I had heard before, but we talked about them again and went deeper into some of those particular stories.

He is someone who will always be synonymous for me with this community and this campus because of who he was as a person.

You also talk regularly about the tremendous support you have received from your cabinet and the Board of Visitors. What do these individuals mean to you?

I could not ask for a better Board of Visitors. I have had some amazing rectors, from Christopher Wade who installed me as the seventh President, to Mark S. Lawrence and my current rector, Robert (Bob) A. Archer. They have been absolutely amazing as individuals who truly care about this institution and are always sound counsel for me as I have many tough decisions to make.

Our Board members take their fiduciary responsibilities very seriously. They are always engaged in conversations around the future of the institution. When we went through our strategic planning process, they were actively engaged and challenged us to be innovative and continue to push and advance the institution.

From the beginning, Board members embraced me as an individual who they genuinely cared about. They wanted to make sure that they did everything they could to help me be successful as president. They cared for me first as Brian Hemphill, not President Hemphill. I will forever be indebted to the Board of Visitors for that work and that relationship.

My cabinet: we had the privilege of assembling one of the best teams in the Commonwealth of Virginia and beyond.

They are a group that loves this institution. They work early mornings, and they work late into the evening and weekends, all driving and pushing to make a difference. What is most impressive to me of this group is that all of them are talented beyond belief. What is so special about them is that they genuinely like each other. They care for each other. They would go to war for each other. It is so impressive when you are able to assemble a team that will put the team before one; before themselves; before I.

If they lead with that same passion, that same vigor and that same commitment to each other, they will continue to provide sound leadership for the next president of this institution.

A.

Over the years, I have worked with many outstanding leaders in many capacities. President Hemphill ranks in the top tier as a leader. During his tenure, President Hemphill has set Radford University on a path of growth and excellence. I believe that Radford University has benefited greatly in many, many ways, and it is incumbent on us all to build on his legacy.

Radford University Board of Visitors Rector Robert

Archer

They cared for me first as Brian Hemphill, not President Hemphill. I will forever be indebted to the Board of Visitors for that work and that relationship.

Your family has been a very big part of your Radford University journey. We have come to know and respect your wife, First Lady Marisela Rosas Hemphill, Ph.D. Your children, Cruz, Catalina, Jordan and Jada, are growing and thriving.

What has it been like to have this type of support system?

It would be impossible to do this work and engage in leading a university like Radford without having a strong base of family support. It is a 24-hour-a-day commitment. There is always something going on. There are a lot of great opportunities for my family, but it does take a lot of time. Having my wife, Marisela, and my mother-in-law, Maria, by my side to support me has been truly amazing. This career would be impossible without that strong base of support and belief in what we do.

When I think about my children, Cruz, Catalina, Jada and Jordan, they have been around college campuses

their entire life and have been exposed to some of the best facilities and programs in the country. Having my daughter be in contemporary dance and ballet and having my son engage and visit the Museum of Earth Sciences has been very powerful to watch.

Jordan came to Radford and was a part of this campus and community. He played on the basketball team and even got “Player of the Week.” Now, he is a Highlander forever. (Note: Jordan Hemphill graduated from Radford University this spring with a bachelor’s degree in communication.)

He will spend time this summer in Chapel Hill doing an internship with the Rams Club and Radford alumnus John Montgomery ’81. He wants to be an athletic director. He also accepted a scholarship to the University of Iowa. He is going to be a Hawkeye and go into sports administration. I think he is going to be an awesome athletic administrator, probably for the next 40 years. I am proud of him. I am proud of all of my children.

President Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D.

It would be impossible to do this work and engage in leading a university like Radford without having a strong base of family support.

engage in leading a university like Radford

What have you learned from our student body?

Our students are absolutely amazing. There are no silver spoons there. They are coming from hard-working families and people who are providing their sons or daughters, or their grandkids, an opportunity in life. They are sending them to Radford University with many hopes and dreams, and it is our responsibility to help bring that dream to life.

I see so much of myself in Radford University students. A college degree gave me a gift, and it was a gift that changed my life. I understand how transformative a college degree can be for every student we have on this campus. The opportunity to have conversations with them and laugh with them is so meaningful to me.

What have I learned from these students? I have always been proud of our students, but to stand and watch them during The Bigger Picture March and Rally. I have never been prouder.

The Bigger Picture March and Rally, a student-led and student-organized event, was held on Radford University’s campus on September 19, 2020. Hundreds of students, faculty and staff followed the University’s COVID-19 guidelines by physically distancing and wearing masks, while simultaneously addressing social injustice and the need for societal change.

I have learned from our students the importance of making sure, under no circumstance, do we allow that voice to not be heard clearly, loudly and respectfully. They did it with such great respect. I was so proud of all of our students and how they represented themselves during a time when many feared what the event might be. And, it was something that was so powerful.

While serving as the Student Representative to the Board Visitors, I witnessed firsthand President Hemphill’s leadership in action and his passion and drive for students. His personality, warm spirit and kind heart are truly what makes him great.

Breon Case ’21, alumnus and former student representative to the Board of Visitors

How were you able to guide the University through one of its biggest challenges to date: the COVID-19 global health pandemic?

There is not a single university president in this country who can say that they anticipated this happening and what the playbook would be. This was a situation in which no one anticipated going 100% online within a matter of a week. No one anticipated the lengths we would have to go through in terms of protocols to ensure that we were able to keep our faculty, staff and students safe.

This was something that was a significant challenge to navigate. But, the one thing that I have always thought about in the midst of crisis is that you always put people first

There are too many leaders who will ask, for example, ‘What is the legal exposure?’ Or, ‘What is the potential financial implication and impact?’

That is not where you start within the midst of the crisis. You start with the people. How are you protecting them? How are you communicating with them? How are you providing what they need in that moment?

I learned those lessons being at Northern Illinois University and going through unspeakable tragedy. We had a lone gunman come on campus and, within a matter of three minutes, 19 of our students were wounded, and five were killed. Going through that, you learn about leading in the midst of adversity. For me, that is still the most challenging situation I have ever experienced as a leader.

Navigating the pandemic, as tough as it was, I felt there was always calm and focus on what was needed to make sure that we were able to keep people safe and advance the institution.

There were many moments as we went through the pandemic, especially toward the beginning of the Fall 2020 semester, when we saw our cases begin to rise, when some questioned whether we needed to go in another direction — to send students back home. It became clear as I listened to the public health officials, such as Dr. Noelle Bissell, that we needed to stay the course. We were doing all the right things. I listened to our experts, and as we stayed the course, we were very fortunate. We had an amazing team that worked on this every day, led by Chief of Staff and Vice President for Strategic Operations Ashley Schumaker, our COVID-19 coordinator. She and Vice President for Student Affairs Susan P. Trageser, Ed.D., worked arm-in-arm to make sure that we navigated this effectively. I am proud of what we learned and where we found ourselves.

What will you miss the most about your time here in the New River Valley?

I have developed lifelong friendships here. Adam Scaggs ’05 is my best friend. He is a police detective for the Town of Blacksburg and husband of Caitlyn Scaggs ’07, Radford University’s former associate vice president for University Relations. He is like the little brother I never had. That is one of the things that I will say will always connect me to this area.

We knew Adam and Caitlyn before Caitlyn became an employee at Radford. We first knew them as business owners and alumni, and now they are lifelong friends. It has been absolutely amazing to be able to look at our kids as they have grown together and the friendships and relationships that they have developed. The fact that Adam and I will forever be lifelong friends and brothers is one of the things that I will always hold in great value, because you do not meet people like that every day.

There are other amazing people in the New River and Roanoke valleys who genuinely want to make a difference in the lives of others — salt-of-the-earth type people. I will remember the kindness of people who embraced me and my family when we moved here. I have appreciated the great support throughout this particular journey because there have been a number of highs, and there have been a number of lows.

What are some of those highs and lows?

One low moment that really stands out for me was the loss of Alexa Cannon. That was the most painful moment I experienced during my time here. To have a beautiful young person taken from us entirely too early was by far the most difficult moment, and my heart still goes out to her mother and father and entire family. You just cannot imagine anything ever happening like that to someone you love. Following Alexa’s passing, the Radford family came together to remember the love and light that her life brought to this campus and her family. Even in the face of tragedy, this family and this campus unite together.

A highlight was the $10 million we secured for Radford University Carilion.

That investment from the Commonwealth of Virginia truly has changed those students’ lives. These are individuals who have gone from paying tuition of $21,000 a year to $12,000 a year. I was more proud of that than any other moment because I know what it means in the lives of current and future students.

What do you hope your Radford University legacy will be?

I do not go to sleep at night, and I do not wake up in the morning thinking about my legacy. I am more focused on, ‘Are we doing things to make a difference for those who we have the privilege of serving?’

When you think about a legacy, it is always going to be collective. It is always going to be a number of individuals who decide to band together and do something bigger than themselves.

When all of this is said and done, I hope they would say that we made the institution better. I hope they would say that we increased fundraising. We were innovative in our work, and we were able to bring about significant growth in online education. I would hope they would say that the work we did in STEM was powerful and allowed us to grow our student enrollment. I would hope they would say that health sciences truly became a signature for the institution. I hope they would say that economic development improved because of projects, such as The Highlander hotel.

With all of those things, I hope they would say that it was all a collective effort. It is every vice president. It is every dean. It is every faculty member. It is every staff member. We are all working together to do something that is bigger than each of us. It is not about one individual. It is always about the collective.

What does it mean to you to be a part of the Radford family, a term you often use to describe the entire campus community?

The Radford family was more than a tagline. It was more than a slogan. To me, it was a way of our life. It was a part of the experience and the journey.

It was part of the expectation that, as a part of any family, you are going to have moments in which you disagree. But, at the end of the day, you have to come back together and figure out how to fix it, how to address the issue and how to work through it. You work through challenges to come out stronger and better as a campus, as a community and as a family.

The Radford family is a bold statement about who we can be and who we will become. I am proud of the fact that we have become a family, and it is something that I hope will stay with this campus for years and years to come.

FIVE YEARS OF PROGRESS

• Merger with Jefferson College of Health Sciences to establish Radford University Carilion

• Naming of the Davis College of Business and Economics

• Naming of the Artis College of Science and Technology and renovations to Reed and Curie Halls

• Artis Center for Adaptive Innovation and Creativity

• Vinod Chachra IMPACT Lab

• Tech Talent Pipeline

• Academic Success Center

• Enhanced and new partnerships with Virginia institutions of higher education

• Record fundraising achievements

• The Highlander hotel project

Radford University is an amazing place with world-class people. It is a place that will forever be a part of me. I will always be a Highlander. I will always have a great deal of love and appreciation for the five years that I had the opportunity to serve this campus and this community.

I will always support Radford University from afar because I believe in the mission of this institution and the opportunities that we have to change lives.

President Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D.

President Hemphill’s achievements at a glance

The Artis Center for Adaptive Innovation and Creativity offers unique opportunities for collaboration across disciplines.

From the very beginning of the planning process, we said this building was going to be the heart of the University.

College of Visual and Performing Arts Dean Margaret Devaney

By Mary Hardbarger

Radford University representatives and supporters officially broke ground this spring on the future site of the Artis Center for Adaptive Innovation and Creativity, a stateof-the-art complex that will serve as a blended teaching and learning space for the arts and health sciences.

The center is named for alumna Nancy E. Artis ’73 and her husband H. Pat Artis, Ph.D., who gifted the University $6 million to support scholarships in the Waldron College of Health and Human Services, the College of Visual and Performing Arts and the Department of Athletics.

At approximately $101 million and 178,000 square feet, the Artis Center represents the largest capital construction in the history of Radford University in terms of total project funding and square footage. The multi-story building will replace existing space for the College of

TRINKLE HALL

Through large windows and viewing spaces, visitors to the building will be able to watch artists, dancers, healthcare workers and scientists in action.

Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA), specifically McGuffey and Porterfield halls, and also create interdisciplinary student spaces serving the Waldron College of Health and Human Services and the Artis College of Science and Technology.

“True to the mission of Radford, the Artis Center for Adaptive Innovation and Creativity will provide a space to work across disciplines to transform and elevate our student experiences across professions through creative and innovative learning experiences,” said Johnnie Sue Wijewardane, Ph.D., dean of the School of Nursing. “Whether through standardized patient simulation opportunities or larger-scale emergency and disaster drills, this facility is an exciting way to marry the medical arts and sciences with the visual and performing arts.”

Demolition of Porterfield East and West halls, as well as McGuffey Hall, began in June. Construction of the

Artis Center is scheduled for substantial completion in December 2023, and move-in will begin during the spring and summer months of 2024.

Classes are anticipated to start in the new facility for the Fall 2024 semester.

The Artis Center will exhibit an exterior façade that incorporates historic elements of the original campus buildings, including red brick, white precast and vertical punched windows.

The building will also include more modern elements, such as metal and glass, and will complement recently constructed adjacent facilities along Main Street, such as the Center for the Sciences.

The Artis Center will be centrally situated among several key student and faculty spaces, such as the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, the Covington Center, residence halls and offices.

A GROUNDBREAKING GIFT

At the May 25, 2021, groundbreaking ceremony for the Artis Center for Adaptive Innovation and Creativity, longtime Radford University supporters and benefactors Nancy E.

Artis ’73 and H. Pat Artis, Ph.D., explained what motivates them to give in such meaningful ways: the example set by their fathers, Harry P. Artis and Harry W. “Hap” Eisenhart. Both men served in World War II as naval aviation machinist mates. They survived, returned to lives of service, raised their families and instilled their children with a thirst for education.

“We have chosen to honor their investment in our lives through our gift to name the Artis Center for Adaptive Innovation and Creativity,” Pat Artis told the dozens of Radford University supporters who attended the spring ceremony. “This gift will provide scholarships — continuing our fathers’ vision — to help fund current and future generations of students who will study in this magnificent building.”

The Artises’ latest gift to Radford University, in the amount of $6 million, will support scholarships in the Waldron College for Health and Human Services, the College of Visual and Performing Arts and the Department of Athletics. In 2017, they gifted the University $5 million to establish the Artis Endowed Scholarship Fund. In appreciation, the Artis College of Science and Technology was named in their honor. To date, the Artises have contributed nearly $12 million to support Radford University students and programs.

“Today, the commitment and generosity of Nancy and Pat Artis take yet another bold step forward,” said President Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D.

Because of the Artises’ generous contributions, Radford University continues to create life-changing opportunities for current and future generations of Highlanders.

“During my visits to Richmond, I often hear the energy and excitement for what is being accomplished by Highlander students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends,” said Board of Visitors member Mark Lawrence at the ceremony. “The truth is that people know Radford University, and they are closely following the progress and success of our campus. In recent years, under President Hemphill’s leadership, there have been many achievements and advancements. In turn, the level of support for this University has grown significantly at both local and regional levels. One clear example of that support is the project that we are all gathered here to celebrate today.”

Perhaps one of the most powerful testimonies to the Artises’ philanthropy and to all those who support the University at every level is Olivia McLean, a rising second-year graduate student in the Communication Sciences and Disorders master’s program.

She shared her personal journey with attendees of the groundbreaking ceremony. McLean, of eastern Canada, enjoyed a fulfilling career as a musician before suffering a burst blood vessel on her vocal cord.

“This experience led me to want to know more about the voice, its disorders and how to fix them,” McLean explained. “What began as a career derailment eventually became a catalyst that sparked my interest in speech and language disorders and led me here.”

This past semester at Radford University, McLean worked with a female client who had a cognitive impairment that greatly affected her language skills. McLean used her passion for music to connect with the client, who “was with unabashed enthusiasm singing along and belting out words and phrases from the song,” she said.

“I am grateful to be learning the science and discipline of speech language pathology so that I can help others to improve their ability to express themselves and communicate with the world,” she continued. “I’m thrilled to be here to witness the groundbreaking of this new building dedicated to the visual and performing arts, health and human services and the interprofessional educational practice of these two areas of study. These programs are strong independently, and with a dedicated space to facilitate collaboration and interprofessional practice, it will only strengthen the educational experience for future Radford students and help them to be even more well-rounded practitioners in their professional careers after they graduate.”

H. Pat Artis, Ph.D., and Nancy E. Artis ’73

Its proximity to Radford City’s Main Street corridor will also be convenient for community members who frequent campus for concerts, performances, art exhibits and other showcases of CVPA faculty and staff, in addition to services provided through Waldron College.

Inside amenities will include:

• State-of-the-art instruction, laboratory, maker, studio, computer and collaborative spaces that integrate the arts and health sciences, along with office and other academic support functions;

• An instructional auditorium and support spaces;

• Health science clinical lab spaces;

• Painting and drawing studio spaces; and

• Music and dance studio spaces.

