The Magazine of Radford University Spring 2025

The Magazine of Radford University

Spring 2025

Find Your Place. Here.

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Sacred Spaces

The Magazine of Radford University Spring 2025

PRESIDENT Bret Danilowicz, Ph.D. BOARD OF VISITORS Marquett Smith ’85, Rector Tyler W. Lester ’15, Vice Rector Dale S. Ardizzone ’85, M.S. ’86 Jeanne S. Armentrout ’81 Betsy D. Beamer ’81 Joann S. Craig ’83 Callie M. Dalton ’82 William C. Davis Betty Jo Foster ’69, Ed.D. Jennifer Wishon Gilbert George Mendiola Jr. ’00, MBA ’02 Lisa W. Pompa ’86 David A. Smith ’85, M.S. ’87 Jonathan Sweet ’00 James C. Turk Matthew Close, Ph.D. Faculty Representative Onajae Edmund ’25 Student Representative The Magazine of Radford University is produced by Advancement and Alumni Relations and Marketing and Communication.

EDITORS AND CONTRIBUTORS Gabby Bailey ’23 Bailey Black Blake Brady Michelle Carlson ’08 Karen Casteele ’79 Hunter Q. Gresham James Harman ’92 Neil Harvey Ellen Hines ’18 Mary Beth Kegley Mark Lambert, M.S. ’97 Pam McCallister Chad Osborne David E. Perryman, Ph.D. Patrick Reed Laken Dillow Rickey ’19 Laura Turk ’87, M.S. ’90 Justin Ward ’10, M.S. ’23 Penny Helms White ’85, MBA ’87

Please send questions and comments to: The Magazine of Radford University Advancement Communications and Donor Relations Radford University P.O. Box 6915 Radford, VA 24142 magazine@radford.edu Online Version: www.radford.edu/magazine

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It’s easy – call 540-831-5248, email UpdateInfo@radford.edu or scan the QR code.

on the cover

Construction of McConnell Library began in 1931 with a budget of $43,000 and was completed during the following academic year. The library is named after John Preston McConnell, the first president of Radford University. Today, more than 100 years later, McConnell Library is notable for its commitment to individualized library instruction and housing significant special collections, including a rare book collection and archival materials documenting the history of the university and the surrounding region. From study sessions and movie nights to Tartan Tails and Mini Golf in the Stacks, McConnell Library is a sacred space for many Highlanders past and present.

Table of Contents 04 SACRED SPACES

TO 26 BELONGING BECOMING

10 RAD WELCOME

30 ALUMNI PROFILES

14 DYNAMIC SPACES

36 ATHLETICS

18 LIFE LESSONS

40 CLASS NOTES

22 COLLABORATIVE PLACES

44 IN MEMORIAM

More than 1,360 students graduated

Congratulations to the Class of 2025

More than 1,050 bachelor’s, 275 master’s and 40 doctorates Youngest graduate was 18 years old, oldest graduate was 66 years old More than 80% of Virginia localities and 31 U.S. states were represented

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On March 10, 1910, the 106th Virginia General

Assembly approved an act establishing a State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Radford, to be located on a 33-acre tract of farmland situated along Tyler Avenue. The first 72 students matriculated three years later, in September of 1913, enrolling in either the teacher training curriculum or “industrial” pathway – defined as rural arts, household arts or manual arts.

From this foundation, the institution eventually expanded to 211 acres in Radford, added learning locations in Roanoke and Abingdon and developed a robust online presence while growing more diverse in its degree programming and its makeup of students and employees. Over 115 years, Radford University has evolved into a place that holds special significance for all who call themselves Highlanders.

And yet, many aspects of the place where the first class enrolled remain today. The curved sidewalks, laid upon the paths students regularly traveled, still hold their shape. The names of John Preston McConnell, the institution’s first president, and M’Ledge Moffett, the first dean of students, are prominent on the Radford main campus. And Tyler Hall, which opened in 1916, still stands on the original footprint.

Today, our message to those seeking to join our community is to “Find Your Place. Here.” This phrase is a promise we make to students, employees and visitors, as well as an empowering call to action. In this issue of the Radford Magazine, place is defined not only as a specific location; place represents anywhere that Highlanders forge their identity, feel a sense of belonging, experience memorable social interactions, explore learning opportunities and immerse themselves in new cultures or natural beauty.

Radford University offers an environment where students can flourish in a classroom or research lab setting, but also beyond. Second-year student Jade Horton grew up exploring her natural surroundings in Appalachia and recognized the urgent need to protect them for future generations. Her interests led her to Radford’s geospatial science program, the Green Team Environmental Club and an internship in the university’s Office of Sustainability. First-generation student Cora Burt found her place while participating in

Radford’s Summer Governor’s School for the Visual and Performing Arts, and after enrolling as a full-time art education student, has brought her talents to the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship (OURS), designing materials to help recruit future Highlanders.

Read about their stories and others on page 18.

Students often arrive at Radford University in search of a place where they will realize the best version of themselves, achieving goals and dreams they never anticipated. On page 26, you’ll read about five alumni who found transformational support here. Charmaine Edwards-Thomas ’10 found mentors in accounting professors Lynn and Wayne Saubert, who later co-signed the loan on her first business. Today, Charmaine is the owner of a popular, award-winning salon in Blacksburg.

Justin Willard, MBA ’16, saw Radford as a place where he could maximize his potential as a person and thrive in a high-stakes career. He currently serves as the director of pitching for the Boston Red Sox, one of the most successful franchises in professional sports.

Countless other success stories began here, and we are fortunate to have alumni who have played significant roles in Radford’s history – and its future. This academic year alone, milestones include the dedication of the Artis Center for Adaptive Innovation and Creativity, the remarkable achievement of the TOGETHER – The Campaign for Radford University and historic new student growth that has increased our enrollment. We hope that all alumni will come back – and give back – and continue to make our place special for the next 115 years.

Radford University students, faculty, staff and alumni are deeply proud of our place, our people, our past and our future. I invite you to learn more about how Highlanders make our environment distinctive within the pages of this issue.

Tartan Proud,

President Bret Danilowicz

Spring 2025

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Sacred Spaces From the very beginning, Radford students have found their place here

By Justin Ward ʼ10, M.S. ʼ23

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The Magazine of Radford University

Students at the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Radford chose purple and gray as their school colors in the fall of 1913, the first semester classes were offered. The purple “R” was used as the athletic varsity letter (monogram) until 1978, when school colors changed from gray and purple to “Tartan Plaid.”

or the first Highlanders, this often happened – quite literally – by train, arriving on iron rails that formed a path to new opportunities.

Eager students of the State Normal and Industrial School for Women would step off the train at the Norfolk and Western Station, near where The Hub now stands, and haul their heavy suitcases up the hill to campus.

As the decades passed, students, faculty and staff have come and gone – by train, by car and by plane – each generation discovering places that would shape their Radford experience. Some were grand and enduring, while others were intimate and fleeting, yet all left an indelible mark.

In this issue of the Radford Magazine, we celebrate these spaces – indoors and outdoors, on campus and beyond, some fixed in place and others fluid across time.

These are the places that have made Radford feel like home.

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Getting place right When a university gets “place” right, it becomes more than a collection of buildings, classrooms, grassy malls

and walkways. It transforms into a tapestry of sacred spaces – environments where personal growth and meaningful connections flourish.

For more than 100 years, Highlanders have walked these paths, shared ideas and forged lifelong bonds. They have laughed, cried, studied and celebrated. They have pushed boundaries – academically, artistically, athletically – challenging themselves and each other.

Some honed their craft in practice rooms and performance halls; others found solace between the pages of a book beneath the shade of a magnolia tree. They played Frisbee on the Quad, raced to classes, engaged in debates and sought quiet moments of reflection in tuckedaway corners.

These spaces – whether grand or humble – became the backdrop for transformation. Here, Highlanders found their voices, their passions and their purpose. And through them, Radford became more than a university – it became a home. If Radford’s walls could talk, they would tell a story of places Highlanders hold sacred.

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One of the fondest memories of my experience there was indeed playing on Moffett Lawn.” Ian Clark ’85

Moffett Lawn: A space for ritual and ceremony Moffett Lawn has long been the heart of Radford University’s campus – a stage for ceremony, a playground for competition and a gathering place for generations of students. It’s where thousands have walked across the stage at commencement, where friendships have formed over games of Frisbee and where the echoes of lacrosse battles still linger in the memories of alumni. For Ian Clark, a 1985 graduate and former men’s lacrosse player, Moffett Lawn was more than just a field – it was the pulse of the game he loved.

“One of the fondest memories of my experience there was indeed playing on Moffett Lawn,” Clark said. “On game days, the whole field was surrounded by students and fans – music blaring from the surrounding dorms, even the famous Moffett wall was packed with onlooking students at game time!” He still remembers the thrill of the “mud game” in the spring of 1984, when Radford lacrosse stunned a top-ranked Roanoke College team with a 7-3 victory.

In 2011, Clark and his former teammates returned to play their first alumni game on the field, a tradition that carried on for nearly a decade. “It was a successful blend of young and old players,” he said.

Moffett Lawn still holds a pull for Clark even today. At Homecoming, he and fellow alumni gather in the Alumni Village, sticks in hand, sharing stories and tossing the ball around in an unspoken tribute to the place where it all began. “That, sir, is how the game of lacrosse should be played – in my humble opinion.”

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The Magazine of Radford University

Mud game

Alumni Village

The fountain: A space for reflection, connection and legacy At the center of Radford University’s campus, the fountain has long been more than just a landmark— it’s a gathering place, a meeting point and, for many, a place of reflection. It’s a space where countless students have found camaraderie, comfort and connection. For friends JP Beckham ’87 and Chip Perkins ’86 (pictured above), it was all of that and more, which is why Beckham and friends decided to honor Perkins after his passing by naming the fountain in his memory.

Beckham and Perkins were inseparable from the moment they met in eighth grade. Bonded by their love of snow skiing and British sports cars, the two planned to head west for college before fate rerouted them to Radford.

“We even double-dated for our senior prom,” Beckham said. Their friendship remained steadfast through college and beyond, with monthly phone calls keeping them close even as life took them in different directions.

When Perkins passed away in 2004, Beckham and a group of their friends knew they had to honor him in a way that truly reflected his spirit. “The fountain was ‘the’ place – the heart of campus (and off campus). “It’s still the most special place on campus. It’s the one spot that all Highlanders pass through – and come back to as a fountain of youth,” Beckham said.

For Beckham, the fountain is more than just a memorial – it’s a living, breathing space where echoes of the past still linger. “I can still see my friends and hear their voices. I can hear Chip’s voice saying, ‘Psstt,’ as he flirted with one of our girlfriends on a warm, sunny spring day.” It was the place to check in with friends, celebrate after an exam (or commiserate if it went badly) and stay connected to the rhythm of campus life.

“Radford is where I grew up,” Beckham said. “It’s where I loved and was loved.” The fountain remains a symbol of that – of friendships that withstand time, of memories that never fade and of a place that always welcomes Highlanders home.

Spaces for building community in Roanoke For students at Radford University Carilion (RUC), finding a sense of community in an urban setting is essential. Fortunately, key locations like The Patrick Henry and the Highlander House have become central hubs where students connect, support one another and build lifelong friendships.

The Patrick Henry, a historic landmark and former hotel in downtown Roanoke, has evolved into more than just student housing – it’s a home where future healthcare professionals bond over shared experiences. The hotel is a couple of blocks away from RUC and within walking distance of the Roanoke Higher Education Center. Living alongside classmates in the same rigorous academic programs creates an environment of mutual support.

“By living and learning together, students develop a network of colleagues who are experiencing similar situations,” said Nancy Loosle, associate vice president for campus life. “These connections are invaluable to their well-being, resilience and academic success.”

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Radford College Golf Society and the creation of a scholarship that has touched the lives of many students.

“For us, Radford, Peters Hall and singing just go together,” McCallister said. “They are a part of so many fond memories.” Even now, when they return to campus, the music continues – an unbreakable thread connecting past to present.

Students enjoying a snack at The Patrick Henry.

Another cornerstone of student life in Roanoke is the Highlander House.

Serving as the student center for RUC, this 24/7 accessible space fosters both academic and social engagement.

Equipped as a study area, dining space and event room, it’s designed to bring students together.

From late-night study sessions to stress-relieving moments, the Patrick Henry and Highlander House spaces reinforce the idea that at Radford University Carilion, students are never alone—they are part of a closeknit, supportive community.

Peters Hall: A space for music, friendship and unbreakable bonds For some, Radford University’s spaces for play and relaxation were fields and courts. For others, they were quiet corners of campus where music became a bridge between classmates and lifelong friends. In the 1960s, a group of students found their place on the steps of Peters Hall, gathering with guitars and baritone ukuleles to sing under the evening sky. What began as a spontaneous pastime soon became a tradition – one 8

The Magazine of Radford University

that shaped their college experience in ways they never imagined.

“It just got to be a thing,” said Marge McCallister ’69. “There was no set schedule. Word just got around, and those available would show up with their instruments, and we’d sing for an hour or so.” The songs reflected the era – folkie classics like “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” “Cotton Fields” and “500 Miles” – but also original pieces written by Radford students that became anthems of their time together. And, without fail, every gathering ended with the singing of the alma mater, a tradition that continues for this close-knit group to this day. “No matter where we are, we sing the alma mater before departing.

It is very special to us.”

McCallister and her friends never sought an audience, yet passersby often stopped to listen, drawn to the warmth and camaraderie of their music. But it wasn’t about performing – it was about connection. “The singing led to deep friendships,” she said. Those friendships endured, leading to the formation of the

Moveable spaces created by unique gatherings For some, sacred spaces aren’t defined by walls but by the people who come together within them.

The Radford College Golf Society exemplifies this idea – a dynamic, ever-evolving gathering rooted in friendship, tradition and a shared love for Radford University.

What began as a casual effort to stay connected after the 25th reunion of the Class of 1969 has flourished into a decades-long tradition of annual golf tournaments, deepened friendships and unwavering support for the university. “We realized that we were not seeing each other regularly and decided to hold a yearly golf tournament to provide more contact than once a year at Homecoming,” said Cindy Smith ’69, an alumna and devoted member of the Golf Society. Over the years, the gathering moved from Virginia Beach to Lynchburg, each time reinforcing the strong bonds among its members.

Radford is where I grew up. It’s where I loved and was loved.”

JP Beckham ’87

Beyond golf, the group has left a lasting impact on Radford. In their second year, they welcomed Bonnie Hurlburt ’58, former dean of women and later dean of students, who participated fully for 25 years. A tremendous role model during their student years, Hurlburt ignited their love for Radford and remained a guiding force in keeping their connection to the university strong. Her presence enriched their gatherings, reinforcing the spirit of camaraderie and shared purpose that defined the group.

In their third year, they established a scholarship in honor of one of their own, Jennie Teass Allman ’67, which has since grown to provide meaningful support to students.

(Read more about Allman in the alumni profile on page 32.)

Their commitment to giving back expanded with additional scholarships eventually consolidated into a single, more substantial award. Even when the pandemic halted inperson gatherings, the Golf Society adapted, meeting weekly over Zoom – conversations that now include university leaders, professors and alumni spanning decades. “Bound by our love for Radford and our enduring friendships, we continue to meet regularly, support each other in good and tough times and keep our ties to Radford and each other strong,” Smith said.

Perhaps most symbolically, the group played a role in reviving Radford’s alma mater. When former President Douglas Covington heard them sing it at Homecoming, he reinstated it as a university tradition, ensuring that their voices – and their legacy – continue to shape the Radford experience for generations to come.

The Radford College Golf Society

Do you have a special place on campus that holds meaning for you? We’d love to hear your story – share your memories with us at alumni@radford.edu.

Rugby huddle was anchor in turbulent times For Brandon Monahan ’04, playing rugby at Radford wasn’t just part of his life from 1999 to 2005 – the team became his foundation, his home.

Two months into Monahan’s freshman year, his world was turned upside down when his father passed away suddenly on Dec. 4, 1999, at just 43 years old.

“I still remember the counselor knocking on my door in Pocahontas Hall at 7 a.m. to deliver the news that would change my life,” Monahan recalled. “The weight of that moment was overwhelming – trying to process the loss, trying to find the words to tell my older brother, who was also at Radford. I felt lost, unmoored. But Radford rugby became my anchor.”

Before every match, Monahan and his teammates would huddle together, a “circle of brothers,” and remind themselves that they were never alone.

“We spoke a variation of Psalm 23:4 – words that resonated deeply, not just because we were a team from the New River Valley, but because so many of us had endured loss, hardship and pain,” he said. “It was our reminder that no matter the battle ahead – on the field or in life – we stood together.”

For five years, Monahan gave Radford everything – his effort, his heart, his loyalty. And Radford gave back. He graduated cum laude, double majoring in applied mathematics and computer science; helped bring home Radford University’s first-ever national championship in any sport; and was honored as the 2003 Men’s Collegiate Division II Most Valuable Player.

“These achievements mean the world to me, but more than the accolades, it was the journey, the brotherhood and the moments in between that left the deepest mark,” he said.

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Rad Welcome Students have an array of amenities to help them find academic success

By Neil Harvey

10 The Magazine of Radford University

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n the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t all that long ago that newcomers to colleges across the nation arrived on day one with little more than information packets, a promise of orientation sessions and a photocopy of a campus map to carry along with their loads of luggage, mini-fridges and box fans.

In recent decades, however, the new student experience has advanced at a rapid rate, and Radford University sets a standard at first facilitating smooth entrances for its students, then cultivating positive environments in which they can study and learn, grow and thrive.

Highlander Days, held in March and April, allow admitted students opportunities to apply for financial aid, activate their accounts and complete housing applications and other preliminary forms.

Radford’s summertime orientation program, Quest, gives incoming freshmen, transfers and their families early exposure to the university. They have opportunities to ask questions, learn their way around campus and get to know student leaders, faculty and other Highlanders.

Last summer alone, 2,100 freshman and transfer students attended Quest, along with more than 2,700 family members and supporters between June and July.

Move-in has evolved into a fully streamlined process that utilizes staggered arrivals, university teamwork and careful organization to greatly reduce lines, congestion and parking issues.

But there are additional accommodations that extend well into the students’ academic careers, through such options as the Tartan Transfer program, living-learning programs (LLPs), and, for veterans, the Military Resource Center (MRC).

Tartan Transfer Launched in the fall of 2024, Tartan Transfer is an interface between Radford University and eight regional schools within the Virginia Community College System

Tartan Transfer is another demonstration that Radford University and Virginia’s community colleges are committed to creating accessible and affordable degree pathways for Virginians and to building bridges across the commonwealth.”

President Bret Danilowicz, Nov. 6, 2024

(VCCS): Mountain Empire, Mountain Gateway, New River, Patrick & Henry, Southwest Virginia, Virginia Highlands, Virginia Western and Wytheville.

This program streamlines the transfer process for community college students coming into Radford to earn their bachelor’s degrees. It improves educational affordability; maximizes the number of credits carried over; offers personalized academic advising plus career preparation through internship opportunities; and gives newcomers early access to events and activities on campus.

It arrived on the heels of Radford’s Tuition Promise, which began this academic year and provides qualifying students with federal, state and gift aid that will cover their tuition costs. That offer is available to incoming freshmen and transfer students with Virginia residency whose families have an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $100,000 or less according to their federal income tax and a Student Aid Index (SAI) of less than 15,000 as determined by the FAFSA. “That’s a big motivator for a lot of our students, especially at community colleges,” said Radford University’s Chris Bradbury ’12, M.F.A. ’24, who coordinates Tartan Transfer. “Any student that meets those requirements can get it, but it’s something that’s very appealing to our transfer students.”

Students and families on Move-in 2024.

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Most of those inquiring about Tartan Transfer are community college students currently in the process of getting their associate degree, and Bradbury is able to advise potential students on taking the leap to Radford, but he also said he can help those who may be about to enter the community college system with the intent of transferring to Radford afterward.

“I would work with them from day one to help them pick their classes there, and then once they finish everything at the community college level, I would work with them on the transfer process here as well,” he explained.

“I’m able to answer questions about any and all of the more than 70 programs we offer,” Bradbury added. “If they have a question about it, I can answer.”

Schoolhouse opened in 2018 and, for the past three years, has been overseen by assistant professor and program coordinator Brian Kitts ’06, Ed.D. ’22.

“I serve as the faculty liaison, along with Drs. Carol Bland ’09, Melissa Lisanti and Wendy Eckenrod-Green, in the College of Education and Human Development.

As the students transition to college, my role is to serve as their key contact point,” Kitts explained, adding that those interested in the program get early exposure to it during Highlander Days and Quest: “We actually take prospective students in to meet those who are already living in the Schoolhouse.”

Those introductions can ultimately offer valuable resources to new arrivals.

“It’s not like dropping someone off cold at college, Living-learning programs where you don’t know anybody in the community. Our Once students begin their academic careers, Radford programming is opt-in, so students can pick and choose offers numerous living-learning programs (LLPs) in fields what they would like to participate in or skip,” Kitts said. that include criminal justice, arts, entrepreneurship, One of the Schoolhouse students, Lillie Ruble ’24, of nursing and science. Those who Abingdon, Virginia, earned her Bachelor of take part in LLPs have been shown Science in Interdisciplinary Studies and will to have more positive collegiate complete her Master of Science in Special experiences, both educationally Education in 2025. The daughter of a math and socially.

It’s incredible to come teacher, she has been on track to become an Aspiring teachers, for example, to school, a place educator since middle school and plans to have the option of participating where you might not teach special education at the K-12 level. in the Schoolhouse LLP. That know anybody, and She participated in the Schoolhouse community currently consists of walk in knowing a lot program and lived in Moffett Hall her about 110 students, roughly half of people before the freshman and sophomore years. of whom reside and work in the “Coming into Radford, I only knew, like, first day.”

Schoolhouse’s living spaces on the one or two people from my high school, so Brian Kitts ’06, Ed.D. ’22 third floor of Moffett Hall. it was really nice,” Ruble recalled. “Since we

12 The Magazine of Radford University

Radford University is recognized by VIQTORY as a Gold Level Military Friendly school.

Frank Fleming ’24

were all in education, we all had similar interests. We could knock on each other’s doors and be able to work together. It’s a lot easier to collaborate that way, especially with group projects. You just go across the hall.”

Kitts said that’s part of the plan: “We have very few kids that struggle with roommates or need room changes or leave altogether. It just doesn’t happen because it’s a really strong sense of community.

“It’s a great precursor to what they’re going to be doing, for those who stay in education for the rest of their lives, and it gives them opportunity to see how they can build that community and grow, and how it can enhance them, and then they get a chance to pass the torch.”