In alignment with the University’s commitment to sustainability, the building is expected to be LEED-Silver certified, with an anticipated future goal of LEED-Gold.

A ‘building that never sleeps’

When CVPA Dean Margaret Devaney and her colleagues first began brainstorming the Artis Center back in 2017, she said they envisioned a “forever building,” or, a building that is relevant over time and to many academic disciplines.

“From the very beginning of the planning process, we said this building was going to be the heart of the University,” she said. “We would see all the programs across campus through the lens of the arts.”

Devaney emphasized the natural connection between the arts and the health sciences, a collaboration the Artis Center will foster and enhance.

For example, the Radford University Autism Center, to be housed in the Artis Center, provides assessments and therapy for children and adults with autism spectrum disorders using an interdisciplinary approach. Faculty in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders collaborate with colleagues from music, dance and psychology to provide comprehensive evaluations and intervention services.

The Radford University SpeechLanguage-Hearing Clinic, also to be relocated to the Artis Center, provides prevention, assessment and treatment of speech, language, swallowing and hearing disorders for individuals from infancy through adulthood. Consultations, co-treatment and research studies are implemented with occupational therapy and music therapy students.

“I am a believer that the arts can connect with anything and everything,” Devaney said.

Devaney also called the building a “24/7” destination for today’s student body that is constantly on the go.

“These days, you are more likely to find students interacting, studying and rehearsing at 3 a.m. than 3 p.m.,” she explained.

To support these late-night needs and to showcase these vibrant activities, the Artis Center’s design will be very transparent and open to the public.

Through large windows and viewing spaces, visitors to the building will be able to watch artists, dancers, healthcare workers and scientists in action. In the main area of the building, or the hub, there will be a convertible space suitable for lectures, performances and other gatherings. A large staircase, also located in the building’s common area, will invite students from all disciplines to sit down and share ideas.

An area that especially excites Devaney is a proposed therapy garden.

“This will be a place where speech therapy and other health sciences students will hold classes, but you might also catch an art student sketching or a group of musicians performing an impromptu guitar performance,” Devaney said. “We are doing everything we can to encourage interaction, collaboration, convergence and serendipitous collisions and to break away from all the educational silos.”

It is evident that the possibilities for the Artis Center are endless, “and that is what I love about it,” she continued.

“I can’t tell you everything that is going to happen in that building because that’s the excitement of it. That’s the adventure,” Devaney said.

True to the mission of Radford, the Artis Center for Adaptive Innovation and Creativity will provide a space to work across disciplines to transform and elevate our student experiences across professions through creative and innovative learning experiences.

Dean Johnnie Sue Wijewardane, Ph.D., School of Nursing

As an innovative and student-centered institution, Radford University constantly strives to enhance and perfect the educational opportunities it offers. To that end, in Spring 2021 Radford launched the public phase of Together – The Campaign for Radford University, a bold initiative with a fundraising goal of $100 million . The Together campaign is designed to address the present and future needs of the University by means of five pillars:

Upon these pillars, Radford University can build an even greater institution, one of ever-increasing excellence that nurtures the talent and potential of its students. With the support of the steadfast and strong Highlander community, the Together campaign will influence teaching, learning, innovation and discovery for years to come.

Through support, we can provide fearless exploration of knowledge in the most advanced facilities. Through support, we can give deserving students an opportunity to learn and compete and empower them to make a difference in our world. Through support, we can provide our faculty access to the cutting-edge technologies and resources they need for teaching and research.

The following series of inspirational stories showcase the mission of each of the campaign’s five pillars.

our campaign will change countless lives and leave a lasting legacy.

Together, we can ensure that our University is a premier destination for a world-class education. Together, we can address the needs of tomorrow.

By Chad Osborne

Maci Keaton ’21 has an eye for toe walkers.

One day, while leaving the Biomechanics Research Lab in Peters Hall, Keaton’s keen observation led her to a mildly uncomfortable conversation opening.

The allied health sciences major from Elizabeth City, North Carolina, spotted a fellow student walking along the sidewalk. “I was watching him walk — a toe walker has a very distinct gait pattern — and I ran up to him, and said ‘Hi, I know this seems really awkward, but you could be a perfect participant for my study.’”

Keaton is one of the two students in the 2020-2021 academic year who received the Douglas J. Ames Jr. Memorial Scholarship, which, through a generous yearly gift from a former faculty member, supports health and human performance majors through year-long research.

As an Ames Scholar, Keaton studied individuals who tend to walk on their toes or balls of their feet, or toe walkers.

In the lab, early in the spring semester, Keaton ran one of her student volunteers through a series of tests, outfitting him with electromyography sensors (EMGs), to conduct a gait analysis. “I’ll be looking at the EMG values, as well as the pelvic tilt, while he’s walking back and forth,” she explained. “Then, I’ll have him run through a stretch and then have him walk again.”

As Keaton carries out her work, Cameron Sarver ’21 was on the opposite end of the spacious lab, preparing a student volunteer for a series of tests that would allow her to collect data on and examine the effectiveness of ankle braces. After four EMGs are placed, Sarver instructed the volunteer subject to stand on an 18-inch-high platform and dangle her right foot off the edge. After a few seconds, she had her drop to the floor. The sensors recorded the impact. The volunteer then repeated the steps, this time donning an ankle brace to “check the difference in muscle pre-activation,” Sarver explained. “We check to see if it changes or varies with the ankle brace on.”

Maci Keaton ’21 demonstrates tests she uses to collect data for her research on toe walkers as part of the Ames Scholar program.

Scholarships and state-of-the-art facilities give students a leg up on research

Keaton ’21

Sarver was a Radford University cheerleader and has been active in the sport for most of her life. Because of its rough and tumble nature, “I’ve had many injuries and had to wear an ankle brace many, many times,” said the allied health sciences major from Bluefield, Virginia.

It’s one thing to inspect braces’ effects on ankles, but Sarver wanted to go further and look at how the devices could impact other parts of the leg.

“I’m focusing on four muscles in the upper leg to see how the ankle brace affects those areas,” Sarver explained. “I’m really excited to see what the data tells us.”

That’s where the state-of-the-art Biomechanics Research Lab comes into play.

“The computers in this lab can do about anything,” Sarver said with a bright smile. “They record muscle activation. When a person walks, our equipment can record force and torque and twisting action.

“All of those cameras over there,” she said, pointing to a set of small digital cameras stationed nearby, “record the participant, while they go through the exercises. There is so much we can do with this equipment.”

The Biomechanics Research Lab sports an impressive list of equipment for students to use in their research. It includes a SMART-DX 6000 Optoelectronic system with eight infrared cameras, a FREEEMG 1000 surface EMG system with eight wireless probes, an INFINI-T tensorized floor composed by six 60x40 cm force plates, a VIXTA 50 video system with two cameras and a Walk Triaxial Accelerometer.

“I can come into this lab and have access to all this equipment to use for my research, and my professors have given me the freedom to choose an area of research that interests me,” Keaton said. “One thing that is so cool about Radford is you are not going to find many other undergraduate programs that have this level of research caliber.”

The generosity of former Radford University faculty member

Steve Ames, Ph.D., is paving the way for Keaton’s, Sarver’s and other undergraduates’ research.

Ames retired from Radford University in 2006 after 35 years of teaching in what was then known as the Department of Exercise, Sport and Health Education and is now the Department of Health and Human Performance, known colloquially as HHP.

“Dr. Ames is a pillar of our program and is greatly responsible for building it into what it is today,” said David Sallee, Ph.D., M.S. ’97, a professor in the HHP program and one of Ames’ former graduate students at Radford.

When Ames retired, he recalled, “I just thought I would give something back because Radford gave me a great opportunity to work with so many students all those years.”

To do so, he and his sister, Cathy Ames, established a scholarship to honor their late brother, Douglas Ames Jr., “who passed away early in life about 20 years ago,” Steve Ames said. “We thought we would name the scholarship for him to honor his memory and give something back to the department and to the University.”

Steve and Cathy contribute each spring, Steve said, “so we can sponsor one or two students and their research.”

Ames’ desire and contributions led Sallee and HHP chair Laura Newsome, Ph.D., to develop research opportunities in the lab with the support of the Ames Scholarship.

Once the lab was built with the necessary modern equipment, select students were picked from a competitive pool to work on research with Sallee, Newsome and other HHP faculty.

Students work on their research through an independent study course for an entire academic year and are paid for their work through the Ames Scholarship Fund. Typically, students have opportunities to present their research at national conferences. COVID-19 limited many of those conferences, but Keaton and Sarver still had opportunities to present their findings on campus to faculty and fellow students.

When she was recruited to play volleyball at Radford University, Keaton never dreamed of working with faculty as an undergraduate, conducting research that students at many other institutions typically do not do until graduate school.

On a February afternoon a couple of months before graduation, Keaton was “looking at ways we can change the gait pattern in toe walkers by stretching the gastrocnemius” muscle, she explained. “I’m looking at how effective the gastroc stretch is and how it correlates with the EMG values.”

This research is just the beginning for Keaton. She aspires to a career as a doctor of osteopathic medicine, working with patients who live with musculoskeletal issues, a choice inspired by her grandfather, who lived with Parkinson’s disease, and her best friend, Haley, who had spinal muscular atrophy.

“The Ames Scholarship has been huge for me and what I want to do in life, and it’s at the top of my resume,” Keaton said. “I came to Radford and got the opportunity to work with great professors and produce high-caliber research. This has been a life changer for me.”

One thing that is so cool about Radford is you are not going to find many other undergraduate programs that have this level of research caliber.

Maci

By Bailey Black

It is not often that three siblings attend Radford University together, much less triplets. Yet Emily Lane ’21, Samantha Lane ’21 and Adam Lane, a senior, did just that.

Radford University was an easy selection for the siblings who grew up in the New River Valley. Not only were they impressed by the programs Radford University offered in the majors they wanted to pursue, but they were also happy to find that receiving a great education locally was affordable. Scholarships made the difference.

Emily, a criminal justice major with a minor in psychology, was particularly impressed by the resources, facilities and experiences the criminal justice program has available for students. Her favorite part of attending Radford was exploring the opportunities the program offered.

“They’re opportunities you really can’t get anywhere else,” said Emily.

As she looks back on the past four years, she also speaks highly of the faculty members in the program. She appreciated how accessible they were to students and that they were always available to answer questions. Professor Stephen Owen, Ph.D., and Instructor Benjamin Wright were especially impactful, as they made their classes interactive and were diligent in making sure their students understood the material, she said.

Adam, a cybersecurity major, has also been positively impacted by his professors at Radford University. After graduation, Adam plans to continue his education by pursuing a master’s degree in cybersecurity, with the goal of becoming a professor himself. His favorite instructor, Brenda Hastings, was a key factor in solidifying his long-term career path.

“She was amazing. She went out of her way all the time to help me. I could email her at any time of the day and get a response just like that, with full detail. It was a lot of what I hope to be as a professor, as far as work ethic goes and the connection she has with students,” said Adam. “I hold her in very high regards. She’s the best professor I’ve ever had.”

Samantha, a music business major with an entrepreneurship/management minor, had the same warm experience with faculty on campus. Assistant Professor David Rivers has been instrumental in helping Samantha get various scholarships and internship opportunities.

“He’s even helping me apply for jobs and sending referrals to recommend me for positions,” said Samantha. “Our professors help us through whatever we need.”

Rivers also assisted Samantha in her role as the president of the Music Business Student Association, in which she helped put on shows like Bonnieroo and Radford Idol. Samantha was also in the National Society of Collegiate Scholars; Mu Phi Epsilon, the international music fraternity; and the Radio Broadcasting Club for WVRU. She interned at FloydFest, where she helped with production and security; served as a radio host; and interned at Bridge Kaldro Music in Christiansburg. Additionally, Samantha was also the

The Lane triplets brought their own support system to campus. We were never alone.

Samantha Lane ’21

recipient of the President’s Innovation Award in 2020, representing Radford University at the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Show in California, and she received Radford University Foundation scholarships — the Shing/Mah Scholarship for Visual and Performing Arts and the C.E. Richardson Benevolent Foundation Scholarship.

While Adam has worked at Virginia Tech at the help desk and in IT support for the past year, Samantha and Emily were involved in a work-study program in Radford’s Office of Advancement where they assisted with updating records, preparation for solicitations, special events and stewardship activities.

The Lane triplets have no shortage of accomplishments at Radford University, but what stands out to them in a greater capacity is how they were able to support each other throughout their undergraduate journey.

“When we started, it was like, ‘Well, we already know someone on campus!’ We were never alone,” said Samantha.

They were able to refer each other to peers and faculty in departments across campus that they may not have interacted with otherwise. Another lesson Adam, Emily and Samantha have taken away from their Radford experience is that connections are key; they have found that it is the people you meet that make the biggest impact.

“I’ve made a lot of friends on my degree path, and I actually got my current job from a friend I made at Radford because he worked there and recommended me to replace him,” said Adam. “Samantha’s professors have been referring her to jobs, too. If you make good connections with people here on campus, they may help you out later down the road, and it could help you progress in your career.”

With graduation behind her, Emily plans to stay in the area and enter the field of law enforcement. She feels like it is a great way for her to give back to her local community. Her biggest takeaway from her time at Radford is to not be afraid to ask for help.

“Everybody needs help once in a while — we’re all humans, and we’re not perfect,” said Emily. “I feel like in today’s culture, people are afraid to answer questions because they’re afraid to be wrong. Don’t be afraid to ask or answer questions. Everyone makes mistakes; we can learn from them.”

Samantha agreed that mistakes are learning experiences. The biggest lesson she has learned is to embrace failure.

“When you start out, you’re most likely going to fail at least once, but it’s what you learn from that experience that matters. Think, ‘What could I do differently to make myself stand out next time?’ If you get feedback, listen to it and don’t give up; work on it, and then try again,” said Samantha.

The Lane triplets embodied hard work and resiliency during their time together at Radford University and look forward to applying the skills they have acquired to their post-graduation careers. They feel confident that their Highlander connections will last a lifetime.

Samantha Lane ’21, senior Adam Lane and Emily Lane ’21

By Bailey Black

A love of sports brought Greg ’12 and Lauren Juanarena ’10, M.O.T. ’12 to Radford University, and a passion for giving has kept them connected.

Both grew up with competitive spirits and high standards for athletic and academic achievement. Lauren walked on to the volleyball team at Radford during the first semester of her freshman year. By the second semester, she earned a scholarship. She majored in exercise, sport and health education to complete the prerequisites needed to attend occupational therapy school, which she also completed at Radford.

Greg was drawn to Radford not only by sports, but also by the tight-knit community. He walked on to the baseball team and maintained a substantial academic scholarship that covered most of

his costs during his four years at Radford. Being interested in technology and building things from a young age, majoring in computer science was a natural fit.

During their time at Radford, Greg and Lauren crossed paths several times as student-athletes before beginning to date. They believe their ability to support each other and understand each other’s schedules as student-athletes helped grow their relationship.

“We hold ourselves to very high standards, and it’s easier to do that when you have a partner who is as involved and dedicated as you are,” said Greg. “Lauren is an extremely competitive person, and that’s something I liked about her. I like the way she competed on the volleyball court and in the classroom.”

At the end of Greg’s final semester at Radford in May 2012, he employed the help of his mentor, Michael Hurt ’94, CEO

The Juanarena family

Onetime studentathletes Greg and Lauren Juanarena give back to Radford.

of ARMS Software. A Radford alumnus and former baseball player, Hurt brought Greg on board at ARMS that summer in Richmond, Virginia. Greg remains with the company to this day and, looking back, calls it the best opportunity he has received.

In December 2012, Lauren graduated from occupational therapy school and joined Greg in Richmond. She has worked as a pediatric occupational therapist at Aveanna Healthcare for the past eight years and has loved her experience in the field. Greg and Lauren were married in July 2014 and grew their family by welcoming a son in November 2016 and a daughter in February 2019.

As former student-athletes and scholarship recipients, Greg and Lauren knew that once they were able to give back, they would invest in the next generation of student-athletes at Radford University.

Greg and Lauren established an endowed scholarship available to incoming freshman student-athletes, with preference to those in the baseball and volleyball programs. The scholarship will be awarded to those with academically strong high school GPAs, with preference given to those from Southwest Virginia and with financial need.

“I always knew that I was going to invest back into the University because the University invested in me,” said Greg.

The couple says their motivation to give comes from their parents, who are generous with their time and money. Greg’s parents, Doug and Sue Juanarena, have also supported the scholarship.