Recent elementary education graduate, Maddie Canterbury ’25 worked as a third-grade student teacher in Roanoke and has already been accepted into Radford’s master’s program in curriculum and instruction.

Canterbury, from Warrenton, Virginia, didn’t learn about the Schoolhouse until she’d already moved into the honors dorm her freshman year, but she remains active in the group despite not living directly within the program.

When she first heard about it, she asked its members about the application process for it.

“And they’re like, ‘No, just come on, right now, we have something going on tonight,’” she recalled. “I went and got to talk to Dr. Kitts and just fell in love with the environment they’re building there. I’ve met some of my best friends from being inside it, and it’s been really beneficial when thinking about classes or trying to do projects. It’s just a really cool inner network that I will always have.”

Military Resource Center Those transitioning from the armed services to student life can rely on Radford’s Military Resource Center

(MRC), which supports the academic efforts of student veterans, active military and reserve members and their dependents. The center offers vets assistance in applying for admission, taking advantage of G.I. Bill benefits, scholarship opportunities and financial aid and obtaining solid academic advice.

While shifting from military life to academia may offer more day-to-day freedom, it also requires a considerable degree of personal initiative.

Before coming to Radford, Frank Fleming ’24 spent seven years in the Army National Guard and emerged as a sergeant. When he entered Radford University, he took a job with the MRC, advising other veterans on both the main campus and in Roanoke.

“I would identify new students who were either veterans or dependents of veterans and help them get connected,” Fleming said. “I would call them or email them and make sure they understand their benefits and the processes. If they’d been accepted, I would offer to meet with them and connect them with whomever they needed on campus.

“Most of the questions I got from existing students were about scholarships, and I helped a couple of students apply, and every student I helped got it. I worked with them from start to finish on their applications.”

Fleming graduated in December 2024 from Radford University Carilion’s physician assistant program and, this spring, began working in primary care serving the Department of Veterans Affairs.

“The MRC is a valuable resource,” he said. “It’s a small group of students from all of the services, and there’s a place for them no matter which campus they’re on.

“They just need to walk in the door and get connected.”

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Dynamic Spaces Radford classrooms are learning places of inspiration and exploration

By Chad Osborne

14 The Magazine of Radford University

raditional classroom settings have long served as the primary place of academic instruction on college campuses. But today, Radford University faculty are enhancing the classroom experience through hands-on learning, re-imagined spaces, innovative technology and flexible delivery.

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Anatomy labs allow for hands-on learning and virtual exploration In an article published last year in the Proceedings of the West Virginia Academy of Sciences, three Radford University biology professors demonstrated how the university uniquely prepares its undergraduate students by giving them opportunities to work with “real human tissue” in the classroom setting. Using human whole-body donors, or cadavers, they wrote, “is the gold standard in anatomy education.”

According to faculty members Laura Gruss, Matthew Close and Sara O’Brien, “Dissection is a standard pedagogical tool in gross anatomy courses in medical schools, physical therapy schools and other health science graduate and professional training programs.”

“This is a great example of how our faculty are providing distinctive learning opportunities for our students, providing them with a true advantage in their career aspirations,” Gruss said.

Victoria Leeks ’21 is one student whose lab experience with cadavers in the Center for the Sciences on the university’s Radford campus has paid off. “The resources offered at Radford University not only created an unforgettable experience but shaped the knowledge and skills I use at work,” said Leeks, a forensic autopsy technician for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in the northern district of Virginia.

Those courses and experiences, Leeks explained, gave her a distinct advantage toward landing her current position.

“I am forever grateful for my experience, as I do not think that I would be where I am without the resources at Radford University and the guidance of Dr. Gruss and the other instructors at Radford University.”

At Radford University Carilion in Roanoke, the Virginia Intercollegiate Anatomy Lab (VIAL), located two floors from the top level of the Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital, gives students in Radford’s physician assistant and Doctor of Physical Therapy programs a similar hands-on learning experience that will prepare them for their chosen healthcare professions.

Mark McAllister, an assistant professor who teaches courses in the physician assistant program, delivers much of his instruction in the VIAL. In the fall semester, students examine lower and upper limbs and, later, the back. In the spring, they delve into the “big cavities,” McAllister explained, “the chest, thorax, abdomen and pelvis.”

Nominate an OUTSTANDING HIGHLANDER! Know an outstanding Radford alumna(us)? Nominations for the 2025 Alumni Association Awards are now open! Submit by July 1, 2025, and help us celebrate Radford’s best at the fall Alumni Volunteer Leadership Business Lunch and Awards Ceremony during Homecoming (Oct. 9-11).

The resources offered at Radford University not only created an unforgettable experience but shaped the knowledge and skills I use at work.”

Victoria Leeks ’21

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The head and neck have their turn in the summer.

“I take students all through the human body,” McAllister said.

The lab is equipped with 15 dissection tables that set it apart from many other learning labs, providing an exceptional hands-on learning experience that can’t be matched by models and textbooks. It also features large-screen monitors, high-resolution cameras and iPads permanently located at each station in the lab so relevant materials can be viewed during explorations.

While McAllister is the course leader, it’s the students who run the lab, he said.

This hands-on approach is perfect for first-year physician assistant student Nina Shah, she said, “because when I can see it and feel it and go through the layers of every organ and every cavity, it makes more sense to me.

“I’ve had a lot of epiphanies of wow, I actually do understand this, and maybe I am supposed to be here,” continued Shah. “I’m learning a lot, and I’m making a lot of friends and really finding my place at Radford.”

The VIAL also features an Anatomage table for virtual anatomy explorations. This state-of-the-art platform offers digitized human cadavers and superior medical learning tools, allowing students to visualize and interact with anatomical structures in real-time during procedures, without the need for physical cadavers.

I feel like the puzzle pieces of what exactly I wanted to do with my life fell into place once I saw what the SMART Lab could offer.”

Kirsten Cecil ʼ23

16 The Magazine of Radford University

Student-atheletes utilize the Dedmon Center to achieve excellence on and off the court.

A new kind of poetry in motion at the Dedmon Center When you think of Radford’s Dedmon Center, images come to mind of the hard-working Highlander athletes who call it their home. Imagine the men’s and women’s basketball teams in action, the echoing sound of the ball bouncing off the hardwood and the sight of the orange orb swishing through the net as the clock ticks toward zero. Or maybe the volleyball team as they fly like acrobats through the air, smashing the ball over the net and past their opponents for another score.

For the past three summers, the Dedmon Center has become home to another kind of poetry in motion.

Radford University senior instructor Nancy Taylor, M.A. ’90, has taught a summer English 111 course at the athletic facility, connecting two pursuits that traditionally took place in different spaces.

“The course provides amazing support for student-athletes by consolidating academic services – teaching, advising and tutoring –

into one place, the place where they are practicing and strength training as well,” Taylor explained.

It’s not unusual, Taylor noted, for coaches and athletics support staff to “pop their heads in the classroom door and ask, ‘How are they doing?’ That lets students know their coaches care about the academic performance as well as their athletic performance.”

Most students who enroll in the course are new to Radford, and most are athletes. The course typically has a few upperclassmen enrolled, “and they offer great advice,” Taylor said.

The course is required for all Radford students, and Taylor structures it so that students become accustomed to Radford and the region. In the summer of 2024, she assigned poetry and essay writing exercises, asking her students to examine “Where I’m from,” “Where I am,” and “Where I’m going.”

“They literally are finding their place here,” Taylor explained. “I’m convinced that, through the course, we are setting up students to be more successful.”

The SMART lab enables students to learn how to conduct research, collect data and interpret results.

SMART Lab makes students feel ... ‘smarter!’

“Come in; use it. It’s yours,” School of Communication Professor John Brummette, M.S. ’03, says as he introduces the SMART Lab to Radford students who are looking to put some real force and energy into their research projects.

SMART is an acronym for Social Media Analytics and Research Technology. The lab is an innovative learning space designed to give Radford undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty researchers, the resources and training needed to conduct social sciencerelated research.

A few weeks into each semester, many Radford students receive research assignments and soon flock to the lab for answers. Brummette, the lab director, or a graduate assistant meet with students to give them an overview of what can be accomplished there.

“One thing I love about the lab is students come with meaningful research,” Brummette explained. “They’re not just going through a process to pass an assignment.”

Kirsten Cecil has a rather unique perspective of the lab, having conducted research as an undergraduate student – she earned a bachelor’s degree in history in 2023 – and now as one of the graduate assistants helping Brummette operate the research space.

“I have seen the lab make a difference in others’ research,” Cecil said. “It is very rewarding to see the moment a student’s eyes light up when they realize how the technology we offer can elevate their research.”

Working toward a master’s degree in strategic communication, Cecil used the lab’s powerful monitoring and analytics tools to examine social media posts in relation to forecasting the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

“The SMART Lab has truly made an impact in my time at Radford,” she said. “I feel like the puzzle pieces of what exactly I wanted to do with my life fell into place once I saw what the SMART Lab could offer.”

Faculty flexibility accommodates student’s changing circumstances Will O’Neal ’24 graduated from high school, joined the West Virginia National Guard and worked in construction, but the moment he truly found his place, and himself, was when he walked into a chemistry lab at Radford University.

O’Neal came to Radford to pursue a nursing career.

One of his first classes was a nursing chemistry course taught by Christopher Bibeau. “It was my favorite class,” he said. “I absolutely loved it.” So much so that he changed his major to chemistry.

“The professors in the chemistry department helped me find my place,” O’Neil said, even if that place was not physically on campus.

Before his final semester in the fall of 2024, O’Neal’s wife was accepted into veterinarian school in North Carolina, so the couple and their then 4-year-old daughter, Emma, moved from the New River Valley to Raleigh. O’Neal was apprehensive, at first, about how the transition would affect his own academic journey at Radford.

He quickly learned, however, that the kindness and generosity of Radford’s chemistry faculty extended far beyond what he had imagined. They allowed him to take a couple of classes remotely and often scheduled course and lab time around O’Neal’s busy family life.

“All of the chemistry faculty were exceptionally supportive,” said O’Neal, who is now weighing medical school and a potential position as an environmental chemist. “A lot of my professors really bent over backward to help me. They were willing to help us so we could stay together as a family.

“If it hadn’t been for my professors supporting me,” he continued, “my journey would have been significantly more difficult.”

Will O’Neal ’24

Spring 2025

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Life Lessons Experience beyond the classroom helps Highlanders become well-rounded people

By Mark Lambert, M.S. ʼ97

18 The Magazine of Radford University

hile Highlanders have abundant opportunities to grow their knowledge, experiences and skills in classrooms, labs and other traditional learning spaces on campus, those are not the only places where they learn at Radford University.

For many, the experiences they have outside of the classroom – from participating in Fraternity and Sorority Life, student organizations and varsity athletics to tutoring fellow students and serving in leadership roles on university committees – are just as important as the ones they have in the classroom.

Ryan Eisnaugle ’20 joined the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity in his first year. He went on to serve as the philanthropy chair, alumni chair, secretary and, ultimately, president.

He noted that the opportunities he had in those roles helped him accomplish everything most people want out of their college experience.

“Most students are looking for a community of people to support them, a social life, assistance with academics, connections to alumni and overall lifetime friends,” Eisnaugle said, adding that the fraternity provided all of that for him.

Eisnaugle observed that running a Greek organization is much like running a small business – skills that would come in very handy for him beyond the Radford campus.

“You need to learn how to budget, recruit, retain, train, manage risk, meet deadlines, work with people who are unlike yourself, navigate conflict resolution and have tough conversations with people you love,” Eisnaugle said.

Eisnaugle has been able to use those skills professionally.

Just before graduation, he received a job offer from the Phi Kappa Sigma International Fraternity. He moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, during the COVID pandemic and began his new job as a regional educational consultant.

A few years later, Eisnaugle found himself as the interim executive director for the organization; eight months after that, the “interim” was removed from his title, and he became the executive director.

Tricia Smith, Radford University’s associate vice president for Student Life, says that through these kinds of co-curricular experiences, students take ownership of their Radford experience, create connections to their classroom learning and find their voice.

“Some of the most rewarding moments are when we get to walk students through instances where they may have selfdoubt and think, ‘I’m not quite sure I can do this,’” Smith said. She especially enjoys helping students connect with

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Tricia Smith

organizations that share their interests.

Second-year geospatial science student Jade Horton spent her childhood exploring the hills, mountains and meadows near her home in Kingsport, Tennessee, searching for “critters of all shapes and sizes.”

“I was the odd one out among my peers,” she recalled.

“As I grew older, I learned about climate change and how the environment was in imminent danger.”

Horton knew in high school that she wanted to do something that would have a positive impact on the world and the environment. She soon discovered the geospatial science program at Radford, which prepares students for a wide range of geospatial and environmental job opportunities.

At Radford, Horton quickly got involved in organizations linked to her interests in environmentalism and nature. Currently, she is the president of the Green Team Environmental Club and an intern in the Radford University Office of Sustainability.

“My favorite part about Green Team is teaching people about the environment and how they can be part of the solution,” Horton said. “I enjoy connecting with other environmentalists and hopefully nourishing a culture of sustainability at Radford University.”

Like Eisnagle, Horton believes she may have found her professional path through her extracurricular activities.

“My role with the Green Team and my work in the sustainability department has sparked my interest in teaching, which has led to my desire to become an academic in the future,” said Horton.

Recently, she has been working with Sustainability Manager Aysha Bodenhamer ’10, Ph.D., to finish Radford University’s application for STARS, a sustainability assessment and rating system for higher education institutions. The work involves painstaking data transcription and applied GIS work completed alongside Brandon Saddler, Radford’s real property and space manager.

“It feels like I get to do a different project every day,” Horton said, “and I believe these opportunities will prepare me for working with sustainability in my future career.”

Ryan Eisnaugle ʼ20

Jade Horton

Spring 2025 19

Similar to Horton, Cora Burt always had an intense interest in a certain subject – in her case, art. But she felt “incredibly lost” for a long time, not sure how to translate her interest into an education and career.

“As a first-generation student, I was strongly encouraged to pursue higher education rather than follow in my parents’ footsteps in food service,” Burt remembered. “But I wasn’t a straight-A student, and the only thing I was certain about was my passion for art.”

While still in high school, the Chincoteague, Virginia, native attended the Summer Governor’s School for Visual an Performing Arts. Spending a month on Radford’s campus, Burt was immersed in its creative environment and courses and had the opportunity to display her work in a fine arts setting.

“It played a pivotal role in my decision to attend,” she said. “Looking back, I couldn’t be more grateful – I haven’t regretted it for a single day.”

Now a junior in the art education program, Burt has put her artistic ability to work outside of the classroom as an executive student assistant for the Radford Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship (OURS). In that role, she helps develop public relations materials such as flyers, digital signage, website designs and photography that align with the university’s brand.

“Through this work, I’ve gained valuable skills in teamwork, communication, problem-solving, graphic design and meeting deadlines – all of which are highly transferable to any professional setting,” Burt said.

Burt has also played an active role in the Highlander Research Rookies program, recruiting and interviewing prospective students at various events. That program provides research experiences to select high-achieving incoming firstyear and transfer students to Radford University.

She said one of the best pieces of advice she ever got is to “get comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

“Growth and skill development come from stepping outside of our comfort zones, dedicating time to practice and embracing challenges,” she said. “I see this firsthand with first-year students in our Research Rookies program, many of whom feel anxious about public speaking or presenting their work. However, after experiences like presenting at the Wicked Festival, they often admit that it wasn’t as intimidating as they expected, or even that they enjoyed it.”

My time on the court provided me with virtually every lesson imaginable in my life.”

David Smith ’84, M.S. ’87

20 The Magazine of Radford University

Cora Burt

Jaimi Evans ʼ18

David Smith ’84, M.S. ’87, adding two points toward his recordsetting career.

Development can also take place on the courts and fields across the campus, where student-athletes compete in a variety of varsity sports. David Smith ’84, M.S. ’87, who played basketball at Radford from 1981 to 1985 and is the all-time leading scorer and rebounder, said his time on the court “provided me with virtually every lesson imaginable in my life.”

Currently a sales manager for Altria Group Distribution Co., where he has worked for over 36 years, Smith said his experience playing ball taught him lessons in discipline, perseverance, toughness, organization, teamwork, relentlessness, sharing, balancing multiple tasks and the ability to push yourself in ways you never thought possible.

“It is so hard to even imagine being in college without sports,” Smith said. “It was what I wanted to do since I was a little boy, and I’m grateful for the total student-athlete experience. I truly believe it may have been a little less impactful without basketball.”

Smith believes the preparation for life beyond campus As a University 100 peer instructor, Evans worked can begin with athletics, adding that “juggling multiple with first-year students to help them adjust to collegiateactivities while maintaining a high performance in all level academics and life. She made sure she encouraged areas is the best testing ground for what is to come.” her students to get involved in something outside of the Today, Smith sees Highlanders grow and develop these classroom that aligned with their interests. life skills in his role as a member of the Radford University “I think the best preparation for life inside and Board of Visitors. He said he often tells student-athletes he outside of the classroom are the connections students meets to “enjoy the learning aspect of the classroom and make through these experiences,” Evans said. “The make sure you are maximizing the educational experience people that you meet and connect with, the lifelong that athletics allows you to have.” friendships and relationships built with peers, Jaimi Evans ’18 returned as a graduate student in the professors – they mean so much. It helped me to learn Master of Fine Arts in Design Thinking program. She how to interact with all types of people.” anticipates graduating with her M.F.A. in 2025.

Evans has advised fellow students that it’s just as As both an undergraduate and a graduate student, important to learn their dislikes as their likes because the Farmville, Virginia, native served on the university’s the activities students participate in while in college will Strategic Planning Committee, presented to Virginia shape who they will be in the future, both professionally Women’s Network, participated in Advocacy Day, and personally. “Do your work, and don’t forget to have worked as an Alumni Admissions fun because these years fly by,” Ambassador and worked for the Evans said. “It is all right to take Virginia Department of Aviation. a break and do something that She is also the co-founder of the you love – I would even say it’s It feels like I get to do a Radford Design Collective and, as vital. You are not only in college different project every an undergrad, was a member of to gain knowledge about your day, and I believe these the Honors Student Council, the proposed field of study, but you are opportunities will prepare Honors Academy and the Student gaining life skills, people skills and me for working with Government Association. On top of building relationships that could all that, she graduated summa cum last a lifetime.” sustainability in my future laude as a Highlander Scholar. career.” Jade Horton

Students presenting at Wicked Festival.

Spring 2025 21

Collaborative Places Partnerships help Radford build sense of community beyond campus

By Neil Harvey

22 The Magazine of Radford University

Wayne Gallops conducting the University Community Symphony.

adford University is committed to building successful partnerships throughout the New River Valley and beyond. Cultivating a strong sense of community with individuals and organizations beyond our campus boundaries — in collaborative places and virtual spaces — is key to this effort.

When Radford’s Department of Music Chair Wayne Gallops began assembling Radford’s University Community Symphony three years ago, he didn’t know if the effort would gain traction. He simply felt that such an ensemble would have value for the department and for students and recruitment and would be beneficial for area musicians, as well as local fans of the classics.

“For a university of our size and a department of our scope, it’s rare not to have a symphony,” Gallops explained.

So, in late 2022, he got to work recruiting players.

“It surprised me how quickly it took off,” he said.

“Immediately, we had enough of a core for a symphony.

And then it got big.”

The group’s numbers have since risen to more than 70, comprising university students, faculty members, alumni, retirees, high schoolers and others, forming a web that spreads out from the campus to include Blacksburg, Roanoke, Giles County and beyond. A Wytheville, Virginia, mother and her two sons are members, as is a woman in her 80s from rural Riner, while a teen who plays the French horn commutes from North Carolina to take part.

The spring concert included performances of “The Light Cavalry: Overture” by Franz von Suppé and Joseph Curiale’s “The Awakening.”

“The folks are very conscientious because they’re dedicating their time to this,” Gallops said. “They don’t have to be there. They’re coming, they get the music and they practice it.”

Those efforts are paying dividends: In November, the University Community Symphony took the stage in the

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Douglas and Beatrice Covington Center for Visual and Performing Arts to a capacity crowd of about 350.

“Here’s what surprised me: Before the concert, I went out to my car ... and people were starting to arrive, and there was this whole group of high school kids coming in,” Gallops said.

They weren’t from Radford, he felt, or he would’ve recognized them, which suggests they traveled some distance to the campus, to hear classical music no less.

“That was kind of a surprise,” Gallops recalled. “I knew we were going to attract people from the community, but just to see it in that specific way was kind of cool.”

The University Community Symphony is just one of countless partnerships Radford has forged with surrounding communities and organizations -- in fields ranging from nutrition and social work, to tax preparation and community service.

Fostering empathy through VR As the ranks of aging Americans continue to rise, an unsettling parallel workforce shortage is also coming into focus, spelled out in a recent project report by Radford University Assistant Professor of Sociology Mingyang Zheng.

“Overall, 4% of social workers, 2.6% of advanced practice registered nurses and less than 1% of registered nurses, physician assistants and pharmacists are certified in geriatrics,” Zheng wrote in his findings.

“We found that we don’t have lots of healthcare workers who want to work with older adults, and that was my experience with students, too,” he said in February. “I felt like it’s very much needed that we have a training for workers to work with older adults, especially those who experience cognitive declines.”

Zheng’s brainstorm merged the old with the new – specifically virtual reality (VR) simulations that support learning-by-doing and increase general levels of understanding of what it’s like to experience the hardships of old age.

“The primary goal was to increase knowledge about Alzheimer’s disease and social isolation while improving participants’ confidence and empathy in caring for older adults,” Zheng said.

Using a VR module and headset, he spearheaded a continuing education program from October 2023 through last year, providing staff training through the New River Valley Community Services, conducting exercises at the Roanoke Higher Education Center and partnering with the Virginia Society for Clinical Social Work.

About 100 subjects took part in the program, which involved simulating (through a “first person” lens) the experiences of an aging widower.

“This method fostered deeper empathy, as participants found themselves in the shoes of an older adult grappling Spring 2025 23

A continuing education program used a VR module and headset to simulate the experiences of an aging widower.

with cognitive decline, sensory impairment and ... isolation,” Zheng wrote. “Post-training surveys showed that many left with a heightened sense of compassion and actionable strategies they could immediately apply in clinical or community settings.”

The project was presented at the Gerontological Society of America 2024 conference and this year’s Conference on Higher Education Pedagogy.

“With continued support and collaboration, we believe this VR approach to geriatric education can become a sustainable, impactful tool that benefits not only our local community but also sets a precedent for similar programs across the state,” Zheng wrote.

A fruitful approach Imagine a prescription that provides some of the most fundamental forms of human sustenance – fresh fruits and vegetables.