Motivation to give also came from seeing other former baseball players donate to the program, which encouraged Greg to give as a student. Today, a plaque with Greg’s name on it can be seen on a chair in the baseball stadium due to a donation given as a student. He believes that any dollar amount helps. If students and young alumni can get into the habit of giving now, they will have even more of an opportunity to watch the programs at Radford grow.

Looking back on their time at Radford, Greg and Lauren remember how meaningful it was for them to meet supporters of the athletic program and experience firsthand the impact of their investments. They, too, want to make an impact.

“This university has given so much to us,” said Lauren, “And, now, we’re in a good place to give back.”

We hold ourselves to very high standards, and it’s easier to do that when you have a partner who is as involved and dedicated as you are.

Greg Juanarena ’12

LaurenJuanarena’10,M.O.T.’12

Greg Juanarena ’12

By Justin Ward ’10

Radford University is collaborating with a new partner to rework the changing landscape of higher education. Academic Partnerships (AP), a leading online developer of innovative and affordable higher education approaches, paired with the University to continue providing highly sought-after degree programs through a new online format.

Non-traditional online learners throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia and beyond now have access to top-quality and affordable education from Radford University in the comfort of their own environment.

“The important work associated with this new partnership will be driven by our world-class faculty, with strong support from various administrative areas,” said Radford University President Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D. “The Radford family looks forward to welcoming new Highlanders to both engage and learn in fully online environments now and well into the future!”

Working together with AP’s highly regarded team, Radford University can reach new student markets by starting and supporting in-demand and topquality academic programs that are entirely online. The partnership will initially support the delivery of the University’s existing programs in an expanded online format, beginning with Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN

Radford academic programs reach wider student audience through a new partnership.

Student success is paramount.

Lyn Lepre, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs

to BSN), Master of Science in Nursing Administration and Master of Business Administration degrees.

“Well-established programs in the School of Nursing and the Davis College of Business and Economics have delivered a quality education to our students for many years,” said Jeanne Mekolichick, Ph.D., associate provost for academic programs at Radford University. “The fast-track asynchronous format will increase both accessibility and affordability. Expanding the flexibility of our educational delivery mode is a student-centered approach to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse group of adult learners interested in advancing their education

and fulfilling employer needs.”

AP is opening the door for the University to also advance efforts in competency-based education through the Vinod Chachra IMPACT Lab by offering cybersecurity and geospatial intelligence certificates that will help students accelerate their careers in technology. Additional certificate programs that are forthcoming will also support the expanding workforce demands of Virginia and beyond.

All of these expanded programs will help combat the impact of COVID-19 on the economy by providing working adults with access and opportunity, workforce-relevant and easily accessible education in critical, flourishing fields.

“It was very important to us that the programs be driven by Radford faculty, while AP works in partnership with our faculty to convert their courses to an online format and recruit and help retain students through program completion. In this way, we are aligned to help ensure student success is paramount across the duration of the program,” said Lyn Lepre, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs.

A leading online facilitator, AP is based in Dallas, Texas, and is a partner to more than 50 universities across the country, primarily regional public universities. AP takes the academic programs of each institution online and boosts recruitment and retention of highly qualified students, seeing them through program completion. AP’s mission is to expand access to top quality, affordable and workforce-relevant education for working and adult students.

SCHEV Outstanding Faculty Award recipient and Dalton Eminent Scholar Jolanta Wawrzycka, Ph.D., reflects on her evolution as a teacher and scholar.

By Jolanta Wawrzycka

In July 2019, I participated again in the Joyce Summer School at the University of Trieste in Italy, attended by dozens of students from all over the globe. I lectured on music in James Joyce’s ”Ulysses,” specifically on the “Penelope” chapter. It is written as a continuous stream of thoughts that run through the character Molly’s head. I focused on phrases that disrupt her thoughts and make the chapter difficult to read. Molly is a singer and, by now, Joyce scholars have discovered most of the songs that enter her mind. But I speculated that some of the strange phrases are still unrecognized as songs. My research confirmed this. I built media slides with quotations synched to music and played the newly discovered songs to show how they deepen our understanding not only of Molly’s character but also of Joyce’s technique of indirect representation.

“Both Joyce and music are fascinating to me. Your lecture has changed the way in which I read ‘Penelope’ — not just because of your arguments but also because of the way in which you presented it. It has definitely enriched my reading of Joyce and has inspired me to study this aspect, the interface between music and Joyce, more carefully.”

Shinjan closed by asking for a copy of my lecture; she said she wanted to study the details of my research and “to consider all aspects thoroughly.” That clear articulation of her wish touched me because “considering things thoroughly” is what I have been doing for nearly four decades since my arrival to the U.S. from Poland to pursue a Ph.D. My thorough focus saw me through grad school, and luck brought me to Radford University, where I began serving my adoptive country in one of the most fundamental ways — by teaching.

Honestly, I never thought I’d be a teacher. With interests in translation and theatre, I was on a different path. But that changed after I switched departments from theatre to English and became a teaching assistant. I quickly discovered that the classroom is both a translation forum and a stage, where language and performance come with mandatory rehearsals, stage fright and strict audiences. I loved the challenge of that environment and, always a lover of books and libraries, I also fell in love with research. I remember being sorry to have defended my doctorate because a great chapter of my life had come to a close.

But Radford University opened another chapter where my teaching and research continued, supported by grants and awards that tacitly recognized my effective synthesis of what Ernest Boyer

calls scholarships of teaching, discovery, integration and service. I have grown to understand them in terms of teacherly learning, best achieved by teacherly doing. Unlike that rookie assistant professor I was 34 years ago, I stopped hiding behind content-heavy lectures, learning instead to balance my delivery by turning the tables and giving students a stake in my classes.

I teach a variety of courses, from Irish studies and modernism to literary criticism and Nobel Prize literature/the legacy of Alfred Nobel. I ask myself lots of questions about how to make writers like Tagore, Mahfouz, Gordimer or Szymborska speak to my students. I don’t have the answers but discussing with them the nuts and bolts of how literary language works helps. We consider the fact that, when we read world literature in English, we read the translator, not the author —something obvious enough and yet not readily realized. In my criticism course, for example, I select foundational texts by Plato or Aristotle based on who translated them: for some passages, I favor Richard Janko’s rendition of “Poetics,” and for others, S. H. Butcher’s — they use different wording for Aristotle’s concepts. We also do a lot of close readings to study how and why words/metaphors can please or deceive or mislead us. Or why our first encounter with writers like James Joyce frustrates our assumptions about plot, meaning, or reading process that calls for research — and it’s difficult to read Joyce without research, which may be why Shinjan wrote to ask for a hard copy of my findings so she can “consider all aspects” much more thoroughly than my lecture could have done.

Shinjan’s request confirms my longstanding belief that it is reading-withresearch that brings students to “our”

side of the student-teacher equation. My work as a translator and my teaching in a third language help me stay tuned to my students’ need for what I call incubation time — the time it takes to absorb new findings and challenging content. I never forget that forming responses to new readings is a slow process, prone to the vagaries of attention and comprehension and often demanding a change of one’s language habits. Regardless of students’ future careers, language will always be the tool of trade for them.

In my own scholarship, I deal with all aspects of language/languages, literature as cultural memory and translation. Like other scholars of translation, I operate on the atomic level of words to speculate why a word, a phrase, or a concept may be impossible to translate into other languages and cultures — which is why, in the shrinking world of globalism, translation scholarship matters in broader, non-academic terms. So much is riding on using language responsibly. Many instances could be cited to illustrate how tenuous our understanding of linguistic and cultural otherness can be, on national and international levels. Both my teaching and my scholarship pivot around these richly fascinating topics.

A student once asked me what advice I would give to incoming freshmen. I answered: “Keep searching, keep mining, keep minding.” Now I can see that it is just another way of saying: “consider all aspects thoroughly.” I believe that striving to know anything thoroughly can keep us content and on the path to the betterment of all of us. As a teacher, I know that there are enough Shinjans all over the globe who follow this drive. By doing so, they live by Alfred Nobel’s creed: “Contentment is the real wealth.”

Feedback from students made me truly happy. One of them, Shinjan, a young woman from India, wrote:

Panel spotlights the role of arts and humanities in healthcare.

By Mark Lambert, M.S. ’97

Comprehensive STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) education is a team effort and the future of healthcare education. That was the core message a group of Radford University and Radford University Carilion (RUC) faculty members focused on during a first-of-its-kind collaborative panel presentation at the Association of 2020 American Colleges & Universities Virtual Conference last November.

The panel presentation, titled “All Aboard: Gaining STEAM with Humanities in the Health Sciences,” highlighted how integrating the arts and humanities is essential to creating robust programs in fields like nursing and the health sciences. The inclusion of these areas helps to foster strong critical thinking skills, a firm understanding of historical context and a well-rounded depth of knowledge.

Courtney Watson,Ph.D.

Amy Rubens,Ph.D.

Sallie BethJohnson , Ph .D .

MilenaStaykova, Ed. D.

It was the first national event to bring together faculty from the Radford and Roanoke locations for a joint presentation since the merger of Jefferson College of Health Sciences into the Radford University family of schools and colleges in 2019. The panel consisted of Sallie Beth Johnson, Ph.D., assistant professor and program director of health sciences and public health at RUC; Amy Rubens, Ph.D., associate professor of English and interim associate dean of the College of Graduate Studies and Research at Radford University; Milena Staykova, Ed.D., professor and program coordinator for the Master of Nursing: Family Nurse Practitioner program at RUC; and Courtney Watson, Ph.D., associate professor of English at RUC.

“The panel presentation was a really interesting experience because our group was interdisciplinary, crossing colleges and programs,” said Watson. “Diversity makes us better. The more perspectives and lived experiences we can share, the stronger we will be as scholars, practitioners and educators.”

Watson said that collaboration among faculty across multiple fields and disciplines serves not only their own research and scholarship but also the students by giving them richer, more dynamic perspectives.

“Every field in science and healthcare is part of an ecosystem, so it’s beneficial to develop a broad understanding and effective communication between them,” Watson said.

Integrating arts and humanities into healthcare education

While some may assume healthcare education consists only of lab coats, blood pressure cuffs, syringes, test tubes and stethoscopes, the panel made it clear during its presentation that there is much more to a multifaceted curriculum than just learning to use those tools. The trend in healthcare higher education seems to indicate that a mixture of experience with those participatory skills and instruments, combined with STEAM-related skills, is on the upswing.

“In the last 10 years, there’s been a surge of interest in integrating the arts and humanities into nursing and health sciences at the undergraduate level,” Rubens said. “Formal academic programs in the health humanities, like Radford University’s own health humanities minor, have increased exponentially.”

Rubens added that she believes the surge is happening because integrating the humanities and STEAM programs into healthcare education enables future health professionals to develop important habits of mind, like suspending judgment, viewing situations from broader perspectives, expanding listening skills and implementing critical reflection — all skills that can make for more empathetic and aware providers.

Additionally, Rubens said the COVID-19 global health pandemic has shown a broader audience that compassion, empathy and other skills rooted in the humanities are important to patients in need during their most desperate moments of treatment.

“Approaching illness and caretaking from a humanistic perspective, instead of through a purely biomedical lens, also benefits all learners, regardless of career aspiration,” Rubens said.

Unique perspectives on implementing STEAM concepts

Each panel member brought a unique perspective, rooted in research and publication, to the discussion in support of including a STEAM structure in health education.

Rubens spoke about how her research into why an interdisciplinary approach is so effective at addressing issues like burnout and compassion fatigue, as well as new directions and opportunities at institutions like Radford University for teaching, learning and research activities that bridge the arts and humanities with STEM.

Staykova addressed practical concerns about the necessity of strong research, writing and communication skills in fields like nursing, where the stakes are so high and lives literally depend on getting it right every time.

Johnson offered insight into why effective communication is a priority for public health and the intrinsic value these collaborative initiatives bring to the community. Watson talked about how her pedagogy focuses on the importance of clarity and communication in both clinical and non-clinical healthcare fields.

Watson said the group members received a very positive response to their presentation and were excited that the attendees were so engaged in their analysis.

“The audience seemed to be fascinated to learn how we have tied more liberal arts traditions and perspectives into the deeply engrained STEAM culture at RUC,” Watson recalled. “I’m excited that we got to present such a dynamic model for what this type of collaboration can look like.”

Rubens added, “Our panel illustrated the ways that the new health humanities minor might create increased collaboration among our campuses and students. One exciting possibility is that students of all majors will be learning about the relationship among the arts, humanities and STEAM with and from one another. It’s been exciting to see how these co-learning experiences already are developing.”

Sharing experiences in STEAM education

There are currently tentative plans for Watson and Johnson to co-author a book chapter based on the panel discussion. While those plans are in the beginning stages, it could be another step in sharing the unique STEAM methodolgy within healthcare education model being used at Radford and RUC with a wider audience.

“It has been wonderful to see faculty across disciplines embrace how we teach our students at Radford University and RUC,” Watson said. “This is such an exciting time to be a humanities scholar working with students and colleagues in the sciences as STEAM initiatives start to gain a lot of traction in the academic community. We’re developing a strong interdisciplinary tradition that is going to be a tremendous benefit at RUC, as well as the larger University community.”

By Nancy S. Moseley ‘97

“I don’t remember a time when Radford wasn’t there for us,” said Donna Clevinger, Ph.D. Clevinger grew up in Southwest Virginia. Together with her parents, Lawrence Earle Clevinger and Lorene “Allie” Wright Clevinger, she spent her formative years frequenting the University by attending events, concerts, theatre performances and sporting events. After church on Sundays, they often grabbed lunch and whiled away the afternoon driving around campus.

“Radford University came into my family’s life when I was a little girl. It was our neighborhood college, our go-to place. It was the one point we all shared together, the three of us.”

Clevinger enrolled at Radford after high school and immediately embraced the arts. She lived in Jefferson and Muse halls and performed in numerous plays on the McGuffey Hall stage. Eventually, she received a Bachelor of Arts in education and a Master of Arts in theatre from the University of Kentucky, followed by a Ph.D. in communication from the University of Michigan. She went on to a career as a teacher and administrator at institutions in Texas, Florida, Ohio, Mississippi and Virginia.

“The foundation for my career, even though it was just a few years, was formed at Radford. I never changed what I wanted to do as a person. I’ve given my life to the arts, and it’s been wonderful.”

When Clevinger came home over the years, the family always took time to visit the University. When her father passed away, she returned to help her mother and spent a semester teaching performance classes.

“My parents lived a life worth living. They gave a lot to their community, a lot to their church, a lot to their careers and a lot to me. We shared a lot over the years. But sharing our connection to Radford helped us enjoy life a little more.”

Today, integrating the arts and sciences, using one to teach the other, is invaluable to curriculum. Then, it was just the beginning of her devotion to an interdisciplinary approach to education.

“Teaching honors, you get a variety of students in your classroom. Aerospace engineers sitting next to music majors. We have so many options now to become educated.”

Niels Christensen, Ph.D., director of the Radford University Honors College, adds, “It’s that connection you build across disciplines with students who have different ideas and interests than you, but all share this common love of learning and academic motivation.” The Radford honors program began in 1980 and currently comprises 300 students and eight faculty fellows.

“Faculty fellows help spark curiosity and an excitement about the world around them outside the classroom. We think about students, we think about faculty and staff, we think about alumni. We are all serving the institution in different ways,” Christensen said.

The Clevinger Family Honors College Faculty Fellows Endowment will benefit the expansion of faculty fellow positions within the Radford University Honors College and help members enhance their work. Clevinger cites the great teachers she and her parents had as the impetus for the endowment. That, and their familial, authentic passion for the University and the role it played throughout their lives.

“I felt my parents the last time I was on campus. I could close my eyes and see them with me, oh so many years ago. They’re on campus, on the same sidewalks, with some of the same buildings. We were there, Mom and Dad and me. The memories are still very vibrant.

“Radford University’s biggest asset was access,” Clevinger said. “It was right in our backyards, but it provided access to another world. I appreciate the gift the University gave the Clevingers, even though they didn’t know it.”

Donna Clevinger, Ph.D., celebrates the role of Radford in her family’s life with an estate gift to support the Honors College.

WAY FROM THE CLASSROOMS, LECTURES AND TESTS THAT EPITOMIZE A PREMIER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION, RADFORD UNIVERSITY HAS ANOTHER ROLE: EDUCATING AND INSPIRING ITS SURROUNDING COMMUNITY AS A CULTURAL GATHERING SPACE.

Teaching honors, you get a variety of students in your classroom. Aerospace engineers sitting next to music majors. We have so many options now to become educated.

A COLORFUL COLLAGE OF PHOTOS HANGS ON A WALL BEHIND THE DESK OF ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY AMY BALIJA, PH.D. THEY DEPICT SEVERAL OF HER FORMER RESEARCH STUDENTS.