That’s the concept behind a new effort that’s teaming Radford University with several local organizations to support a “food as medicine” program around the Roanoke and New River valleys.

In November, it was announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded $479,918 to the Southwest Virginia Produce Prescription Program (SWPRx), a regional collaboration that includes the Local Environmental Agricultural Project (LEAP), Carilion Clinic, Virginia Fresh Match and Feeding Southwest Virginia, with the university leading the program’s evaluation.

Starting this spring, the three-year initiative will operate in Radford and Roanoke, as well as Floyd and Franklin counties. It should serve about 300 patients who will receive prescriptions for produce while attending nutrition courses.

Local healthcare providers will refer patients who are at risk for or have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, diabetes and pre-diabetes. The goal is to encourage greater consumption of fruits and vegetables among 24 The Magazine of Radford University

eligible Medicaid patients, to enhance food security and to improve health outcomes.

“The Radford evaluation team will be tracking program delivery processes to learn what works best for the patients, providers, local farmers and communitybased food retailers,” said Associate Professor Sallie Beth Johnson, chair of Radford’s Department of Public Health and Healthcare Leadership (PHHL).

Kim Baskette, program director for Radford University Health Sciences graduate programs and an associate professor within PHHL, said the SWPRx “brings together the key players that represent all of the aspects needed to make this a viable and sustainable program for our community members.”

The project is part of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP).

Many happy returns Taxes are inevitable, of course, but three years ago, Radford University began a collaboration between the Davis College of Business and Economics and New River Community Action (NRCA) to provide free tax preparation services to residents.

Since 2022, through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, those making less than $56,000 can get their taxes done at no cost to them. VITA has locations in Christiansburg, Floyd and Pulaski, but because the university provides on-campus office space, city residents have gained closer and easier access to the services.

In 2023, VITA’s Radford location prepared 777 tax returns, which, against an average cost of $250, saved the public about $266,000.

It helps the collegiate community as well – that same year, about 100 university students and staffers filed returns using VITA, with much of the processing done by student volunteers who completed 347 returns, thus donating about 220 hours of service.

My feeling is, the community and the school feed off one another. As one does well, the other benefits.”

Denny Van Pelt ʼ94

“We have a relationship with each other” One of the most vital collaborations the university enjoys is through its relationships with alumni – a system of individuals that runs throughout the region, the state, the country and the world.

So many of the university’s graduates give support that it’s difficult to spotlight individuals, but one sterling example would be Denny Van Pelt ’94, a Highlander baseball star who’s joined the athletic program’s Hall of Fame and who was Radford’s Outstanding Alumni Philanthropist for 2024.

Although he lives nearly 500 miles from his alma mater, he’s remained active as a Highlander booster.

“I’ve promoted and supported a lot of efforts through the school,

especially the ones where there’s a connection to me,” Van Pelt said, and he’s helped friends and former teammates through efforts like the Mike Ashley Scholarship in Communications, Media and Public Relations and by reactivating the Kevin Scott Memorial Scholarship.

Van Pelt also expanded his efforts beyond athletics through initiatives involving the school and the city, and this winter, he took part in Radford Gives Back’s backpack project.

“My feeling is, the community and the school feed off one another. As one does well, the other benefits,” Van Pelt said.

“The last couple of years in particular, especially with the joint efforts of the Radford community and Mayor [David] Horton and the council members and our RU administration. They’re recognizing that we have a relationship with each other,” he explained.

“We piggyback – the university and the city – and I want to see the place thrive.”

Have you heard of the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP)?

The Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP) helps businesses get quality employees and Radford students get valuable real-world experience. Your business may qualify for 50% of intern-related costs if your company has 50 or fewer employees.

It’s a win-win proposition!

To learn more, visit https://virginiatop.org

Co-founders Tory Leahy ʼ97, M.S. ʼ23, Jenny Riffe, M.S.W. ʼ03, Jane Fisher ʼ94, M.S. ʼ00, along with Denny Van Pelt ’94, took part in Radford Gives Back’s backpack project.

Spring 2025 25

Belonging to Becoming Alumni finding both place and purpose

By Hunter Q. Gresham

26 The Magazine of Radford University

adford is a community that values both belonging and becoming. It’s where students learn that seeking help is a strength, not a weakness. It’s where personal growth and professional preparation walk hand in hand. And it’s where the power of a little extra hustle, heart and hope turn potential into possibility, ensuring every graduate leaves not only ready for a career but ready for all of life’s roles.

Our inviting campus, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains and alongside the New River, is known for its ideal size, strong faculty-student bonds and civic-minded programs of study. However, students do not always arrive on campus with their life and career plans predetermined. For these five alumni, Radford was not just a place of belonging but a launchpad to success in ways they never imagined.

Andrew Hund ’03 (media studies, advertising concentration with a minor in marketing) recently relocated back to Radford from Norfolk to open Hund’s Bicycle & Outdoor Store in Radford, Virginia, purchasing the same building that housed the New Wheel Bicycle Shop, a place he frequented and worked as a student.

Charmaine Edwards-Thomas ’10 (accounting) is a hairstylist and owner of the award-winning CharMarie Salon in Blacksburg, Virginia. The salon currently has 26 employees and a bustling, dedicated clientele.

Landon Hinton ’13 (marketing and management/ entrepreneurship and international affairs) comes from a strong family of Highlanders and is making his mark in Richmond, Virginia, as a principal at 7 Hills Advisors, a thriving commercial real estate firm.

Nehemiah Bester ’18 (media studies with a minor in political science) is a communication strategist for the American Civil Liberties Union in Maryland and an independent producer for prominent media outlets, including PBS, “Frontline,” “American Experience,” Showtime, and contributor to several news outlets.

Justin Willard, MBA ’16, merged his passion for baseball and business into a career in Major League Baseball, where he serves as the director of pitching for the Boston Red Sox.

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A place of self-discovery and personal growth For many students, going to college isn’t a given. For others, Radford was the perfect opportunity in a perfect place at a perfect time.

“College attendance was a complete surprise for me,” Edwards-Thomas recalls. A college fair at her high school in Hillsville, Virginia, led her to apply early decision and discover that financial aid could make her dream possible.

“Radford was a place of coming into my own, a place of independence and growth for me,” she said. “It was the first time I was 100% financially responsible for myself.”

As a high school senior in Richmond, Bester wasn’t sure what was next. “Radford chose me,” he said. “There was a magnetic charm that pulled me into an atmosphere of possibility, and I had no idea what I was going to do or even wanted to do, but the university helped me find my path.”

Bester emphasizes that while students can find their place at Radford, Radford also makes a place for its students. His involvement in on-campus organizations like Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and the Diversity Awareness Programming Board helped shape his worldview and professional path. He shared how inspirational it was to see advisors, professors and fulltime professionals grow in their own careers while, at the same time, investing in students.

Hinton saw Radford’s campus as the perfect size and as a melting pot of individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences – a place where you learn and grow through presence, exposure and interaction.

A transformative Maymester study abroad experience in Australia and several impactful conversations with marketing Professor James Lollar (retired) shaped Hinton’s perspective and career. A naturally social and curious student, he cites how Lollar helped him see possibility. “We were having a conversation about what I’m good at, what I enjoy, and a lightbulb went off,” said Hinton. “He helped me discover that I could be successful just by being me.”

Spring 2025 27

A place of support and encouragement Time and time again, Radford alumni reflect on the profound impact of key professors and mentors who shaped their experiences as students.

Lynn Saubert and her late husband, Wayne Saubert, were Edwards-Thomas’ accounting professors, then customers, and they became like family. Securing a business loan can be challenging, especially since being both the owner and employee increases the risk, and banks often require a co-signer.

“Lynn and Wayne co-signed my first business loan,” Edwards-Thomas said. “I didn’t have family who could do that for me. To have someone who was willing to gamble on and support me like that changed the trajectory of my life.”

It’s not just faculty and staff who provide support and encouragement but also Radford alumni.

Edwards-Thomas is married to a fellow Highlander, Bryan Thomas ’06 (Information Technology). While they didn’t overlap as students, the small and close-knit campus community resulted in having mutual friends. They started dating in 2009. “No one was a bigger cheerleader for my dreams,” she said. “I opened the salon in 2014 with his support, both emotionally and in the form of manual labor.”

While attending Radford, alumnus Dan Evans ’84 was roommates with Bill Hinton ’84, Landon’s father. Their alumni roommate connection and Hinton’s natural curiosity led to a conversation with Evans about his work in the commercial real estate industry. By simply asking Evans what he did for a living, Hinton discovered a potential future for himself.

“I’ve never been someone to be stagnant or monotonous in a task. I’m good at talking, being in front of people and building relationships,” said Hinton. “Dan helped me see that I could merge these qualities and my interests into a career path.

“A common Hinton family saying is, ‘All you have at the end of the day is the name on the back of your jersey.’

And he was right. Radford helped me become self-reliant but community-minded,” Hinton said. “Because others believed in me, I was willing to bet on myself.”

Landon Hinton ’13

Charmaine Edwards-Thomas ’10

Toronto, Canada, native Willard agrees. “Radford is a place where you can maximize your development. Your job as a student is to just get better—to be and do better.”

Radford alumni reminisce about the professors, mentors and influential people who left an enduring mark on their time as students. Those relationships didn’t stop at graduation; many have stayed connected and leaned on those bonds through distinct stages of life. Radford has always been a place where students, faculty, staff and alumni form genuine connections that stand the test of time.

A place that turns potential into purpose After winning his fifth-grade bike rodeo, Hund didn’t know he’d turn a passion into a career.

“I love people. I love bikes. I love putting people on bikes,” he said.

Through his friendship with Mike Norman, manager of the former New Wheel Bicycle Shop (where he worked as a Radford University student), and his ongoing postgraduation relationship with the business and building owner, David Abraham ’76, Hund felt a calling to return.

“I have a country heartbeat and a city drive,” said Hund.

Acknowledging both his desire and the difficult decision to leave Norfolk, Virginia, a community that brought many challenges and tested his resilience, Hund desired safety and peace. “Radford is a place of refuge for me. Twenty-one years later, I’ve found my place here again. Radford is a magical place where possibilities are endless.”

If possibility is the spark of chance and opportunity, Radford ignites it quietly – without the need for fanfare.

Lessons unfold within the red brick walls and across the manicured grounds, offered with quiet confidence and earned in hushed moments.

“Ultimately, my business wouldn’t be what it is today without the experiences I had at Radford University,” said Edwards-Thomas. “I learned a lot about people, and it shaped how I manage my team and our guests.”

Willard emphasizes that his MBA from Radford prepared him for the high-stakes world of professional baseball. “The primary focus of any business is to create value and make money,” he said. “You can substitute the ‘where.’ I know how to impact value drivers. I know how

Nehemiah Bester ’18

Radford gave me something irreplaceable and priceless. It gave me what everyone needs – a beginning! A beginning is what anyone requires to become.”

Nehemiah Bester ’18

28 The Magazine of Radford University

Register your alumni-owned business and receive a special decal!

Above: Andrew Hund ʼ03 in his shop on Main Street in Radford.

Left: Justin Willard, MBA ʼ16, outside the Boston Red Sox clubhouse.

to improve assets and the return on investment. I just do it with major league pitchers.”

Radford fosters not just academic excellence but social excellence, according to Hinton. “We can talk and connect with anyone, and we are driven to succeed. Folks might underestimate us, but I say, ‘Go ahead.’ Highlanders succeed despite what others think.”

A place that prepares you for what is possible Some people are destined for greatness. It comes naturally to them.

It may even appear to have been an easy achievement. Others must carve out their path to success, discovering new possibilities along the way. They are supported and encouraged, and they work relentlessly to turn dreams – ones they previously didn’t think possible – into reality.

At Radford, the journey isn’t just about earning a degree. It’s about discovering who you are and who you’re meant to become. It’s a place where students arrive with stories as unique as their ambitions, fueled by an underdog spirit that pushes them to work harder, dream bigger and

lean into opportunities that might otherwise seem out of reach. Here, relationships matter. Professors know your name. Mentors offer guidance.

Classmates become lifelong friends.

“Your job as a college student is to grow and improve,” Willard said.

“College is one of the rare times in life when you can focus entirely on becoming your best self, and Radford is a place that truly maximizes human potential.”

Radford University helps shape lives, preparing individuals to confidently navigate an everchanging world. As graduates, they carry with them a wealth of knowledge, meaningful experiences, lasting connections and personal growth that guide their journeys.

Whether contributing to their communities, leading with integrity or pursuing new horizons, Highlanders apply the skills and confidence they’ve gained to forge their own paths.

It’s a story many Highlanders know well. Radford University is a place where students are encouraged to find their place ... and in doing so, many also discover themselves.

Scan the QR code or contact Alumni Relations by phone at 540-831-5248 or via email to alumni@radford.edu.

Spring 2025 29

Alumni Profile

Casey Marin-Shover ’07 Finding a place of acceptance and authenticity

By Pam McCallister

Casey Marin-Shover ’07 found her place at Radford, but it came at a price.

The psychology major walked away from a softball and academic scholarship at another school where she felt “out of place” – not an unfamiliar feeling for her in those days – before coming to Radford.

“The only place where I felt I belonged was on the ball field,” she said. “I had always been an athlete, and playing softball was where I found my passion.” But, she discovered, “the culture on campus made me feel like an outsider.”

After meeting her first girlfriend, a Radford student, she was drawn to the welcoming and inclusive vibe she found during her visits to campus.

“I learned that there are places where I could exist without feeling judgment,” she said. “It wasn’t that I just finally met people that were exactly like me, but I found a group of people that understood, acknowledged and had an open mind to diversity. There was acceptance.”

She transferred at the beginning of her junior year, and without scholarships, her mostly debt-free education became expensive. But becoming a Highlander was worth it.

“I was in a space that allowed me to be myself with authenticity,” she said. “I found people that came from various walks of life. Everyone was welcome. During my time, I was exposed to different opinions about the world, politics, culture and life. It helped open my mind, and I believe I became a better person from the experience.

“I started to see that there are people who focus on you as a whole person instead of just various, uncontrolled aspects of who you are. One piece of a person does not make them out to be good or bad. It shaped my confidence in myself, knowing that there are people in the world who do not think I am a terrible person because of who I am.

I no longer felt the need to hide.”

She joined the softball team, where she was known for her passion, hard work and team spirit – though not her superior stats. She says that most of the life skills she acquired at Radford came from those days.

30 The Magazine of Radford University

“I was a benchwarmer,” she said. “I stuck it out all the way through my senior year. Was it difficult? Absolutely.

What senior sits the bench? But I learned that I can still be a leader without being the best.”

Those values – and the emphasis on empathy and understanding – followed her in her postgraduate academic work and career as a board-certified behavior analyst.

“I am 100% the sole owner of Climb Behavioral Solutions, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a team of amazing people,” she said. “I see my job as being the person to identify strengths in my team and then place them in positions to let them thrive. It’s almost like I have gotten to be a coach, but instead of winning games, we get to help kids and their families.”

At Climb, which she founded in October 2020, MarinShover has found a calling rooted in her academic fascination with behavior and abnormal psychology, sparked by her undergraduate bond with Professor Ann Elliott, who shared stories of clinical practice and nurtured Marin-Shover’s interest in research.

Today, Marin-Shover leads a staff of 53 at the Portland, Oregon, clinic. She and her team employ Applied Behavior Analysis to help children with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities increase functional communication, build language and living skills, decrease problem behaviors and ultimately improve their quality of life.

“Working with kids helps keep a person grounded and can be a reminder to focus on the little things,” she said.

“A client might notice the way that water droplets fall in the sunlight through the window or the reflection of light across the wall. It taught me that we all have a different perspective and ways to view the world.”

Alumni Profile

Brixton Albert ’10 Helping golfers lower their scores and raise their spirits

By Chad Osborne

Attention, golfers. What’s your weakness on the course?

Do you need to add length to your drive? Do you have a slice that needs adjusting? (Who doesn’t?) Sand traps giving you nightmares? Is your putting missing the mark far too often?

If you answered yes to any of those questions – or all of them – Radford alumnus Brixton Albert ’10 has a solution.

Nearly a decade ago, Albert opened Performance Golf, a Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based company built to help average golfers improve their scores and experience more joy out on the links. The company offers its customers numerous ways to improve their game through digital e-learning videos – “We’re building the Netflix of golf,” Albert said emphatically – as well as game-improvement clubs and training aids, in-person experiences and “a rapidly growing app ecosystem which is becoming the world’s smartest platform to guide you through your golf journey.”

Simply stated, Performance Golf is helping recreational golfers get better faster.

Golfers who use Albert’s digital learning experience – there is a subscription service and one-off lessons – get tips and instruction from some of the best players and coaches from around the world. Included in that mix are Tiger Woods’s former coach Hank Haney and Sir Nick Faldo, who has won six major tournaments, three of those at the prestigious Masters in Augusta, Georgia. Some other prominent names that golf enthusiasts may recognize – Chris Como, David Leadbetter, Martin Chuck and Cameron McCormick – are all part of the Performance Golf faculty.

“We have the best-of-the-best teachers that the average golfer would have a really difficult time gaining access to,” Albert said.

How did Albert lure those much-sought-after-coaches?

We’ll get to that, but here’s a hint: Think of all those networking opportunities Radford offers its students.

Albert, a scratch golfer himself, continuously receives countless messages from clients who are lowering their scoring and having more fun on the course thanks to Performance Golf.

“Nothing beats getting emails from the 74-year-old golfer who’s loving our products, and he’s writing to tell us how he can now go out and show up the younger guys,” Albert said with a smile. “That guy feels good about himself, and he’s getting outdoors. It feels great to help golfers enjoy the game more.”

But running a fast-growing business isn’t always a rush of good feelings. There are plenty of daily challenges the CEO must meet head-on.

“Being an entrepreneur is always about solving problems. You’re always running into things that you have to figure out,” Albert explained. “We have more than 200 individuals working for the company worldwide, and there are many challenges when you are working with that many personalities. You’re always looking for people with the right skills and talent to help you grow the company.”

Albert sharpened many of his own entrepreneurial skills and talents as a business major at Radford. He arrived at the university straight out of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, on a golf scholarship; he left four years later, ready to ignite his lifelong desire to start and run his own business.

The day after his graduation from Radford, Albert drove home and immediately began working for a digital marketing firm, helping the company rapidly increase its sales “from $2 million to $100 million,” he said. Radford taught Albert the knowledge and confidence “to hit the ground running.”

“I grew a lot in those four years at Radford. I learned how to network and talk to people, and as a shy kid coming from Pennsylvania, I gained a lot of confidence,” he said from his Florida office. “I knew when I got out of school, I was just going to crush it because of what I learned at Radford. I had full confidence in myself that I could start something special.”

Performance Golf, with its $110 million in sales in 2024, has definitively transformed into something special, gaining the attention of not only golfers but industry insiders and finance media companies such as Forbes and Inc. Magazine, which labeled Albert’s company one of the fastest growing in the world.

Spring 2025 31

Alumni Profile

Jennie Teass Allman ’67 Golf Society tees up lifelong bonds, lasting impact

By Bailey Black

Integral to the fabric of each Highlander’s experience are the threaded connections they make while attending Radford.

Whether through the guidance of trusted mentors, the lessons learned from professors, the memories made with classmates or the new friendships developed with fellow alumni – these interwoven threads form a rich tapestry that distinguishes every person’s experience at Radford while binding them to fellow Highlanders.

Jennie Teass Allman ’67 has stayed connected to her alma mater through a tight-knit group of alumni called The Golf Society of Radford College.

The Golf Society first sprouted at Seven Springs Golf Course in Chesapeake, Virginia, blossoming organically from friends who shared both a common interest in the sport and a love of Radford.

It began with a small group who wanted to learn to play golf. As Jennie and her husband Bill owned Seven Springs, it was only natural to start there. After the first gathering, the friends enjoyed dinner, music and storytelling at the Allmans’ home in Virginia Beach. These early gatherings quickly became annual events, which continued after the Allmans moved to Forest, Virginia, and settled into their new project, Ivy Hill Golf Club.

“We played golf, we ate good food and we formed strong bonds with each other,” recalls Allman. “Most of the attendees were younger than I, but we each had our stories about the importance of the Radford experience in our lives.”

Though the members of The Golf Society graduated in different years and pursued a variety of career paths, there was a sense of belonging among the Highlanders when they were together. And what began as simple fun evolved into something greater.

“We realized that we wanted our college spirit to live on forever. Late one night, the idea of starting a scholarship was born,” says Allman. The Golf Society created three scholarships named for three members of the group: Marjorie McCallister ’69, Cindy Smith ’69 and Allman.

“Several years passed, and the donations were good. But spread among three scholarships, they were not growing fast enough for this group. Without my knowledge, it was 32 The Magazine of Radford University

decided to combine all three scholarships into one and name the new scholarship in my honor. The willingness to combine their scholarships with mine to create a larger, more impactful scholarship is amazing but consistent with the spirit of our group. I am grateful for the honor,” says Allman.

Looking back on her experience at Radford College, Allman’s favorite memories were also her most challenging and rewarding experiences. She was elected chairman of student court and was a member of Alpha Sigma Tau sorority and Cotillion Club. She also served as president of student government, working to make changes on campus and learning skills that would serve her later in her career.

This position also led Allman to what she describes as “the greatest gift” – to work with the dean of women, Bonnie Hurlburt ’58, her beloved mentor. A full circle moment occurred when Hurlburt paid a surprise visit to The Golf Society after its first gathering back at Seven Springs.

After graduating from Radford in 1967, Allman taught English for two years before pursuing a career in business at IBM, Norfolk and Western Railway and then Norfolk Southern. Her final chapter in business included partial or total ownership of businesses that included Teass and Allman Furniture Store, Electromagnetic Painting, Seven Springs Country Club, Ivy Hill Country Club, Baldwin/ Allman Real Estate Investments and Oakwood Country Club. Allman has been a trailblazer throughout her life and has achieved great success in business.

As she tells her story, though, it is The Golf Society years that she calls “the most important chapters” of her life. After more than three decades, the group continues to thrive under the leadership of Smith and her “magical” weekly Zoom meetings, held every Thursday.

“Cindy creates a special time to share our lives with each other and to strengthen our love for Radford,” Allman says. “We would have drifted apart without Cindy and her hard work to keep us together. The Golf Society allows us to celebrate each other and our bond.

“Radford will always be important to us,” she adds. “We have led such different lives, but each of us has lived a positive life, and we celebrate the impact our scholarship will have forever.”

Alumni Profile

Scot Townshend ’90 Saving lives and nurturing a generation of entrepreneurs

By Chad Osborne

Venturing into entrepreneurship requires many things, but above all, you can argue, it takes heart.