Each frame is titled, “The Balija Lab.”

“They’re silly,” said Balija, smiling as she scanned the wall of photographs this spring. “I have students pose with something they either really love or hate about working in the lab.

“Once new photos are added to the collection, students sign their names below with hopes that years from now they’ll return and have a good laugh as they reflect on the good times they had,” Balija said.

Balija, who just finished her final academic year at Radford University, treasures her students and is an inspiration to many, especially to her female researchers.

“She will be my role model for the rest of my life,” said alumna Twisha Mistry ’20. “She was always there to help guide me on the right path.”

Mistry, of South Boston, Virginia, graduated with a chemistry degree (advanced biochemistry concentration) and a minor in biology. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in chemistry — one she didn’t envision until Balija intervened — from North Carolina Central University.

“I had no idea what I wanted to do with my bachelor’s degree,” Mistry continued. “I was planning to take a break and work in industry, but she helped me pick the right college and continue my education.”

Balija said she believes in all of her students and works hard to ensure they reach their full potential. As a female educator in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), she also aspires to engage more women in these fields, which are filled predominately by males.

At Radford University, however, Balija has found a large family of female scientists in the Artis College of Science and Technology.

“I feel very honored to work in a college with so many females. This is actually not the norm,” Balija said. A close relationship with a female educator is the very reason Balija became a scientist.

Showcasing our female faculty scientists and students — that should be a selling point to try to get anybody to come to Radford, especially if they are interested in the sciences, because that is so uncommon.

“In the seventh grade, I had this incredible teacher, Mrs. Friedland, who got me excited about science,” she said. “In her classroom, every area was filled with something science related. It was infectious.”

Balija earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Loyola University Chicago and her doctoral degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Her academic career began at Fordham University in New York City, where she taught for nine years.

Proximity to family, specifically her sister, a professor at the University of Virginia, brought Balija and her own family to the New River Valley.

Balija recalls her first interview with Radford University faculty and staff.

“I remember how proud everyone was of each other,” she said. “They were so excited about their students and how they were advancing. That care and concern for students are something I share as well.”

Balija started at Radford in 2016 and quickly found a community of scientists, both male and female, who were accepting and supportive of her scientific pursuits.

One aspect of Radford that Balija has most enjoyed is the ability to explore and conduct research alongside her undergraduate researchers.

Her topic of interest is plastic, specifically how plastics — like the bottle of lotion she used as an example — eventually breaks down, turn into fragments or microplastics and pollute the environment.

“Microplastics get into our water systems. Fish eat them, and they move up the food chain,” she explained. “These plastics are in the food that we eat, the water that we drink, the air that we breathe, and they can cause severe health issues, like cancer.”

Balija and her research students have been exposing pink dye to a variety of different plastics and looking at the objects underneath a microscope. They are finding that they all dye differently.

“Our goal is that we can take water samples from local streams, and we can determine not only how many plastics we have in there, but what types of plastics we have in there,” she said.

Students have already collected several samples and presented research on their findings.

Alumna Lauren Purser ’19 is one of Balija’s former research students. She is currently a lab manager at the Antibody Biology Unit of the Laboratory of Immunogenetics at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease division of the National Institutes of Health. “I absolutely wouldn’t be here without Dr. Balija,” Purser said.

Purser’s testimony continues:

“She is the best professor I have ever had the opportunity to learn from. She takes every student personally in the best way. She worked with me not only on the research project but on my life goals. She helped me get the Research for Undergraduates internship at the University of Michigan, where I obtained my first publication as second author. I also had my research used in a congressional testimony, which still blows my mind. She never stops encouraging everyone to reach their goals.”

Beyond Radford, Balija is inspiring women across the globe in her new role as chair of the Women Chemists Committee, a national-level position with the American Chemical Society.

Responsibilities in this role, which she started on January 1, 2021, include leading a team of 29 scientists.

“The Women Chemists Committee advocates for equity and inclusion within the chemical enterprise to provide current and future generations of female scientists opportunities to excel in their fields,” Balija said. “I am honored to be the chair and work with such talented, passionate members to achieve these goals.”

Balija credits Radford for the freedom to explore these different types of leadership roles, ones she may have not considered in the past.

“I’ve been able to challenge myself and move beyond my former comfort zone,” Balija said. “Because of Radford, I’ve grown as an educator and a leader. I am stronger and more confident than ever before.”

Because of Radford, I’ve grown as an educator and a leader. I am stronger and more confident than ever before.

BY MARK LAMBERT, M.S. ’97

river and the small college campus located in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains was over four decades ago when he began classes as a philosophy student. All these years later, the Highlander spirit is still strong within Piñeiro-Soler, and he cherishes the memories he made at Radford to this day.

“I was just a kid when I came to Radford, but it meant so much to me as I grew as a person,” Piñeiro-Soler recalled. “I don’t live in Radford, but Radford lives in me.”

HARD WORK AND THE “LUCK” OF THE HIGHLANDER

Piñeiro-Soler describes himself as a “lucky man,” but luck had little to do with the success he has had both at Radford University and in life beyond the campus. Instead, his success can be attributed to research, hard work and determination, which helped him achieve some very impressive life goals.

He has worked alongside multiple oceanic conservation and administrative organizations, some of which include the Caribbean Fisheries Management Council, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, the International Whaling Commission and the Marine Protected Area Federal Advisory Committee, amongst others. He has even served under four U.S. presidents at the Department of Commerce and, he said, met some of the most beautiful and powerful scientific minds in the country.

But every time Piñeiro-Soler returns to Radford, he finds himself drawn to the New River, where he sits for hours enjoying its simple, quiet natural beauty.

“It’s reassuring to know that it is there and as beautiful as the very first time I saw it,” said the Radford University alumnus and native of Puerto Rico. His first view of the

When he was exploring where he would attend college, Piñeiro-Soler decided to dive into some intense exploration of what various institutions had to offer. He wanted to pursue a law degree eventually and felt it was crucial to develop a strong ability to think critically, identify issues and create solutions. He considered colleges and universities across the country, but Radford became a natural choice.

“I did my research and found that the faculty was absolutely amazing,” Piñeiro-Soler said. “That had a big influence on me choosing Radford. Aristotelean logic and ethics are my great passions, and Radford’s program was excellent in that area.”

Over the next four years, Piñeiro-Soler worked diligently in his classes, while making lifelong friends and lasting memories as a Highlander.

“My fondest memories of Radford are its people,” PiñeiroSoler remembers. “I think about my friends and teachers often. Tom ’79 and Kathy ’79 Lillard, Randy Metger ’78, Mike McCardle, Sandra Russell, Tony Yankus, M.S. ’79, Dr. Vengrin and many others. They helped me become who I am today.”

IN A PROFESSIONAL LIFE THAT HAS SPANNED OVER 30 YEARS, EUGENIO PIÑEIRO-SOLER ’79 HAS BEEN A SUCCESSFUL COMMERCIAL FISHERMAN, A FISHERIES CAPTAIN AND AN ENTREPRENEUR IN HIS NATIVE PUERTO RICO AND THROUGHOUT THE CARIBBEAN.

IN THE MIDST OF A BUSY AND DISTINGUISHED CAREER, EUGENIO PIÑEIRO-SOLER ’79 REMAINS A HIGHLANDER AT HEART.

Piñeiro-Soler said that seeing those old friends, along with the great climate and natural wonders of the region, make it hard to leave every time he has to catch a plane back home. For those reasons —and another that will be explained later — Piñeiro-Soler makes the trek back to Southwest Virginia two to three times per year.

HELPING KEEP PUERTO RICO’S FISHING INDUSTRY AFLOAT

In 1979, Piñeiro-Soler graduated from Radford with his bachelor’s degree. Soon after, he earned a Juris Doctor from the Catholic University Law School of Puerto Rico. He then began a long and illustrious career working with the fisheries workforce.

“It was a very natural transition for me,” Piñeiro-Soler explained.

“I grew up in a tuna town in western Puerto Rico where my father, who was an engineer and real estate industrial developer, brought all the tuna plants to the island.”

In the 1950s, poverty was prevalent in the Caribbean, and Puerto Rico was no exception. Piñeiro-Soler said his father was an expert when it came to creating jobs and helping people. By bringing the plants to Puerto Rico, he established a thriving industry, giving many of their friends and neighbors the ability to make a living. By watching the positive evolution of the economy based on his father’s business, Piñeiro-Soler understood how important keeping the industry healthy was to Puerto Rico.

“I had a natural understanding of the international aspects of fisheries and how important it is to protect our U.S. jobs, our natural resources and our role as leaders in the world regarding sustainability, resilience and the economy,” he said.

With this experience, Piñeiro-Soler eventually became the deputy assistant secretary of commerce for oceans

and atmosphere. In this role, he engages in high-level development and negotiation of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) international fisheries policy at bilateral and multilateral meetings with foreign nations. He also participates in various external activities and meetings as the deputy assistant secretary and NOAA administrator deem appropriate.

“I provide general policy guidance on various aspects of NOAA’s international fisheries work, such as sustainable management of fisheries, the protection of marine resources, supporting the export of U.S. fisheries products and combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing,” he said.

In addition, Piñeiro-Soler participates in several scientific studies every year to ensure the health of fisheries in various locations. That is where his next big accomplishment would surface.

DISCOVERY OF “LA GRICELITA”

In 2005, while conducting research and sampling for deep water snappers with Texas A&M for NOAA, Piñeiro-Soler discovered the Odontanthias hensleyi. It was the first documented discovery of a new fish species in the Atlantic Ocean in the 21st century.

“I was in the middle of some rough weather fishing at about 2,000 feet in the Mona Passage,” Piñeiro-Soler said. “For days, something had been chewing on our baits and not getting hooked. Some of the crew said it was a shadow or a ghost fish. But something wasn’t right, so I decided to add a special set of very small hooks to see if we could find out what it was.”

The hunch paid off, and Piñeiro-Soler was stunned to reel in a never-before-seen fish species. He was thrilled, while also feeling a bit sad.

“It was a majestic creature,” he said, “but I have to tell you that I felt sadness deep inside. I knew I had discovered something that had never been seen before right away, but I was sad in my heart for having taken his life.”

At the end of the day, Piñeiro-Soler recalled, it was a scientific project that someday could benefit humanity, so he accepted the capture and the consequences. Piñeiro-Soler said it took six years until the new species was officially certified.

The Odonthanthias hensleyi, a fish species discovered by Piñeiro-Soler in 2005.

“The rest is history,” Piñeiro-Soler said. “It now sits at the Smithsonian literally feet from my D.C. office. At home, we refer to the fish as ‘La Gricelita’ as a term of endearment to my son’s mother. ”

A NEW GENERATION OF HIGHLANDERS

Today, Piñeiro-Soler lives in the mountains of western Puerto Rico with a wonderful view of the Atlantic Ocean and very close to the forest. However, he often makes those trips back to the New River Valley for a very important reason: his son, Noel, has followed in his footsteps as a Highlander. “My son came along with me to Radford to visit some friends while he was in high school,” said Piñeiro-Soler. Noel finished his undergraduate communication degree last spring and has now begun work on a graduate degree in communication at Radford. His mother is Gricel Mamery Muñoz, a television hostess and comedian best known for her appearance on the show “Anda Pa’l Cara” as a color commentator for the Spanish language program from Puerto Rico. Though Piñeiro-Soler and Gricel are now divorced, they remain close and agreed that Radford was a perfect place for their son to get his education.

“We are both very well-known public figures in Puerto Rico,” Piñeiro-Soler said.

“It was in Noel’s best interest to have privacy in his life and grow and develop himself by himself, without cameras following him everywhere. We are grateful for the safe haven Radford provided him.”

Piñeiro-Soler said that when he comes to Radford to visit his son, the reaction is still the same as it was when he was a student many years ago. “Every single time, my heart pounds with the same excitement of my first visit more than 40 years ago,” he said.

He stays involved with Radford University as an executive in residence and serves as a member of the Virginia Tech Fish and Wildlife board.

“I take my positions both at Radford and Virginia Tech very seriously,” Piñeiro-Soler said. “A man’s legacy depends on how successful he is in passing the baton to the next generation. The next generation is not in the future — it is now.”

In early May, Piñeiro-Soler had the chance to make a trip to town for Noel’s undergraduate commencement ceremony, which was delayed from 2020 due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. He said traveling back to Radford was a wonderful experience and that he was as exhilarated for his son’s graduation as if it were his own. His only regret when it comes to visiting his home away from home is having to leave when his stay is over. “I hate it when I leave,” he said. “Whenever I go and I see Tyler Avenue in my rear-view mirror, I feel as if I am leaving behind something I truly love.”

A man’s legacy depends on how successful he is in passing the baton to the next generation. The next generation is not in the future — it is now.

EUGENIO PIÑEIRO-SOLER

Piñeiro-Soler at the graduation of his son, Noel Piñeiro Mamery ‘20 (center), along with Gricel Mamery Muñoz.

BY STEPHANIE D. OVERTON

WITH HER EARLY EXPERIENCE PERFORMING AS A TEENAGER WITH A GROUP OF LOCAL MUSICIANS IN HER APPALACHIAN HOMETOWN AND AN INVITATION PENNED ON A THREE-HOLE PUNCHED SHEET OF NOTEBOOK PAPER FROM A POLITICAL CANDIDATE REQUESTING THAT SHE SING ON HIS CAMPAIGN TOUR, LISA ARUNDALE ’79 EMBARKED ON A REWARDING CAREER AS A SINGER. SHE HAS LIVED A LIFE WELL-TRAVELED, FILLED WITH ADVENTURE, SUCCESS AND LOVE.

“I feel I’ve had many chapters in my life — each with different experiences and highlights,” said Arundale.

She is from Ceres, Virginia, an area hidden deep in the Appalachian Mountains, with sheep, cattle and Easter lilies dotting the hillsides in springtime.

“‘Ceres’ is written on both sides of the signpost at a crossroads where a country store and post office shared the same building,” said Arundale.

She received her first formal training in music at Radford University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in music education with emphasis on voice. She believes Radford can be the place for others from sheltered areas of Virginia too often forgotten.

“Radford is where I was able to ‘stick my toe into the water’ of the huge world that was out there waiting for me to explore when I was ready. It was the place where I learned to navigate through the adversity of being rejected and where I was mentored by a professor with a gentle soul who recognized my naivete and safely guided me through the sometimes harshness of those rejections. It’s where I gained the confidence of my vocal abilities enough that I could go out into the unknown and say ‘yes’ to opportunities that arose.”

Arundale seized every opportunity to perform and share her music.

“I recorded my first record while in college — a campaign song with a victory song on the other side of a 45 rpm. I sold them at rallies to help pay for college expenses. I still have a few copies. While still a student, I also wrote campaign songs for a U.S. congressman and a senator, a Virginia

governor and lieutenant governor candidate, an attorney general and a couple of county officials,” said Arundale.

Because of those opportunities, she was able to travel and meet people from all walks of life, and she especially appreciated those who led very different lives from her own.

“I tried my best to be a sponge and learn everything I could along the way — not just about music, but about social mores and people,” she said.

There was the Arizona chapter of her life, where she worked as a training specialist for America West Airlines. While employed there, she continued to sing and even wrote a few songs for America West that she performed at company events.

“I made my first cassette album while living in Arizona. It contains folk songs that my mother and I had written together. I cherish it to this day,” Arundale shared.

The Washington state chapter is where her career soared. She credits the airline experience for allowing her to hone her skills and gain the confidence to start her own company in Seattle. Arundale contracted with a local county, the National Safety Council and Boeing to teach college-level “train-thetrainer” courses. Using methodologies learned at America West, she taught thousands of trainers and was a preferred instructor for Boeing.

While she was enjoying the success of her business, music was still her heart.

“On weekends and when I wasn’t teaching, I was singing in churches and at retreats and conventions, and I actually toured across the country a couple of times singing in churches,” she said.

LISA ARUNDALE ’79 SHARES THE GIFT OF SONG WITH FUTURE RADFORD VOCAL STUDENTS.

allowed me to have a chapter filled with unconditional love.”

After her husband passed away from cancer, she moved to Naples, Florida, where she was asked to sing with a traditional 17-piece big band, the Stardust Memories Big Band.

“I had never sung jazz before, so this was a challenge, but one I will never regret. It has been such a thrill! I sang with them for six seasons, and I am so very grateful I had the opportunity,” said Arundale.

Singing with the Stardust Memories played a huge role in Arundale’s gift to Radford University. She wanted to learn more about performing as a jazz singer and attended a jazz camp at a college in North Carolina. She was one of the few adult campers but was excited to see many talented high school musicians. It was there that she began thinking how much she wished she would have had that type of opportunity when she was their age. She did research and found there was no camp like that in Southwest Virginia. At that time, she was also evaluating her ability to give back.