More than 25 years ago, Scot Townshend ’90 built a company that improved the way hospitals and laboratories match people in need of an organ transplant with donors.

It’s difficult to get the humble Townshend to say his company has saved lives, but there is no denying its impact on countless individuals and their families.

It all began with a conversation Townshend had with his mother. She had just left her supervisor position at the University of Florida transplant lab, and she casually mentioned the lab used index cards and paper to keep track of data.

At the time, Townshend was running a software consulting business near his home in Washington, D.C., and looking to create a tangible product he could sell.

“As an entrepreneur, you always have your eyes open for an opportunity,” Townshend said. “I was like, Ding! That’s a business idea.”

Townshend met with the doctor and head of the laboratory, pitching his idea for software that could better track transplant data. “He said this could be very interesting for our field,” Townshend recalled. Soon thereafter, he built a prototype and made his first sale.

The university lab was his first customer. His second was Washington Hospital Center in D.C. “I hired my mom out of retirement to be my lead salesperson,” Townshend said with a smile. He kept his software consulting company until his new company, SystemLink, Inc., generated sustainable revenue, but that didn’t take long.

SystemLink’s HistoTrac software became an international success, providing transplant information systems for patient management, data analysis and archiving, reporting and connectivity between donors and individuals in need of an organ. “When a donor becomes available, the software helps determine if a donor is compatible with individuals on wait lists. We also do bone marrow transplants.”

Nearly 90% of laboratories in the U.S. and Canada used Townshend’s software, he said, and he slowly expanded his business into parts of Europe and New Zealand.

To continue growing and expanding into international markets, Townshend needed to build a distribution network. It would, however, be a time-consuming, laborintensive task.

Townshend soon found a buyer that already had a distribution channel, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and sold his company. He had worked two years for Thermo Fisher when he received heart-wrenching news. His 28-year-old daughter, Brooke, was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“So, I went into early retirement,” Townshend explained.

“I couldn’t continue to work. I wanted to support her and give her all the time I could.

“But she’s fine now,” he assured. “She’s married and living in San Diego.”

Townshend remains retired, sort of. “I am, but I’m not,” he said, smiling. “I’m going to get back into business.”

For now, Townshend is helping Radford students who aspire to follow his entrepreneurial journey. Townshend, the son of a pharmacist who ran his own drugstore, serves on the advisory board for the Artis College of Science and Technology, and he periodically returns to campus to volunteer and speak to students. Townshend also works with his connections in Northern Virginia to secure internships for Radford students and possibly drive more students from the area to the university.

“I got really lucky at Radford,” said Townshend, who came to Radford with his best friend, John Hott ’89, studied business and computers – “those were the days of floppy disks and WordPerfect,” he said – pledged with Phi Kappa Sigma and met the love of his life, Bonnie Blunk ’89.

“Radford was a sweet spot for me, and it was a great place to learn and grow,” Townshend said. “I loved how it offered me those opportunities, and I want to help the university continue to offer these opportunities to students.”

Spring 2025 33

34 The Magazine of Radford University

The 2025 Volunteer Summit was a record-breaking success!

With alumni and friends from across the country, the energy was electric as we celebrated, connected and contributed to the future of Radford University. With so many already making a difference, Highlanders are proving that the best way to “Find Your Place” is right here – giving back, leading and inspiring others.

Spring 2025 35

Athletics hosts Fan Fest 2024

Radford Athletics kicked off the 2024 fall schedule by giving Highlander fans an opportunity to meet with coaches of the university’s 16 teams. Held Aug. 20 at Sinkland Farms, the second annual Highlander Fan Fest offered sports enthusiasts a variety of fun things to do. There were food trucks to satisfy appetites and games and inflatables for the younger Highlander fans. Men’s and women’s basketball supporters had the opportunity to purchase season tickets and secure their favorite seats in the Dedmon Center.

Highlanders pitch in to help those affected by Hurricane Helene

Soon after Hurricane Helene devastated areas of the New River Valley and Southwest Virginia, members of the Radford women’s lacrosse team sprang into action, offering help to those in need. The players made blankets to distribute and donated items to United Way of Southwest Virginia. They also helped clean a section beside the New River that stretched more than a mile. “After the hurricane, we just showed up for our neighbors – teamwork and a little care go a long way,” head coach Samantha Jones said. “Being active community members and helping those in need is a big part of being a member of the Radford women’s lacrosse program. We are fortunate to be willing and able to contribute to the New River Valley, our home away from home.”

The Radford track and field program also stepped up to help a student-athlete and her local community. Hiwassee, Virginia, native Kelsey Arnold saw her hometown sustain major damage from Helene. Feeling at a loss for what to do, Shelli Sayers, director of track and field, helped spearhead an effort to support the community. The track and field program raised donations internally from women’s lacrosse, men’s soccer, softball, men’s tennis, men’s basketball and multiple staff members, all going to support Hiwassee.

Newest Highlander Hall of Famers

Radford University Athletics inducted five new members into its Hall of Fame at a ceremony held in early October as part of Homecoming Weekend festivities. Getting the call to the hall this year were standout athletes Che’ Brown ’13 (women’s soccer), Roz Groce ’92 (women’s basketball), Alex Gregory ’09 (baseball) and Nichole Beall ’12 (softball), as well as former athletics director Greig Denny. The five inductees made up the 21st class to be selected for their outstanding contributions to Radford athletics. The ceremony was held at The Highlander Hotel Radford on Oct. 4.

36 The Magazine of Radford University

Volleyball reaches the Big South postseason

For the first time since 2018, Radford’s volleyball team advanced to the Big South Conference postseason tournament and dug out a huge win in the quarterfinals. Sydney Mundkowsky, Sophie Paspal, Sierra Moore and Lea Gage all made outstanding contributions in the Highlanders’ 3-0 victory over UNC Asheville in the quarterfinals. Radford’s impressive run in the tournament ended a game later with a loss to High Point. Paspal and Aubrey Hatch earned Big South all-conference honors for their impressive 2024 seasons, with Mundkowsky also being named to the all-tournament team.

Women’s soccer advances to conference semis

Radford’s women’s soccer team advanced to the Big South semifinals in 2024 and were just a few near-misses away from slipping through to the title game. The Highlanders played toe-to-toe with High Point in a back-and-forth nail-biter that eventually ended in a 3-2 overtime defeat for Radford. A header in the 61st minute from Radford’s Lilly Short tied the contest at 1-1. Later, Highlanders Eileen Albers and Jashyra Johnson each smacked shots off the crossbar. With a minute to play, Paige Olson hit another shot that dinged the crossbar, but this time, the Highlanders got a fortunate bounce off a High Point defender and into the goal.

Radford led 2-1 but gave up the equalizer 15 seconds later. The game advanced into overtime, where Radford succumbed in heartbreaking fashion. “It was a rollercoaster of emotions,” head coach Ben Sohrabi said after the game.

Cross-country’s record year

The men’s and women’s cross-country teams ran their way into top-four finishes at the Big South Conference Championships in 2024. Both also competed in the NCAA Southeast Regional. It was a record-setting season for both teams.

The women’s team finished 22nd in the regional competition, and the men placed 27th. Those finishes were the best for the group at the meet since 2021. “It really has us fired up for track season and bringing the core of this group back for crosscountry next year,” said head coach Sam Bradley.

Dedmon Center upgrades

Just before the basketballs and volleyballs started bouncing and flying around the Dedmon Center for the 2024-25 campaigns, the Highlanders’ beloved athletics facility got a makeover. Updates included new, larger video boards, scoreboards, shot clocks, a state-of-the-art sound system, LED color-changing lights, an upgraded competition court and a revamped practice floor for volleyball. The renovations were initiated by a gift from Faye Marcum ’71. “This should continue to help the Dedmon Center be a huge home court advantage and one that Highlander Nation is proud to call home,” said Mike McGuire, women’s basketball head coach, as the renovations neared completion.

Softball field gets improvements, too

Radford’s softball stadium also received some major improvements that include a new artificial playing surface and a video scoreboard. The project was funded by alumna Nancy E. Artis ’73 and her husband, H. Pat Artis, Ph.D. “Our program is extremely excited and grateful for Dr. Pat and Nancy Artis’s financial commitment to completely overhauling the Radford softball stadium,” head coach Kevin Fagan said. “Turning our field into an artificial turf field and the addition of a video scoreboard will make our complex one of the premier playing venues in our region. The Artis family are such kind, humble people, and their continued support of Radford University is nothing short of amazing.”

Spring 2025 37

Highlander Nation welcomes Coach Chu Ninth head coach of men’s basketball

Zach Chu, the new head coach of men’s basketball, met Highlander Nation at a press conference and fan meet-and-greet in the Dedmon Center on March 19. Chu is the ninth head coach in the storied program’s history.

A native of Dallas, Texas, Chu brings with him more than nine years of experience in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and most recently served as the chief strategist for men's basketball at Southern Methodist University (SMU).

“We are delighted that Zach Chu has chosen to take the next step in his career by agreeing to become the head coach of Radford University's men’s basketball team,” said President Bret Danilowicz.

“Zach's relentless work ethic, data-driven strategy and proven success at both collegiate and professional levels make him the right leader for this moment. We are confident he will elevate our program and uphold Radford's tradition of success on and off the court.”

While at SMU, Chu helped the Mustangs achieve a 23-10 record overall, including a mark of 13-7 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. Prior to his role at SMU, Chu served for three seasons on Rick Carlisle's staff with the Indiana Pacers as the manager of game strategy and analytics. While he was with the Pacers, the squad advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2023-24.

Chu also worked for two seasons as the analytics liaison to Carlisle with the Dallas Mavericks. During Chu's tenure with the Mavericks, the team achieved the most efficient offense in NBA history at the time, with an offensive rating of 115.9 in 2020.

“Zach has worked alongside some of the most brilliant minds in basketball,” Radford Athletics Director Robert Lineburg said. “I am confident that he and his staff will bring a modern, innovative approach to Radford while building on the legacy of the great coaches who came before him.”

Chu earned a degree in finance from the University of Richmond, where he was a walk-on member of the men’s basketball team from 2011-15.

“The landscape of intercollegiate athletics is undergoing rapid change, and I am grateful that Robert Lineburg and Dr. Danilowicz embrace a forward-looking mindset,” Chu said. “From the top down at Radford, there's a positive energy that will allow us to create an environment to facilitate success for our student-athletes both academically and athletically.”

38 The Magazine of Radford University

To support Radford Athletics, visit: www.thehighlanderclub.com.

Fuel their journey!

Help Highlanders cross the stage at graduation.

You can make a difference in the lives of Radford University students today!

Your gift of any amount provides vital support for scholarships, programs and opportunities that help Highlander students succeed.

www.radford.edu/give

Spring 2025 39

Class Notes 1960s

Marquis Who’s Who presented Emma Violand-Sanchez ’66 with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award.

Violand-Sanchez is an author, a lifelong educator and an advocate for immigrant and refugee students and their families. Her new book, “Dreams and Shadows: An Immigrant’s Journey,” was released on March 20, 2025.

Linda Darden Hedgepeth ’68, owner and broker-in-charge of Lake Gaston Celebrations Rental Homes and Lake Gaston Edge Realty, was selected for inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who.

1980s

We are so proud of our Radford alumni and want to hear about your success and milestone moments!

Share exciting news, career moves and life updates with us so we can celebrate with you.

Don’t forget that you can share a photo, too.

Email ClassNotes@radford.edu or scan the QR code below.