“As I was thinking about the jazz camp being held on a college campus with professors who clearly loved kids and were so excited about their creativity, excitement and abilities, I began thinking of Radford. I decided to go to Homecoming and celebrate my 40-year anniversary. While making those plans, I formed an idea for some scholarships. While at the Homecoming, I was so impressed by the school’s growth, its diversity and the sheer energy and passion that I saw from the organizers of the Homecoming events. I knew I had found the place for the legacy plans I wanted to create. I want Radford to be the place that opens the doorway to the world for others like it was for me,” she shared.

Arundale says she has always wanted to provide a “step up” to people from her home community — something that can help them make their dreams come true as she has experienced. With a blended and current planned gift to Radford University, she will establish the Lisa Umburger Arundale Vocal Music Scholarship and create the Lisa and Dwight Arundale Music Institute, a summer vocal institute.

“It’s important to me that people understand my roots and connection to Southwest Virginia. I hope to make sure Radford is the first school anyone thinks of when they think of furthering their education in music in the region. For those who want to explore what opportunities life offers, Radford can be that place. Everyone might not have the ability to finance a summer music institute, but scholarships can begin with a small amount of money.

I hope to make sure Radford is the first school anyone thinks of when they think of furthering their education in music.

LISA ARUNDALE ’79

Above: Woods injects delight regardless of context. Her work, Prison Cell of the Future, conceives uplifting finishes and furnishings as “a cell of rehabilitation and rejuvenation.”

BY MARK LAMBERT, M.S. ’97

DESIGN STUDENT KARIZMA WOODS NAMED TO THE “FUTURE 100” LIST IN METROPOLIS MAGAZINE.

RADFORD UNIVERSITY INTERIOR DESIGN GRADUATE KARIZMA WOODS ’21 WAS NAMED TO THE FUTURE 100 LIST IN METROPOLIS MAGAZINE, A HIGHLY RESPECTED TRADE PUBLICATION FOCUSING ON ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN. A FEATURE ABOUT THE LIST WAS INCLUDED IN THE MARCH 2021 EDITION OF THE MAGAZINE.

Each year, Metropolis Magazine highlights the top 100 graduating students from architecture and design programs in the United States and Canada. Candidates for the list submit work samples to be considered, which are then shared with architecture and design firms to help the students get a foot in the door for employment opportunities.

“Getting this award is a huge opportunity for my future career,” Woods said.

Woods, a Hampton, Virginia, native who graduated in May with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, wasn’t always sure where her educational and career path would lead. She said her father was very artistic, and that trait came naturally for her as well. Together, she said, they often explored different artistic endeavors.

“My father used to take me to see model homes, apartments and townhouses when I was younger,” Woods recalled. “We also used to watch shows and documentaries on how hotels and homes are built and read books on architecture and interior design. So, I grew up with a passion for all things imaginative and design-focused.”

CHOOSING THE HIGHLANDER EXPERIENCE

When it came time for her to choose where she would go to college, Woods knew from her experiences with her father that design was the route she wanted to take, though she wasn’t sure initially if she would pursue interior design or architecture. She explored several design programs, but soon chose Radford University because its program is one of the best in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

It took a little time for her to find her footing, but Woods soon began to stand out among her fellow students in her sophomore year when she chose interior design as her concentration.

“In the beginning, I was not the greatest design student,” Woods remembered. “I struggled a lot with trying to figure out if interior design was right for me. I’ve always loved design, and I am very creative and imaginative, but it was hard for me to execute my thoughts and ideas.”

Interior designers know how to look at a space or blueprint and visualize the completed environment, working with building products, textiles, light, color and other materials to create an aesthetic interior for their clients. In addition, interior designers must understand the structural requirements of their plans, the health and safety issues, building codes and many other technical aspects.

Woods said that interior design professor Joan Dickinson, Ph.D., helped her wade through all of those aspects of interior design and encouraged her to explore her creative side, forming her creative ideas into real-life design solutions that would help people live better lives.

Woods said, “That is when interior design became a source of fun and entertainment for me. From there, I ran with my crazy and fun designs, and now I can share that with other people.”

Woods is amused that, now, professors in her department actually use her name — Karizma — as a verb for the other students as a way of saying “make it bigger” or “make it more innovative.”

“I think the world of Karizma,” Dickinson said. “She is an enthusiastic, full-of-energy, creative, think-outside-ofthe-box, positive designer, which, combined with her work ethic, quickly propelled her to the top of the class. She can generate crazy, outlandish, numerous ideas, but also has the ability to hone them in to meet the design problem. That ability to brainstorm will serve her well in her future career.”

I hope to be an interior designer who gets to travel around the world. After all, there’s a whole planet out there to explore, and I’m just getting started!

Learn more about Radford University’s interior design program by visiting us on the web at www.radford.edu/interior-design.

EXCELLING IN THE RADFORD DESIGN PROGRAM

One of the reasons Woods was able to shine is because the smaller class sizes in the Radford University design program allow more student-focused, individualized instruction. This can help the burgeoning designers find their creative spark and become more imaginative, creative, artistic and resourceful.

“My class size was only about 17 people, and there are only five interior design teachers,” Woods said. “This is awesome because that means my professors can see my growth, and I can build a relationship with them. They know what to expect from me, and I was excited to show them my progression from one year to the next.”

Woods said that Radford interior design faculty members go the extra mile for students by offering guidance and encouragement because they truly want them to succeed.

“They are easy to talk to and are always there for you,” Woods said. “You can see the relationships they build with students, which has always been special to me. They bring the creativity out in you and tell you how to use it for your benefit.”

SUPPORT FROM HER RADFORD FAMILY

Woods also credits her fellow students as an inspiration in her design work, including Ivanna Riggs and Lindsay Venable.

“I met Ivanna during my sophomore year, and we became best friends,” Woods said. “She brought a lot of fun and excitement to my college experience. There were many late nights in the studio working on projects, and she was always there to brighten the mood and just make me laugh. Both she and Lindsay helped make my designs stronger and have been amazing friends and colleagues all around.”

Whatever her future may hold, Woods is ready to dive in and experience her life and career to the fullest.

“I hope to be an interior designer who gets to travel around the world,” Woods said. “After all, there’s a whole planet out there to explore, and I’m just getting started!”

They are easy to talk to and are always there for you. You can see the relationships they build with students, which has always been special to me. They bring the creativity out in you and tell you how to use it for your benefit.

GENERATIONS OF GREAT NURSES BEGIN WITH AN EDUCATION AT RADFORD UNIVERSITY.

runs in the

BY MARK LAMBERT, M.S. ’97

THE RADFORD UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY IS OFTEN DESCRIBED AS A FAMILY, BUT FOR ONE GROUP OF NURSING STUDENTS, THE DESCRIPTION IS LITERAL. SEVEN MEMBERS OF ONE FAMILY HAVE GRADUATED FROM THE RADFORD SCHOOL OF NURSING PROGRAMS OVER THE YEARS AND NOW CARE FOR OUR FAMILIES, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS ACROSS SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND IN NEIGHBORING STATES.

Meghan Young, B.S.N. ’16, RN, summarized that, in addition to herself, these other members of her family have all earned nursing degrees from Radford University: “My aunt Denise [Jackson] Jacobs graduated in 1991 and started out at Delaware County Memorial Hospital in Pennsylvania; my aunt Kristie [Long] Jackson graduated in 1994 with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and in 2006 with her Master of Science in Nursing-Family Nurse Practitioner and started as a nurse at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital in the 9 South medical surgical progressive care unit; my aunt Jennifer [Jackson] Poole graduated in 1996 and started in the medical surgical department at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital. I also have two cousins, Ashley [Jackson] Morris ’15 and Raegan Poole ’20, who started in the emergency department at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital and one cousin, Samantha Poole, who will be graduating in December 2022.”

A FAMILY TRADITION

Denise Jacobs, B.S.N. ’91, RN, the first to go through the Radford nursing program, feels that one of the reasons the family has been so eager to join the program is because of the positive experiences their relatives have gone through.

“I felt my education in the Radford University nursing program was superb and made no secret about it,” Jacobs said. “I always had very positive things to say, and so do the other Radford alumni in my family. When we shared all the great things we got to do and learn with each other, it was a no-brainer for the rest of the family members to enroll.”

Jacobs added that, over the years, each family member could see how successful the professional nurses were in her family and related it directly to the exceptional education they received at Radford.

“We were all well-rounded and very prepared for the reality of the nursing profession,” she said.

Jennifer Poole, M.S.N. ’96, RN, who currently works as a staff nurse at the birthing center at LewisGale Hospital Montgomery, agreed. She said that she often encourages anyone with an interest in nursing to check out the Radford program. Beyond her own time as a nursing student — which she says was wonderful — Poole believes that the program offers students an innovative and unique nursing education that is hard to find anywhere else.

“I strongly believe that the Radford School of Nursing teaches students from day one the importance of self-discipline and self-awareness,” said Poole, “which are integral to being an expert nurse with a holistic approach to patient-centered care.”

Young said that she found the nursing program challenged her mentally and prepared her for the real world, where she has worked in the emergency departments at both Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital and Carilion New River Valley Medical Center.

She said that the clinical simulation center at Radford helps prepare students to perform procedures and improve students’ bedside manner by making them better caregivers.

“Radford has a great hands-on learning experience with the simulation center,” Young said. “You have lots of opportunities to participate in clinical experiences that get you ready for almost anything you will face. Plus, the professors, who have all worked in a variety of healthcare settings, are very supportive and want to help students succeed.”

A WORLD-CLASS PROGRAM IN THEIR OWN BACKYARD

Most of the family hails from the New River Valley and Christiansburg specifically. That was another selling point for each of the family members who attended Radford.

“We all loved that Radford was right in our backyard,” Poole said. “ It’s a university, but at the same time, a tight community of students, faculty and staff on a beautiful campus with an intimate feel.”

Young echoed those sentiments, saying that the Radford experience is different because of the smaller student-toprofessor ratio, which helps everyone bond more closely.

“Radford just feels so much more personal than larger universities,” she said. “While I was in nursing school, I met lifelong friends, and we always were able to relate to each other because of our shared experience as Highlanders.”

The Radford University nursing program, which traces its roots back to 1966, boasts an average enrollment of 600. Approximately 300 of those students are in undergraduate

programs, 280 are in master’s programs and 52 in the doctoral program. By keeping those numbers relatively small, the School of Nursing offers students a more personal experience with a greater chance to participate in learning opportunities. This ensures that graduates are prepared, enlightened, compassionate professionals who will meet the diverse needs of the local and global community.

“The nursing program is definitely intense, but the benefits definitely outweigh the effort,” said Jacobs. “Graduates are very prepared for the boards and the clinical setting when they complete the program.”

In fact, Young experiences the pride of being a Highlander often.

“A part of my job as an emergency room nurse is to help orient new hires,” she said. “One time, I had an orientee from Tennessee ask me where I had gone to nursing school, and when I told her Radford University, she said that she had heard about Radford and that it had an amazing nursing program. I then pointed out all of the other Radford grads in the department, and she said they were all great nurses.”

THE TRADITION CONTINUES

Jacobs said that she has always been proud to be a Highlander, and that pride is just as strong today as it has ever been. Poole agrees.

“Words can’t describe the sense of pride I feel being a Radford alum,” Poole said. “I express it, of course, through wearing trendy Radford attire and encouraging anyone and everyone to go to Radford. It was such a great experience for me that I want to share those opportunities with everyone.”

Poole has definitely shared that love of Radford with her own immediate family. One of her daughters, Raegan, graduated in November 2020, and another, Samantha, just finished her first semester as a nursing student.

Young has long-term plans to continue the family tradition well into the 21st century. Her 11-month-old daughter, Darcy, recently had a college shirt day at her daycare.

“I dressed her in a shirt that read, ‘Radford University School of Nursing, Class of 2041,’” she said. “She might just be the next generation to graduate with a Radford nursing degree in our family!”

I strongly believe that the Radford School of Nursing teaches students from day one the importance of self-discipline and self-awareness.

JENNIFER JACKSON POOLE ’96

miss another minute of soccer during his remaining four years at the University. “Except for that first game, I never had an injury,” he said. “I was healthy the whole time, and I was the team captain for my sophomore, junior and senior years.”

When McCarthy was a high school senior living near Baltimore, Maryland, he wrote down everything he was looking for in a college. He wanted to play sports and earn a valuable degree in business. Research led him and a friend on a road trip to visit Radford University.

“I fell in love with it for obvious reasons,” McCarthy said of Radford. “I met Tom Lillard [1979 graduate and current associate vice president for University Advancement], who was the soccer coach and responsible for bringing me to campus. I met some students, and I knew this was where I wanted to be.”

Over the next four years, McCarthy learned many valuable life lessons at Radford, like time management. “I played almost year-round,” he said, “with just a little time off in the winter.” He played on the soccer and lacrosse teams and played indoor soccer in between. “We were quite successful at indoor soccer,” McCarthy recalled. “I remember winning tournaments at William & Mary, the University of Virginia and George Washington, against some really big Division I schools.”

Working well with people is another skill that sports often teach, McCarthy noted, recalling road trips in which multiple teammates often shared beds in hotel rooms.

“It was four sweaty guys to a room,” he joked. “We doubled down on beds, removing mattresses to have someone sleep on the floor and someone else sleep on the box springs.”

purchased it.

“I’ve learned the business from the ground floor and have helped advance the company to where it is today, and I’m proud of our reputation,” in the Washington, D.C., area, he said. “We have a staff of almost 50 people, a talented group from diverse backgrounds and skill sets, qualities I learned to value at Radford.”

McCarthy’s father worked in sales, and “he always encouraged me to follow that track,” he said. “There was no sales degree at Radford, so I majored in marketing, and it was a really good base for me. I learned marketing, but also accounting and finance, and I earned a great amount of knowledge about the business world.

“I’m grateful for the education I received at Radford,” McCarthy continued. “It was the right spot for me.”

Today, McCarthy relishes the opportunity to stay connected as a donor and volunteer with Radford University — stitching together “time and treasure,” he said — to give back to the University that prepared him to be the person and business owner he is today. McCarthy gives his time to the Radford University Athletic Foundation Board of Directors. “I love to help those student-athletes, like me, who may have been overlooked, but are growing into leadership roles,” the former soccer captain said. He also serves on the Davis and to the Davis College of Business and Economics Advisory Board.

“Radford University is a great destination for my time and money because of what it did for me and the way I’ve seen the University grow and the quality of students it is attracting,” McCarthy explained. “If I can help one student get closer to a business school degree, I feel I’ve helped in a small way.”

WATER-RESISTANT, LOW-MAINTENANCE SYNTHETIC TURF LETS RADFORD’S BASEBALL PLAYERS FOCUS ON THE GAME — AND THEIR STUDIES — INSTEAD OF THE RAIN.

BY CHAD OSBORNE

rain. It wasn’t getting you soaked, but you were just getting drilled with little raindrops all during the game.”

THROUGHOUT THE CHILLY AFTERNOON.

Ordinarily, weather like this would spell doom for a college baseball game. Wet, slippery grass and dirt could force a chaotic, lengthy delay, or perhaps a postponement and burdensome rescheduling. It could mean hours of playing two games on a Sunday and delaying a studentathlete’s work on a pressing project due Monday morning. It could mean no game at all after everyone had gathered and prepared to play.

Time waiting out pesky rain delays often means myriad minutes, or often hours, wasted. It’s time student-athletes could dedicate to their studies. Time coaches could use more wisely to work with their players, tinker on paper with lineups and pitching rotations or plan for the busy schedule ahead.

This afternoon, March 23, at Williams Field at Sherman Carter Memorial Stadium, however, is different than all others before it. “There have been about six games already this season, including this one, that would not have been played on this field last year because of bad weather,” Radford University Head Baseball Coach Karl Kuhn said in late March.

But on this drizzly, 50-degree day in Radford, Highlander Connor Bagnieski ’21 poked two hits against the visiting opposition.

“It misted the entire game,” junior Derek Domecq said with a chuckle, recalling the contest. “It was one of those painfully annoying things where there was a constant light

The game persisted for three hours and 38 minutes, with Hunter Williams ’21 and Ty Burton pitching superbly. The Highlanders won 11-3 as rain settled and dried unobtrusively in the synthetic grass beneath their feet.

“We didn’t have to stop the game one time,” Kuhn recalled days later. “This new turf is great!”

Before the 2021 Highlanders baseball season commenced, the Radford University Athletics Department installed a FieldTurf synthetic surface at Williams Field at Sherman Carter Memorial Stadium to replace the natural Tuckahoe bluegrass and dirt surface that had been in place since the ballpark opened in 2011.

The project broke ground in November 2020 and was privately funded through an anonymous donor, “someone who has a soft spot in their heart for our baseball program,” Kuhn said.

The smooth synthetic surface is a breathtaking sight upon walking toward stadium seating. It features strips of alternate green shading that looks much like real grass and runs through the infield from home plate to second base. Similar, but wider, strips line the outfield. Residing in center field is a grand display of the Radford University athletics shield logo, which looks as if it had been mowed into natural grass.

The batter’s circle around home plate, and the areas around each base, are Radford red. “Our colors,” Kuhn said. Red, blue and white athletics logos fill the on-deck circles, and the name “HIGHLANDERS” is spelled out in a downward arching fashion, like a warm, welcoming smile, in all capital letters, just a few feet behind home plate.

far corners of left and right fields.

“Saving time on field maintenance increases the amount of time our student-athletes can work on their baseball development,” said Kuhn, now in his second season as the Highlanders head coach. “They don’t have to do the things players at other schools have to do. There’s no raking or chalking or dealing with the tarp”— no tarp is needed on the synthetic field — “they get to come out and play.”

Field prep for players is normal, as Kuhn stated, for most collegiate programs. “It’s just part of baseball,” Domecq added. “But it did take up a lot of unnecessary time.”

Less time spent on field maintenance, plus the durability of the surface, means more baseball not only for the Highlanders, but also for youth and travel teams who come to the University during the summer and fall for tournaments and camps.

“Many baseball programs across the country host youth and travel-team tournaments all summer long. We can do that more now with this field turf,” Kuhn explained. “It allows us to have an unbelievable opportunity to have more quality youth baseball players — on our field and in front of our coaches —

been possible without the generosity of our donors,” the athletics director explained. “The new turf field is the latest philanthropic gift from a donor who cares deeply about Radford baseball and Radford University. This type of commitment truly makes a difference in the lives of our student-athletes and coaches, and we are all so very appreciative.”

Whether they are playing games in the sunshine or rain, or taking batting practice inside the Sioros Center indoor hitting, pitching and video facility on a cold, early spring day, the players realize and appreciate the commitment that is being made to the baseball program. The kindness and generosity are not lost on them.

“It shows that they care about us,” Domecq said. “We’re putting in the effort — blood, sweat and tears — and we’re getting rewarded along the way with great things like the new turf field and the indoor batting facility they built a few years ago. They’re always improving the facilities, and we’re grateful for it.”

With support from all around — the University, coaches and donors — the future of baseball at Radford University continues to shine brightly.

STAR SPORTS JOURNALIST MARTY SMITH ’98 CREDITS RADFORD ROOTS FOR HIS SUCCESS.

BY CHRISTINA EDNEY

IF YOU ASK MARTY SMITH ’98 WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN HE HEARS “RADFORD UNIVERSITY,” HE DOESN’T HESITATE.

“I had some of the best times of my life here. I made some of the best friends in my life here. I met the love of my life here,” he says.

With a humble upbringing in Giles County, Virginia, Smith trusted nearby Radford University to equip him with the education needed to reach his dreams. His postgraduate professional success confirms his time as a Highlander did just that; he now works for ESPN as a sports journalist, telling stories of some of the biggest names in athletics. A quick Google search shows him side by side with the likes of PGA legend Tiger Woods, University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban and former NFL standout Tim Tebow. Smith’s experience reporting on professional sports is vetted and extensive.

“From a very young age, I’ve been captivated by winning and losing and everything that comes with that,” Smith said. “I say to my kids all the time, ‘you’re going to lose a lot more in this life than you win.’ Being able to process that and use it as fuel. It’s such an important part of your path and your journey.”

While Smith’s love for sports began at a young age, he explains how his time at Radford University made his current career possible.

“I was afforded opportunities at Radford that I don’t know I would have gotten anywhere else,” Smith said. “I was given a lot of responsibility, and it’s benefited me my entire career and my entire life. It really prepared me for what was to come.”

Smith is continuing to reap the benefits of his hard work and Radford University education, even today. In May 2021, ESPN extended his contract with the company in a multi-year agreement. ESPN Senior Vice President of Production Lee Fitting calls Smith a “fantastic teammate” with the “ability to build relationships and get to the heart of the story.”

Smith has returned to his alma mater several times throughout the years, most recently to join in the virtual experience for the Together campaign. In his most recent visit, Smith shared with campaign organizers why Radford remains an influential part of his journey.

These days, Smith walks through campus in his signature look: a designer suit paired with an unlikely, but appropriate, choice of witty socks and tennis shoes. There is no mistaking his tailored threads, his heavy accent or his allegiance to Radford University and Southwest Virginia. Through a repertoire of stories ranging from NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. to country music star Eric Church, Smith still holds many of his favorite memories right here in Radford.

“I love this place,” Smith said. “I am passionate about the New River Valley, I’m very passionate about Appalachia, and I’m very passionate about Radford University. Each of those things shaped who I am. I’ve been blessed to go around the world. I’ve been to countries I can’t even pronounce, but I’m forever rooted right here. It’s who I am and who I’m going to be.”

I’m proud to be a Highlander. It’s shaped me in countless positive ways. Becoming a Highlander was the first catalyst in finding out exactly who I am as a person.

BRANDON JACKSON ’10 APPEARS STUMPED WHEN ASKED WHY HE IS PROUD TO BE A HIGHLANDER.

Stumped not for lack of reasons, “but because there are so many,” he said, pondering answers to the overwhelming question.

As he gathers his thoughts, he leans back into his chair, runs his fingers across his beard and flashes a warm, bright smile that forever sears itself on your temporal lobe. Then, he spouts a flood of reasons he is proud to be a Highlander. Grab a snack; this could take a while.

Let’s begin with an email.

When Jackson was a freshman, he received a message asking for applicants to work as a student assistant to the coaches of the Radford men’s basketball team. As a three-sport athlete back at Amherst County High School, he was thrilled for the opportunity.

“I thought, this is so cool,” he recalled. “I’ve always been a sports guy, and I wanted to be involved in sports when I got to college.”

He thought the job might be temporary, perhaps just for the upcoming season. But, it turned into a four-year experience that taught Jackson a lifetime’s worth of valuable lessons that have served him well throughout his life and career.

Jackson and a handful of other student assistants worked almost daily with the men’s basketball coaches, doing everything from managing film exchanges with upcoming opponents to creating scouting reports, managing travel for away games and inventory management. “We got sponsored by Nike while I was there,” he said, beaming with pride to have been part of the Swoosh movement.

One of the highlights of his Radford journey was assisting the Radford teams that played against well-known basketball schools such as Georgetown, Kansas, Duke and the University of North Carolina, culminating in the Highlanders’ run to the 2009 Big South Conference championship.

Jackson also worked with some of the team’s camps. “So, I learned about operations and administration,” he recalled, and

AS A STUDENT SPORTS ASSISTANT AND NOW AS A HIGHLANDER BRANDON JACKSON ’10 KNOWS HOW TO CULTIVATE CHAMPIONS.

BY CHAD OSBORNE

he balanced it all with his public relations major and sports administration minor.

“The job taught me a lot,” said Jackson, who, through diligence and hard work, became the lead student assistant for his sophomore, junior and senior years. “That education is one reason I’m proud to be a Radford University graduate.”

Just when you think you have a grasp on how important the assistant position was to Jackson, he tells more stories. There was the time, after a big road win and no chance of getting schoolwork done amid the celebrations on the bus ride back to campus, he pulled an all-nighter on a Sunday night into Monday morning to write a six-page paper. “That taught me about time management and responsibility,” he said.

There are the stories about suiting up for practice as a member of the scout team — “even though I’m not the tallest by any means,” he says through his infectious laugh. Those tense practices taught him to be prepared for anything, any time, no matter the situation.

But perhaps the stories that paint the most vivid images of Jackson’s character are the ones he shares about working with the players, helping them through everyday life — “like trips to the local Walmart,” he says — and helping them, too, balance basketball and academics. In the locker room before games and

You see those guys playing out on the court, and they always seem so cool, calm and collected, but you don’t see behind the scenes — they can be really hard on themselves because they are competitors — and often it was my job, as part of the coaching staff, to keep them levelheaded.

on the bench during, Jackson served as a calming presence to players who were feeling the intensity of the moment when so much was riding on their performances and so much was at stake for the Highlanders.

Listening to Jackson’s voice, you can hear how his presence may have resulted in a few extra points and a few extra wins for the Highlanders. You may feel you, too, could hit a buzzer-beater with a tenth of a second on the clock as fans scream inside a packed arena.

But, you also recognize Jackson’s role was not an easy one. He worked with players who came to Radford from all over the world, with various backgrounds, speaking various languages. “I knew I had to work through various barriers and remind them that they have prepared their whole lives for these moments, we have prepared them, and they are going to be OK.”

That seems like a tall task for a student, mentoring fellow students who were about his age. Being an athlete himself helped, but what was it about Jackson that made studentathletes listen to him?

“I had to put myself in their shoes, and I was able to be a friend and connect on that level,” he said. “I’m still able to do those things I learned at Radford, and it has helped me in my career, and it still pushes relationships forward even to this day.”

Jackson has taken with him those lessons he learned on the basketball court and in the classroom at Radford

as he continues to blaze a successful career for himself in the business world. Take a look at his LinkedIn page, and you can see proof that he is what others say he is: “an exceptional business professional in human relations, process improvement and project management.”

“I owe a lot of that to Radford, the great professors there and my job with the basketball team,” he said with a smile and a reflective stroke of his beard. “It taught me a lot about business and leadership, budgeting, logistics and time management.”

Jackson speaks about his alma mater with enormous pride, which is matched equally by his unwavering desire to give back to the University.

“I give back with my time, and I always enjoy speaking to students, the next generation of alumni,” says the Alumni Association Board of Directors member. “And, anytime I can give financially to support the University, I definitely do so.”

Jackson often encourages others to do the same. “There were people who came before us who gave and helped our experience,” he said. “I feel like it is important to pay it forward — I was raised on that — and just understand you are making a difference in somebody’s life every day.

“I know a lot of people do give back with their time and treasure, and it makes me proud,” he said. “I am proud to be a Highlander.”

STUDENT-ATHLETE BELLA SIGNORELLO FOLLOWS IN HER FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS AS A RADFORD LACROSSE PLAYER.

BY NANCY S. MOSELEY ‘97

However, when an issue of The Magazine of Radford University landed in the Signorello home, there was an article announcing that the first season for a new Division I women’s lacrosse team was slated for Spring 2016. It was kismet.

After attending lacrosse camp at Radford every summer in high school, Signorello officially committed to the team as a freshman for Fall 2019.

“Bella was so clear about her purpose for wanting to play at Radford,” coach Haley Hardy said. “Carrying on her father’s legacy at Radford University was her main goal, while being recruited.”

As was the influence to play lacrosse.

John Signorello received a full scholarship to play lacrosse at Radford. An astute businessman and musician, he also coached the lacrosse team at Tuscarora High School in Leesburg, Virginia, where Bella attended school and was a member of the varsity squad since her freshman year. All three of her younger siblings also play lacrosse.

“I started sports really early. I did a little bit of gymnastics and a little bit of soccer. I started lacrosse in fourth grade. I just ended up liking it the most out of everything else. It connected me and my dad. And, now it’s connecting our whole family,” Signorello said.

Throughout most of Bella’s childhood, Radford didn’t have a women’s lacrosse program, so while she was settled in her desire to attend the University, an opportunity to play collegiate lacrosse remained uncertain.

Signorello plays in the low attack position and wears the No. 1 jersey, just as her father did.

“I did a little digging to find out what number he wore in college. When I discovered that it was No. 1 and that number would be available for Bella for her freshman year, it really felt meant to be,” Coach Hardy states.

Signorello, a recipient of the Wyatt Family Athletic Scholarship, is pursuing a degree in middle school education. She plans to take advantage of Radford’s five-year track to earn a master’s degree. After graduation, she will likely move back to Northern Virginia to pursue teaching opportunities.

On the balance of being both a student and an athlete, Signorello understands that, in order to play lacrosse, the good grades need to come first.

“It’s easier to be a student-athlete for me,” she said. “Having a heavier schedule makes me work harder and more efficiently

EVER SINCE BELLA SIGNORELLO WAS IN THIRD GRADE, HER SIGHTS WERE SET ON ATTENDING RADFORD UNIVERSITY. HER MOM, CAROLYN ’89, AND LATE FATHER, JOHN ’89, MET AS STUDENTS AT RADFORD IN THE ’80S, SO THE INFLUENCE WAS STRONG.

and get used to multitasking. I let sports and school motivate each other.”

During her first season on the lacrosse team, Bella was named Big South Conference Freshman of the Week. She found out during a spring break trip with the team to New York City.

“It was such a fun moment that I remember. My whole team was cheering, and they played music and made me come up to the front of the bus with a microphone and give a speech,” Signorello laughs.

Signorello lives on campus with two roommates who are also on the team. They like to indulge in “self-care” days with face masks, nail painting and baking brownies.

The importance of teammates also being friends is something she relishes and reveres.

“I think team camaraderie is very important to me because it makes the connection on the field even stronger,” she said. “My

team to me is like 30 automatic best friends or built-in athletic sisters. They make playing the sport I love 10 times better.”

On game day, the team energizes the locker room by turning off the lights and dancing to loud music to loosen up before becoming hyper-focused on the game. Signorello family members often make the trek to Southwest Virginia to watch Bella play.

“Bella is one of the kindest and most inclusive women that I have coached,” Hardy said. “She wants everyone to feel welcomed in our program and is a friend to everyone. Her pride in being a Highlander is unmatched.”

Signorello’s music preference is pop, rap or hip-hop. “A lot of the team listens to country music, but I’m not the biggest country fan,” she laughs.

I think team camaraderie is very important to me because it makes the connection on the field even stronger.

BELLA SIGNORELLO

Signorello (left) with her teammate, Libby Rehkemper.

NEW GRADUATE GREETS THE FUTURE

an attitude of gratitude

By Mary Hardbarger

2020. 2021. 2022?

These years will go down, like many before them, in infamy.

The COVID-19 global health pandemic temporarily stopped us in our tracks, as humans and as a higher education institution. Thinking back on these past 12-plus months, it’s easy to recall the setbacks — the isolation, the lack of socialization, the uncertainty and the unrest.

Focusing on the positive outcomes is, obviously, more challenging. But that’s exactly what Radford University alumna Chananjah Duncan ’21 did, and continues to do, to keep charging forward. Talk about someone responsive, resilient and real: Duncan is the epitome of these words that Radford University has woven into its branding to recognize and embolden its hardworking, well-rounded student body. Beyond these traits, Duncan is also something else.

She is grateful.

She is grateful for her health. She is grateful for the mentorship she received as an undergraduate student. She is grateful for the long walks she enjoyed on campus this spring as the trees blossomed. She is grateful for the circle of friends she turned to during the pandemic for strength and stability.

More recently, she is grateful for all those who organized the in-person commencement ceremonies this April and May so she could join her peers in celebrating their much-deserved degrees.

She even expressed gratitude for the person who recommended her for this edition of The Magazine of Radford University and for the very person who wrote this story.

Responsive

Duncan, of Chesapeake, Virginia, knew early on that she would pursue higher education. Between her high school teachers and her mother, who earned a master’s degree, she had plenty of encouragement.

“My mom, she stressed the importance of going to college and what that can afford you in life,” she explained.

Duncan did her research and was impressed with Radford University’s small size, its outstanding academic programs — notably nursing — and its impressive undergraduate research opportunities, such as the Radford Amazonian Research Expedition (RARE).

Orientation, she said, solidified her decision.

“I felt comfortable and confident saying, ‘Mom and Dad, this is where I want to go. I feel like this is my home away from home,’” she said.

Duncan entered Radford University as a pre-nursing student but soon realized that wasn’t the right path for her. Discouraged but not defeated, “I decided to take a leap of faith,” she said.

“I thought, ‘I’ve come this far, and I’m not going to go home. I’m going to leave with a degree that I’m going to use and that I’m passionate about,’” she recalled.

Recognizing her passion for science, she switched her degree to biology. This spring, she earned that degree, “one that I completed with all of my heart,” she said.

Resilient

During her four years at Radford University, Duncan not only juggled a full course load of intense math and science studies, she also worked full-time to supplement her tuition and other expenses.

Her sophomore through senior years, she was a student worker in the Dean of Students Office.

“The experience was phenomenal,” she said. “Having that exposure to the real-world workforce and witnessing what faculty and staff do in a higher education environment was very valuable. It was empowering.”

It was also challenging at times, Duncan admitted.

“I had to learn a lot, especially how to prioritize going to class and studying with my busy work schedule,” she said.

Duncan worked through these struggles with a strong support system of faculty and staff. In particular, Director of Recreation and Wellness D.J. Preston and Director of Housing and Residential Life Anthony White were very influential in her personal growth. She got to know White when she served as a resident advisor (RA). She visited Preston during her regular visits to the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, where she enjoyed lifting weights.

“I love the realness that we have,” she said. “They encouraged me. They taught me common courtesy and respect. They taught me how to speak up for myself.”

Duncan, they agreed, had an impact on them as well.

Real

Focusing on the future, Duncan said she is uncertain what life has in store for her. She has applied for research analytical positions — inspired by her biology degree — as well as consulting positions based on the experience and skills she gained within the Dean of Students Office.

She is practicing patience, and as always, remains optimistic.

“If I don’t hear back about a job, it’ll be OK. Life goes on,” she said. “I’m not afraid of failure. If something doesn’t work out, try it again. Try it different.”

With her positive attitude always on display, it’s no surprise that people gravitate toward Duncan. Her gratitude is magnetic, as is her empathy for others.

“I believe in elevating others along the way,” she said.

She does that, she said, by simply listening.

“I believe that everybody wants to be listened to. Everybody wants to be heard,” she said. “It fills my cup to know that I’ve touched so many people’s lives while here. I want to keep doing that.”

There is no doubt you will, Chananjah.

To read other stories of Highlanders sharing what it means to be responsive, resilient and real, please visit www.radford.edu/3R

Radford University has been good to me,” Duncan said. “So, yes, I’m very grateful.

RADFORD PROFESSORS’ PROJECT NURTURES KIDS’ INTEREST IN NATURE.

By Mary Hardbarger

TO A GROUP OF YOUNG GARDENERS, THE WORD “WEEDS” NEVER SOUNDED SO EXCITING.

Eager arms flew up one afternoon this spring as a guest of Belle Heth Elementary School’s Garden Club questioned students about the pesky plants.

“They grow all over the place,” a student answered.

“You have to dig them up,” another said.

Since Fall 2020, about 30 third- through sixth-graders in the Radford City Public School System (RCPS) have been growing green thumbs. Other classmates are enjoying the outdoors just as much through a Walking Club and a Biking Club.

Their enthusiasm for Mother Nature is just one of many exciting outcomes of Project GROW, a program that is very close to the hearts of two Radford University professors.

Professor of Psychology Sarah Hastings, Ph.D., and Professor of Counselor Education Nadine Hartig, Ph.D., first met 15 years ago during Radford University’s

“I truly feel such a sense of appreciation to the school system for giving my kids such a positive experience,” Hastings said. “Both of them, I feel, have been so nurtured.”

Their gratitude grew this past year as they watched their community continue to work through the challenges presented by the COVID-19 global health pandemic.

“I can’t imagine going through this in another place,” Hartig said.

Housed in different colleges — Hastings in the College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences and Hartig in the College of Education and Human Development — the pair share a deep passion for using their skill sets to help others.

In Fall 2019, an opportunity arose that would allow them to give back as both mothers and educators to the school system and the community that has helped them and their families thrive.

The professors applied for a three-year grant through The Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth to support Project GROW, a program designed to build a sustainable culture of health in the Radford community. They were awarded the grant in late Spring 2020, and the program officially launched later that fall.

The $90,000 grant is funding supplies, guest speakers and other resources to

their students’ interest in the very handson subject.

“They are blossoming right in front of us,” Zienius said.

This spring, the students have painted planters filled with peppers, cilantro and onions — a perfect combination for homemade salsa. They have also weeded the school’s reading garden and cleared space in a courtyard for an additional garden, one Zienius and Schwenk say the students are especially excited about.

“They are really invested in this project,” Zienius said. “I tell the students, even when they move on to middle school and high school, they will always be able to say they took part in the Belle Heth garden.”

Along the way, students have also learned valuable interpersonal skills, like teamwork and collaboration.

“They’re sharing tools instead of toys,” she said.

Students in the Walking and Biking clubs have also been active this spring. Several students enjoyed a family bike trip

other RCPS schools to conduct research and perform program evaluations.

“My counseling students need direct hours with people,” Hartig added. “Project GROW is a great opportunity for our students to develop skill sets that will help them move forward in their lives in terms of employable skills. And, it’s just a great opportunity for them to learn how mental and physical health contribute to each other.”

Beyond the involvement of the counselor education and psychology departments, the professors envision future collaboration with Radford University’s health and human performance and art departments, because “health encompasses so many areas,” they said.

“This grant has it all, and we are so excited to see how it will help our community for generations to come,” Hartig said. “Growing healthy children leads to healthy schools and communities, which is our ultimate goal.”

Healthy kids lead to healthy adults. Healthy families lead to healthy kids, which lead to healthy communities.

Congratulations to the new alumni of the classes of 2020 and 2021! We were excited to celebrate you this spring with 17 inperson ceremonies across the main campus and RUC. Check out the Commencement recap video at www.radford.edu/commencements. Follow the Radford Alumni on Facebook to see others’ photos!

1980s

The Reece Museum at East Tennessee State University hosted two exhibits from February to March 2021

celebrating the career and influence of longtime art professor M. Wayne Dyer, M.F.A. ’83. “Field of Life: Monument Structures” explored Dyer’s artistic career, and “Depth of Fields” featured artwork by his former students.

David J. Cox ’83 has been promoted to president of Henkels & McCoy Inc. Cox has been with the company since 1999.

Bob Gordon ’87 is the new chief human resources officer at Mount Rogers Community Services Board in Wytheville, Virginia. Previously, he served as the director of human resources for more than five years.

Lynn Durham ’89, a three-time cancer survivor, is the new president and CEO of the Georgia Center for Oncology Research and Education. This is a state-supported nonprofit that pursues innovation and partnerships to improve cancer care and outcomes in the state of Georgia.

1990s

Sonja Twiford ’90 joined the Amazon Web Services (AWS) team as a strategic partner executive.

September 30 –October 2, 2021

Deloreans concert, VIP tent, Alumni Awards, Golden Reunion, affinity reunions, Women of Radford, Highlander Athletics, college programming and much more.

Reconnect with your #HighlanderFamily!

QUESTIONS?

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

Rich Irons ’92 is the new vice president of business banking at Burke & Herbert Bank in Northern Virginia.

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation elected Brian Robinson ’93 to the Board of Trustees in February 2021. Robinson also serves as the head of prime brokerage sales Americas at Goldman Sachs and is the sponsor of the Black Analyst and Associate program.

Jennifer Nereau ’93 was promoted from vice president of client services to senior vice president of strategic partner solutions at Jopari Solutions Inc. in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Stuart Harlow ’95 is the new chief financial officer at Qlarant in Easton, Maryland. Prior to joining Qlarant, Harlow served as the senior director of finance for BAE Systems, Ship Repair Business.

Tim Kehoe ’95 coauthored the article “Ending the Cycle of Response, Report, Repeat” recently published in Police Chief magazine. In April 2021, Kehoe was also promoted to captain in the Chesterfield County Police Department, where he has served for the past 25 years.

Herb Cole ’99 was promoted to Global Salesforce Success Team senior manager at PwC in Tampa, Florida.

Elementary school teacher Sherry Barnard ’99, M.S. ’04, was named 2019-20 Teacher of the Year for Carroll County Public Schools.

2000s

The president of government services provider FSA Federal, George B. Mendiola, Jr. ’00, was selected by Virginia Business magazine for its Virginia 500 list of the most powerful executives in the state. Mendiola is listed in the federal contractor category.

James Bielo ’01, Ph.D., who has been teaching in the Department of Anthropology at Miami University since 2008, was promoted to associate professor in 2020. Bielo designs courses in cultural and linguistic anthropology, with a focus on ethnographic research, cultural diversity, religion and tourism. He is also the author of five books, with the most recent, “Materializing the Bible,” to be published in September 2021.

Kevin Camm ’01 started a new position at the county extension director (UF/ IFAS Extension Orange County) at the University of Florida.

Eileen Williams ’02 started a new position as the regional business development manager at Smile Source, a network of dental care providers.

Kristi James, M.S. ’03, Ed.D., is the new director of professional learning at N2Y in Huron, Ohio.

To submit a class note, please visit www.radford. edu/alumniupdate or call 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.

Jenny Maugeri ’05 was promoted from chief financial officer to executive director of Atlantic Shores Retirement Community in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Maugeri has served the Atlantic Shores team since 2008.

Stephanie Cifuentes ’05, M.S. ’06, started a new role at Nestle as senior specialist, marketing base business. Cifuentes has been with Nestle since 2018.

Tim A. Pruitt ’06 transitioned from postdoctoral researcher and research assistant (auditory perception and action laboratory) to clinical assistant professor at University at Buffalo, SUNY.

Lauren Lewis ’06 started a new position as a dog trainer at Coastal Critters in Parksley, Virginia.

Apryl Alexander, Psy.D., M.S. ’07, was promoted from clinical assistant professor to associate professor in the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of Denver.

David R. Jones ’07 started a new role as quality insurance manager at Ntara in Johnson City, Tennessee.

Jana Garman, M.A. ’08, M.A. ’11, was promoted to EEO Compliance Manager – Associate Principal Consultant at DCI Consulting Group, Inc. Garman has been with the company for 10 years.

2010s

Kristin Clark ’10 married Jeremy Kenley on July 10, 2020 in an intimate outdoor ceremony overlooking Claytor Lake in Dublin, Virginia. The wedding was followed by a reception at sunset.

Katie Stone ’10, an elementary special education teacher, was named Teacher of the Year at Margaret Beeks Elementary School.

Meghan Higgins ’10 was promoted from account management lead to account executive at Snap Inc. in New York,

New York.

Jenny Maugeri

Kristin Clark ’10 married Jeremy Kenley on July 10, 2020 in an intimate outdoor ceremony overlooking Claytor Lake in Dublin, Virginia. The wedding was followed by a reception at sunset.

Sara Flickinger ’14 married James Chilton ’14 on August 15, 2020 in Meadowview, Virginia. Sara and James are pictured with all Radford University alumni who attended the wedding. Sassy Sparrow Photography

Amanda VanLaeken, M.S. ’11 promoted from project manager to senior project manager at PPD, a contract research organization providing drug development, laboratory and lifecycle management services.

Shaun C. Whiteside, M.F.A. ’11 awarded second place at Riverviews Artspace’s 12th Annual Juried Art Show opening reception on November 6, 2020. Whiteside is an adjunct assistant professor of art appreciation at Radford University.

Jay Brach ’12 announced the birth of their son, Mason Ryker, on May 10, 2020.

Robert Nissel ’13 coach of boy’s junior varsity ice hockey at St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is also the owner and director of Cerebral Hockey LLC where he focuses on private, group and team hockey instruction.

James Jordan ’13 position as the senior manager of partnership sales for the Los Angeles Rams, the oldest franchise in the National Football League.

Sara Flickinger ’14 Chilton ’14 Meadowview, Virginia.

Danielle Carr ’15 as a family services specialist at the Roanoke County Department of Social Services.

Good news! You can support Radford University today while preserving your assets for retirement and providing for your family.

Gifts You Can Give Now:

• Gifts from a Will or Trust

• Beneficiary Designations

• Life Insurance

• Real Property

• Tangible Personal Property

• Life Estate

• Appreciated Securities

• Business Interests, Closely Held Stock and Partnerships

Contact the Office of University Advancement to learn more about Planned Giving at Radford University and how you can make a difference now: Tom Lillard ’79, 540- 831-6172 or visit https://radford.giftlegacy.com

Lynn Durham ’89 has been named president and CEO of Georgia Center for Oncology Research and Education (Georgia CORE). Before taking on her current role, Durham spent 25 years in university administration and management, most recently as vice president for institute relations at Georgia Institute of Technology. For Georgia CORE, Durham supports the organization’s efforts to improve access to clinical trials and cancer care while conducting legislative outreach on behalf of the organization. A resident of Atlanta, Georgia, she is the mother of a grown son and daughter (twins) who join her in her love of sports and rooting for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

Aisha Foy ’16 authored “Success is My Major,” a book to help college students find success. Foy currently serves as the director of recruiting for women’s basketball at the University of Kentucky.

Tiffany Couch ’17 is the new deputy court clerk supervisor in the Montgomery County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office.

In his fourth year as an educator, Ryan Wade ’17 was named Teacher of the Year at Blacksburg Middle School. Wade currently teaches eighth grade civics. Samantha Cozzolino ’18 started a new position at George Mason University as a success coach.

Nicole Maalouf, M.S. ’19, began work at UNC REX Healthcare as a physician assistant on the REX Vascular Specialists team in Raleigh, North Carolina. Prior to this, Maalouf served as a physician assistant in the Department of Cardiac

Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.

2020s

Austin Whitney ’20 joined Carahsoft in Reston, Virginia, as a bid specialist.

Aaron Osborne ’20 is the new assistant director and finance manager at the Roanoke Valley SPCA. Osborne is also pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree at Radford University.

Aisha Foy

GRIT, GRIND AND GOLDMAN SACHS

in certificates of deposit from the time he earned his first paycheck as an investment into a brighter future. “I knew I always wanted to be in business,” Robinson said. His early aspiration was to be a broker in Washington, D.C.

The money Robinson earned from working also helped him pay for college. He discovered Radford University while touring Virginia for an affordable, instate school where he could flourish and earn a degree in finance. “The energy and vibe on campus drew me to Radford,” he recalled.

“It was a wonderful event, and they are rock stars in the art world,” Robinson said of the gathering, “and I was in their company 12 hours ago.”

By Chad Osborne

Brian Robinson ‘93 stood beneath the glow of New York City lights on a breezy night in early May, celebrating the unveiling of Oracle, his friend’s 25-foot-tall bronze sculpture that now boldly welcomes visitors to Rockefeller Center’s Fifth Avenue entrance.

His friend is world-renowned artist Sanford Biggers. He had invited Robinson to join him at the unveiling, along with a few other artists and friends, Rashid Johnson and Julie Mehretu, to name a couple. The unveiling was a monumental occasion that garnered attention from all around the world. The “Today” show was there to cover it, and so was The New York Times.

Robinson isn’t boasting, but simply reflecting on the moment and others that have dotted his journey from flipping burgers and mopping floors at a Northern Virginia Burger King to where he is now, working in his fourth-floor office at 200 West St. in Manhattan as a newly minted partner at Goldman Sachs. And most recently, he was selected for a seat on the Board of Trustees of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.

Robinson has always been a worker, and he’s earned his success the oldfashioned way, some might say: he’s earned it. Robinson has a “grit and grind” attitude that he learned from his father, a pipefitter his entire working life, and his mother, who worked and raised three boys, Robinson being the youngest.

“My father was blue-collar and was all about exceeding expectations,” Robinson said. “So, the bar was always set pretty high by him.”

Robinson went to work as a teenager, securing a worker’s permit at age 16. He was smart with his money from the beginning; he began investing

As a student, Robinson served two years as Student Government Association treasurer, worked in the University’s finance office and sang in a gospel choir. Close friendships, too, played a substantial role, he said, reminiscing about time spent with Dante Washington ’92, Sean Peay ’91 and Stephen Barber ’92, who were athletes and Robinson’s Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity brothers. “Those relationships were so pivotal in leading me to where I am today,” he said. “We still remain very close.”

Those close relationships throughout Robinson’s Radford journey “taught me,” he said, “to experience and learn and explore for myself.”

That self-exploration manifested when Robinson worked a summer internship back home in McLean, Virginia, after his junior year at Radford. “When I looked around the conference room table there and identified each person’s role,” he recalled, “I asked myself, ‘why can’t I do at age 20 what they are doing at 40?’”

That question inspired Robinson further. “If I get equipped enough,” through education and experience, he thought then, “why can’t I be on the same stage with those people?”

During his senior year at Radford, Robinson attended a job fair and met

Brian Robinson ’93 took his work ethic, business savvy and Radford degree to the top of the financial world.

representatives from Merrill Lynch “and other firms,” he said. “They had a glossy brochure of the World Trade Center, and I knew from that day I wanted to work in New York City.

“I knew I had to come to the Street.”

Wall Street, that is. “They make movies about this place, and I knew I had to be successful here.”

To get there, Robinson employed his global network of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity brothers to help him organize meetings with firms in New York. He bought a round-trip bus ticket from Radford to Wall Street and performed so well in an interview with Smith Barney, now Citi, that he received a job offer, and they paid for him to fly back to Virginia, refusing to let their new prized employee ride 14 hours on a slow, cramped bus.

The new job positioned Robinson on Wall Street, right where he aimed to be, working at the financial industry’s grandest theatre.

“I want to do things at the highest level,” Robinson reiterates, “and Radford prepared me to perform on the world’s most challenging stage, to survive and thrive in New York City. Radford is a great and amazing school, and it really prepares you.”

Robinson spent 13 years with his first firm, working seven of those in New York before moving into elevated roles with the company in London. In 2006, he transitioned to Renaissance Capital, where he joined as a partner, and in 2010 he joined Goldman Sachs in its London office. His success placed him on the Powerlist Top 100 of influential Black Britons in 2019, and living and working in London presented Robinson with an opportunity to serve on the board of the Make-A-Wish Foundation in the United Kingdom, an experience that would position him well for his future role at the Guggenheim.

While in London, Robinson, whose value for education had intensified at Radford, enrolled in courses in the corporate finance evening program

at the prestigious London Business School, one of the top business schools in the world. “I wanted to invest in my career, to sharpen my skills,” he said, “to continue to grind it out.”

After 19 years in London, Robinson moved back to New York in January 2019 and into a new role with Goldman Sachs as head of prime brokerage sales in the Americas. Then, in November 2020, he was one of 60 employees promoted to partner, “which means you help to lead the people and the strategy toward the future direction of the firm,” he explains.

One way in which Robinson is guiding the firm’s future is through serving as a lead sponsor for the Black Analyst and Associate Initiative. There, he mentors more than 100 people to “help put the next generation in a better place,” he said. Robinson is on the Board of Advisors for Launch with Goldman Sachs, an investment strategy that helps deliver “$1 billion to women, Black, Latinx and other diverse entrepreneurs and investors,” he said. “You talk about what you can do with a finance degree from Radford, this is it.”

Robinson leads a hectic work life. The stories you hear about people working long, tiring hours on Wall Street are true. “I’m in the office every morning at 7, and I never leave before 7” in the evening, he said. In order to alleviate stress and maintain a high level of work for so many years, Robinson invests in his physical health through regular exercise — “I run about 500 stairs from the fourth to the 11th floor for lunch every day,” he said —and invests in his mental health through Shinrin Yoku, a Japanese practice of appreciating nature. “I pay more attention to the trees and birds on the walk home,” he said.

And, of course, there’s art.

“I used to paint. I used to draw, and now I do my own neon work,” Robinson said. He is working on a neon to display in his new Goldman Sachs

office that reads: Teamwork never sleeps.

“I am an artist deep down somewhere inside me,” Robinson said, “but many years ago, I realized I should recognize the great talents of the artists around me as opposed to doing so much of my own work.”

That philosophy led Robinson to a new chapter in his life, serving on the Board of Trustees and the Budget and Finance Committee at the Guggenheim. “It’s among the world’s highly esteemed institutions for art,” Robinson said, “and it’s a place close to my heart.”

Like many places of business and entertainment, the COVID-19 global health pandemic greatly diminished tourism to New York, and thus the number of visitors to the Guggenheim. Robinson and his fellow board members from various backgrounds are using expertise to help remedy the situation.

How?

Promoting it locally to the city’s diverse populations “is one way,” and appealing to young people “is another,” Robinson said, colloquially calling it “The Gugg” as a cool, young and hip way to refer to the culture and art center designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

“I’m convinced that one way we’re going to reinvent the Guggenheim and get more engagement is by appealing to youth and creating more Instagramable moments for them to share on social media with their friends.”

Art and culture have always been “very near and dear to me,” Robinson said, thinking of the Guggenheim and its mission, while also reflecting back to the night in early May when his friend Sanford touched so many people and created a community buzz with the Oracle unveiling at Rockefeller Center.

“That’s what we want to do,” Robinson said. “We want to create those moments of joy and promote a love for art and solidify the next generation of people who visit and enjoy the art and culture the Guggenheim has to offer.”

You talk about what you can do with a finance degree from Radford, this is it.

Brian Robinson ’93

Obituaries

1930s

Doris Bullington Wall ’38 of Danbury, North Carolina, August 6, 2020.

1940s

Helen M. Coulter ’43 of Greensboro, North Carolina, July 28, 2020.

Eula D. Chambers ’43 of Hagerstown, Maryland, January 26, 2021.

Charlotte R. Keyes ’45 of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, September 1, 2020.

Emma Frances Gallimore ’45, M.S. ’68 of Pulaski, Virginia, April 6, 2020.

Jamie M. Roberson ’46 of Mooresville, North Carolina, July 9, 2020.

Margaret L. Webb ’48 of Williamsburg, Virginia, August 15, 2020.

Hazel M. Webb ’48, M.S. ’67 of Bristol, Virginia, January 2, 2021.

Daisy B. Campbell ’48 of Roanoke, Virginia, January 21, 2021.

Evelyn Botschen ’49 of Fancy Gap, Virginia, January 3, 2021.

1950s

Frances S. Berger ’50 of Norfolk, Virginia, July 31, 2020.

Thelma R. Dudney ’50 of Springfield, Tennessee, March 16, 2021.

Rosalie T. Womble ’51 of Virginia Beach, Virginia, February 6, 2021.

Peggy A. McCall ’52 of Waverly, Virginia, October 3, 2020.

Helen B. Darden ’52 of Radford, Virginia, January 5, 2021.

Mary J. Graham ’52 of Marion, Virginia, January 13, 2021.

Mary E. Johnson ’52 of Fort Blackmore, Virginia, February 11, 2021.

Patsy J. Cundiff ’54 of Lynchburg, Virginia, August 4, 2020.

Virginia Hess ’54 of Buena Vista, Virginia, September 23, 2020.

Nancy J. Hall ’54 of Irvington, Virginia, October 2, 2020.

Jean C. Draper ’54 of Martinsville, Virginia, October 10, 2020.

Phyllis A. Butts ’54 of Roanoke, Virginia, February 19, 2021.

Charlotte P. Warriner ’54 of Bristol, Virginia, March 14, 2021.

Grace Everton ’55 of Lakeland, Florida, July 14, 2020.

Violet M. Meade ’55 of Surfside Beach, South Carolina, July 24, 2020.

Mary M. Smith ’56 of Richmond, Virginia, July 10, 2020.

Duane M. Freeborn ’56 of Beaverton, Oregon, September 14, 2020.

Marilene R. Wagner ’56 of Pulaski, Virginia, September 17, 2020.

Sara K. Kluttz ’56 of Wytheville, Virginia, October 8, 2020.

Ada S. Jackson ’56 of Lynchburg, Virginia, October 23, 2020.

Doris P. Lewis ’56, M.S. ’82 of Tega Cay, South Carolina, November 28, 2020.

Barbara A. McHale ’57 of Vienna, Virginia, August 4, 2020.

Mary J. Robinette ’57 of Homer, Alaksa, September 4, 2020.

Glenda Dalton ’59, M.S. ’70 of Hillsville, Virginia, July 7, 2020.

Charlotte E. Reasor ’59 of Des Moines, Washington, August 6, 2020.

Mary Beamer ’59 of Oakridge, Oregon, December 28, 2018.

1960s

June E. Goode ’60 of Bedford, Virginia, August 13, 2020.

Shirley A. Nece ’60 of Houston, Texas, August 19, 2020.

Peggy R. Vaughan ’62 of Charlottesville, Virginia, October 28, 2020.

Wanda A. Greer ’63 of Kingsport, Tennessee, October 2, 2020.

Polly L. Gilbert ’63 of Front Royal, Virginia, November 2, 2020.

Mary Jouette Graham ’52 of Marion, Virginia, passed away on January 13, 2021. When Radford College separated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1964, she began serving on Radford’s Board of Visitors. Graham served two terms through 1972. She was an active supporter of the University and known for hosting alumni events at her home.

Mary L. Moore ’63 of Wytheville, Virginia, November 25, 2020.

Carol Jean Q. Bullerman ’64 of Dublin, Virginia, August 14, 2020.

Charlotte M. Sutherland ’64, M.S. ’75 of Abingdon, Virginia, October 10, 2020.

Rebecca C. Wallace ’64 of Henrico, Virginia, March 25, 2021.

Gloria J. Bartoloni ’65 of Orange, California, July 5, 2020.

Ann M. Butler ’65 of Raleigh, North Carolina, November 28, 2020.

George B. Vaughan, M.S. ’65 of Bellevue, Washington, January 7, 2021.

Elizabeth A. Preston ’66 of Chester, Virginia, July 13, 2020.

Evelyn M. Embry ’66 of Kinsale, Virginia, August 2, 2020.

Cynthia A. Stovall ’66 of Stuart, Virginia, November 6, 2020.

Marjorie R. Davis ’66 of Salem, Virginia, December 26, 2020.

Lana G. Lubore ’66 of Locust Grove, Virginia, July 17, 2021.

Judith G. Farley ’67 of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, March 14, 2021.

Kenneth G. Stallard, M.S. ’67 of Norton, Virginia, February 2, 2021.

Joyce E. Ross ’68 of Christiansburg, Virginia, December 15, 2020.

Sue E. Akers ’68, M.A. ’75 of Fairlawn, Virginia, January 10, 2021.

Barbara J. Broadway ’68 of Chamblee, Georgia, March 22, 2021.

Jane S. Glass ’69 of Jacksonville Beach, Florida, February 21, 2021.

Jeanne B. Whitman, M.S. ’69 of Pulaski, Virginia, December 2, 2020.

Shirley A. Van Dresser, M.S. ’69 of Eatonton, Georgia, February 5, 2021.

1970s

Molly M. Ray ’70 of Arlington, Virginia, August 4, 2020.

Roger P. Mooney, M.A. ’70 of Beckley, West Virginia, November 29, 2020.

Katherine L. Basham ’71 of Vinton, Virginia, March 23, 2021.

Dorothy H. Peters, M.S. ’71 of Roanoke, Virginia, August 28, 2020.

Charlotte Wade Allen ’72 of Staunton, Virginia, September 17, 2020.

Lynnette J. Baker ’72 of Lake Saint Louis, Missouri, February 12, 2021.

Sharan J. Hill, M.S. ’72 of Harrisonburg, Virginia, January 23, 2021.

Yvonne S. Slonaker, M.S. ’72 of Virginia Beach, Virginia, January 26, 2021.

Judith McCall Gorham ’73 M.S. ’80 of Roanoke, Virginia, August 3, 2020.

Alice E. Gourley ’73 of Danville, Virginia, December 5, 2020.

Robert L. Dobson, M.S. ’73 of Christiansburg, Virginia, October 7, 2020.

John L. Hamblin, M.S. ’73 of Pembroke, Virginia, January 14, 2021.

Stanley Ira Glasofer ’74 of Newport News, Virginia, October 24, 2020.

Nola A. Rosenbaum ’74 of Abingdon, Virginia, October 31, 2020.

Phyllis A. York ’74 of Naples, Florida, December 31, 2020.

Dorothy E. Whitaker ’74, M.S. ’77 of Burnsville, Minnesota, January 13, 2021.

Kenneth D. Pierce ’75 of Dayton, Tennessee, October 11, 2020.

Billie L. Mills ’75 of Blacksburg, Virginia, December 1, 2020.

Mary C. Moore ’75 of Lexington, Virginia, January 5, 2021.

Gary Phillip Lockard, M.S. ’75 of Dublin, Virginia, May 21, 2020.

Lura A. Robertson, M.A. ’75 of Radford, Virginia, March 11, 2021.

Preston M. Williams ’76 of Lexington, Virginia, March 13, 2021.

Virginia Stuart, M.S. ’76 of Roanoke, Virginia, January 2, 2021.

Shelba J. Barr ’77 of Hillsville, Virginia, August 20, 2020.

Debra L. Harris ’77 of Mechanicsville, Virginia, September 20, 2020.

Patricia H. Bolt, M.A. ’77 of Roanoke, Virginia, March 19, 2021.

Jerry L. Tatum ’78 of Martinsville, Virginia, November 16, 2020.

Thomas M. Swain ’78 of Great Meadows, New Jersey, December 6, 2020.

Michael A. Barr ’79 of Purcellville, Virginia, September 13, 2020.

Susan Bibb, M.S. ’79 of Riner, Virginia, August 30, 2020.

1980s

Kristine A. Olson-Harley ’80 of Bristol, Tennessee, September 15, 2020.

Rodney A. Franklin, M.S. ’80 of Thaxton, Virginia, February 17, 2021.

Leslie A. Kersey ’80, M.S. ’82 of Johnson City, Tennessee, March 10, 2021.

Paul M. Cundiff ’82 of Chesterfield, Virginia, October 1, 2020.

Mason A. Layne ’82 of Rocky Mount, Virginia, November 4, 2020.

Ann E. Perry-Price ’82 of Norfolk, Virginia, February 20, 2021.

Rachael A. Dehaven ’83 of Pulaski, Virginia, January 11, 2021.

Edward M. Maxwell ’85 of Pulaski, Virginia, July 15, 2020.

Regina D. Fields ’87 of Pulaski, Virginia, September 5, 2020.

Graham P. Wilson ’88 of Poquoson, Virginia, March 10, 2021.

1990s

Stephanie S. Simmons, M.S. ’92 of Hyattsville, Maryland, December 17, 2020.

Veronica T. Lewis, M.S. ’92 of Radford, Virginia, January 18, 2021.

Robert E. Northern ’93 of Glen Allen, Virginia, December 10, 2020.

John M. Hensley, M.S. ’93 of Ducktown, Tennessee, September 10, 2020.

Kelly S. Stern ’94 of Henrico, Virginia, July 22, 2020.

Tyrone L. Travis ’94 of Homestead, Florida, January 3, 2021.

Benjamin M. Woods ’95 of Ferrum, Virginia, July 5, 2020.

Michelle M. Banholzer ’95 of Richmond, Virginia, December 27, 2020.

Jeffery A. Sager, M.S. ’95 of Laurens, South Carolina, July 22, 2020.

Ashley R. Scott ’98 of Henrico, Virginia, October 24, 2020.

Sarah R. Leonard ’98 of Wytheville, Virginia, October 28, 2020.

James T. Baxley ’98 of Galax, Virginia, November 12, 2020.

Karen D. Winesett, M.S. ’98 of Galax, Virginia, July 6, 2020.

2000s

Timothy A. Cox ’01, M.S. ’12 of Radford, Virginia, January 18, 2021.

Lucy Anne Nichols ’02 of Dublin, Virginia, December 21, 2020.

Erin E. Burroughs ’04 of Radford, Virginia, August 31, 2020.

Jason C. GiovencoMontano ’05 of Chesapeake, Virginia, October 28, 2020.

Derek Burke ’05 of Roanoke, Virginia, January 21, 2021.

Ginger P. Patton, M.S. ’05 of Clinchco, Virginia, October 31, 2020.

Meagan L. Radcliffe ’06 of Dumfries, Virginia, September 23, 2020.

Seth E. Cooper ’09 of Georgetown, Delaware, January 4, 2021.

2010s

Michael S. Robertson ’12 of Springfield, Virginia, April 22, 2020.

Diana W. Harrell ’13 of Radford, Virginia, February 8, 2021.

Caitlin P. Clemons ’17 of Yorktown, Virginia, December 3, 2020.

Non-Degreed

Elizabeth J. Benka of North Prince George, Virginia, February 24, 2021.

Sandra K. Gholson of Wallace, North Carolina, August 11, 2020.

Sherri L. Woodyard of Windsor, Virginia, August 18, 2020.

Roberta J. Munford of Blacksburg, Virginia, November 11, 2020.

Mary A. Bunts of Ruckersville, Virginia, January 3, 2021.

Gail F. McNamara of Culpeper, Virginia, February 6, 2021.

Lois M. Nelms of Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, February 9, 2021.

Aulick B. Rucker of Roanoke, Virginia, March 29, 2021.

Faculty/Staff

Franklin M. Jones of Radford, Virginia, August 28, 2020.

James L. Sellers of Blacksburg, Virginia, August 28, 2020.

Raymond E. Spaulding of Radford, Virginia, September 16, 2020.

Paul T. Bryant of Arden, North Carolina, February 29, 2021.

Sharon D. Gunter of Newbern, Virginia, February 20, 2021.

Lois F. Perdue of Pearisburg, Virginia, February 27, 2021.

Charles C. Boyd of Riner, Virginia, March 9, 2021.

R. W. Saubert of Radford, Virginia, March 11, 2021.

Carolyn C. Quesenberry of Draper, Virginia, March 19, 2021.

ANOTHER BEGINNING

President Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D., joins his son, Jordan Hemphill ’21, during Spring 2021 Commencement ceremonies for the College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences.

This special commemorative, limitededition 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 Fountain, Radford University