Hugh Hornsby ’81, vice president of sales at Everflow Supplies Inc., was awarded Person of the Year

by PHCPPros, a publication that covers the plumbing, heating, cooling and piping industry.

Penny Hodge ’84 joined Virginia Credit Union’s Board of Directors following its merger with Member One Federal Credit Union. Hodge is the retired assistant superintendent for Roanoke County Public Schools.

Cathy Wood ’85 was named the inaugural vice dean for finance and administration at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and senior vice president at Johns Hopkins Medicine.

40 The Magazine of Radford University

Catherine Wilson Cox ’81 received the Navy Nurse Corps Association’s Meritorious Recognition Award and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award in 2024. Cox is a retired U.S. Navy nurse who has been teaching in the School of Nursing at George Washington University since 2016.

Windham Brannon, an industry leader in providing advisory, assurance and tax services, welcomed Denise Hall-Gaulin ’86 as a principal in the firm’s Healthcare Consulting Practice.

The University of the Virgin Islands announced the appointment of Michael J. Morsberger ’87 as its new vice president for institutional advancement.

Branch banking regional executive at Wells Fargo, Michael Donnelly ’88, was named one of Atlanta’s 500 Most Powerful Leaders in 2025 by Atlanta Magazine. Donnelly serves on the Radford University Foundation Board of Directors.

Suzanne Ryder Jaworowski ’89 was chosen as the new secretary of energy and natural resources for the State of Indiana.

National Bankshares, Inc., parent company of The National Bank of Blacksburg, announced that David K. Skeens ’89 was named executive vice president/chief risk officer.

1990s

Stephen R. Pugh ’90 was named executive vice president and chief financial officer of the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA).

Vanessa Preston-Scaramucich ’90 is the new vice president of sales for Designer Greetings, an industry-leading greeting card company.

Rich Irons ’92 began a new role as vice president – business banking officer (Northern Virginia Region) for Burke & Herbert Bank.

National Bankshares, Inc. announced the promotion of Lara E. Ramsey ’90, M.S. ’92, to president and CEO of the company and its subsidiary bank, The National Bank of Blacksburg.

John Farmer ’92 was promoted to senior associate athletic director at Roanoke College.

Mimi Calogero ’93 is the new principal of St. Louis Catholic School in Alexandria, Virginia.

Calogero is in her 16th year at the school, having served as a teacher, instructional coach and assistant principal.

Maureen Meyers ’93, senior archaeologist with New South Associates, Inc., was appointed to the Georgia Council on American Indian Concerns.

The Bluefield State University Board of Governors announced the selection of Darrin Martin, M.S. ’95, as the university’s 17th president.

Jason Braunstein ’95 began a new position as assistant director of fire and emergency response for the Virginia Department of Forestry.

Paul Beckman ’96, chief information security officer (CISO) for ManTech, was included on the Top CISOs to Watch in 2024 list by Washington Exec. Beckman is also a member of the CISO Advisory Board for The Carlyle Group.

The Shenandoah Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals awarded Andy Vanhook ’99, of Appeal Production, with the 2024 Spirit of Philanthropy Award.

W. Andrew Patzig ’99, ’03, partner at Price Benowitz Accident Injury Lawyers, LLP, was selected for inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who.

2000s

The Society of 1910 recognizes individuals who are providing a future gift to Radford University through their financial and estate plans and, in doing so, are creating a lasting legacy.

Designating Radford University as a beneficiary in your will, trust, retirement plan, financial account or annuity is more than an investment – it’s a promise to future generations.

If you’ve included (or thought about including) Radford University in your will or estate documents, we’d love to hear from you!

Virginia Western Community College announced the appointment of Jennifer Pittman ’00, M.S. ’03, to associate vice president of human resources.

To learn more about the Society of 1910, contact Rebekah LaPlante, director of gift planning, at 540-831-5167 or via email at rlaplante@radford.edu.

Jessica Flagg, M.S. ’02, joined TenCate Americas, a leading manufacturer, distributor and installer of synthetic turf for sports and outdoor living applications, as vice president of corporate communications.

Membership in the Society of 1910 is conferred when the university is notified of your qualifying gift.

Inductions into the society occur annually at a special event.

Darcie Priester ’03 began a new position as coordinator of professional learning for Manassas Park City Schools.

The Prince George County School Board appointed Douglas Wayne Lyle Jr. ’94 to be the district’s new superintendent.

Spring 2025 41

Matt Crisp ’04 joined Ichor Agriculture as chairman and chief executive officer. Ichor Agriculture is a green chemistry company focused on developing novel crop protection products, namely a new class of broadspectrum fungicides.

Will Price ’05 is the new deputy athletic director for external affairs at Valparaiso University.

Sarah Henshaw ’06, nursing senior director at Carilion Clinic Cardiovascular Institute, was featured in Virginia Business’ “100 People to Meet in 2025.”

W. Aaron French ’06 was promoted to associate director of internal communications at Lathan & Watkins, a global law firm.

Class of 1975, your Golden Reunion awaits!

Join us at Homecoming 2025, Oct. 9-11, for a weekend of memories and celebration.

Reconnect with classmates and meet President Bret Danilowicz.

For more information, scan the QR code below or visit www.radford.edu/golden.

Interested in volunteering? Let us know! Call 540-831-5248 or email alumni@radford.edu.

42 The Magazine of Radford University

Serve First Racquet Sports, co-founded by Caroline Downs ’06, was named the USTA North Carolina Member Organization of the Year in 2024. Downs is a former member and captain of the Radford women’s tennis team.

The County of Pulaski, Virginia, named Katie Thompson ’07 as the first director for the Office of Drug Prevention and Recovery.

Robert Barrett ’07 took on a new role as general counsel for Paessler GmbH. Chase Nunley ’07 was named the Washington County Schools 2024-25 Teacher of the Year.

Nunley, who teaches health and physical education, was also recognized as the Abingdon High School Teacher of the Year and Washington County High School Teacher of the Year.

Morgan Noone ’08, elementary instructional technology coach for Goochland County Public Schools, was named VSTE Coach of the Year in 2024.

VSTE, the Virginia Society for Technology in Education, is a professional development and advocacy organization for educators in Virginia.

Allison Epperly Chambers ’11 and her husband, Jonathon Chambers, welcomed their first child, JessaJo, into the world on Nov. 16, 2024.

Melissa Brown ’08, M.S. ’11, was promoted to executive vice president, head of technology, at Weber Shandwick.

2010s

Catharina Zavertnik ’10 joined the Board of Directors at Feeding Charlotte, a nonprofit that focuses on reducing food waste and feeding the hungry.

The Montgomery County School Board has named Domenic Saia, M.S. ’11, the new principal at Falling Branch Elementary School.

Kathleen Poe ’11, M.S. ’12, is the new principal of Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School in Prince William County.

Britta Jones ’13, director of technology for Colvin Run Networks, Inc., was selected for inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who. Lyndsay Hawkins ’14 was promoted to chief operating officer at Recro Corporation, a firm that specializes in supporting federal agencies with advanced IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, DevOps, cloud services and digital transformation initiatives.

Member One, a division of Virginia Credit Union, announced Tim Rowe, MBA ’15, as market president – part of its new regional leadership team for the combined Roanoke Valley, New River Valley and Lynchburg markets.

The Charlottesville Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office welcomed its newest assistant commonwealth’s attorney, Amanda Blankenship ’15.

Sallie Shackelford, M.S. ’16, was named Rappahannock County Public Schools Teacher of the Year in 2024. Shackelford serves as a secondary and middle school mathematics teacher, instructional math coach and teacher mentor for new hires.

Matt Shields ’19 is the new managing director for Mill Mountain Theatre in Roanoke.

Amy Christian ’19 was named the director of a new regional recovery high school, a joint initiative of Waynesboro and Augusta County Schools, scheduled to open in fall 2025.

Former Radford student-athlete Jasmine Casarez ’19 completed 100 games with FC Juárez Femenil, a professional women’s soccer club based in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.

Allison Quesenberry ’19 joined the Tri-Area Community Health team to offer dietitian and nutrition services.

2020s

Jasmine Rollins ’22, a staff scientist at Schnabel Engineering, received the Presidential Citation from the Association of Environmental and Engineering Geologists for her contributions to the organization over the past five years.

Sam Lincoln ’23 joined The Bristol Hotel as its new director of food and beverage. Lincoln will oversee the hotel’s onsite restaurants, Vivian’s Table and LUMAC Rooftop Bar. Ashlee Stevens, MSN ’23, was named vice president of nursing, chief nursing officer, at Bon Secours Mary Immaculate Hospital.

Radford Night at Nationals Park Friday, Aug. 15 Join us this August when the Washington Nationals host the Philadelphia Phillies.

The 2025 giveaway is a cobranded Radford/Nationals hat, and your ticket includes the post-game summer concert by five-time Grammy-nominated, Diamond-selling artist Sam Hunt.

Kyle Altizer ’20, M.S. ’22, and his wife, Haylee Chaffin Altizer ’23, welcomed their first child, Avalynn, into the world on Oct. 4, 2024.

For more information, scan the QR code or visit radford.edu/alumni/events.

Spring 2025 43

In Memoriam As of Aug. 1, 2024-Feb. 1, 2025

1940s

Anne (Nancy) C. Crotty ’47 of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Dec. 4, 2024.

Glena Sue Cornett Slemp ’64 of Big Stone Gap, Virginia, Oct. 28, 2024.

Nancy Baker Hannan ’48 of Chandler, Arizona, Sept.13, 2024.

Suellen DuPriest Good ’65 of Rockingham, Virginia, Dec. 29, 2024.

1950s

Congratulations to Women’s Golf on winning the Big South Championship for first time in school history.

Further congratulations to sophomore Macy Johnson who was named the Big South’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year to go with her First Team AllConference honors.

Ruth Coleman Duncan ’51 of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Dec. 3, 2024.

Mildred Salyer Harris ’51 of Charlotte, North Carolina, Dec. 29, 2024.

Ruth Jean Bolt ’52 of Meadows of Dan, Virginia, Sept. 12, 2024.

Norma Jean Keesee ’56, M.S. ’72, of Abingdon, Virginia, Dec. 23, 2024.

Betty Ann Campbell Yates ’59 of Lebanon, Virginia, Aug. 30, 2024.

Vera Christine Burkett Mottesheard ’59 of Draper, Virginia, Oct. 17, 2024.

1960s

Margaret Joann Young Lineburg ’60, M.S. ’72, of Radford, Virginia, Aug. 11, 2024.

Reta Carol Rose Swoope ’60 of Clifton Forge, Virginia, Sept. 29, 2024.

Elizabeth (Betty) Grayson ’60 of Radford, Virginia, Nov. 13, 2024.

Barbara Baker Page Nance ’61 of Salem, Virginia, Sept. 22, 2024.

Kay Kendrick Lugar ’61 of Roanoke, Virginia, Jan. 6, 2025.

Phyllis Elaine Bishop ’63, M.S. ’71 of Pulaski, Virginia, Dec. 6, 2024.

44 The Magazine of Radford University

Mary Jane Brown ’66 of Fairfax, Virginia, Aug. 19, 2024.

Timothy Donald Dobbins, M.S. ’66, of Radford, Virginia, Oct. 6, 2024.

Linda Hedrick Milam ’66 of Piketon, Ohio, Jan. 25, 2025.

Donna Marie Reed Johnson ’67, M.S. ’88, of Floyd, Virginia, Sept. 14, 2024.

Harriet Marva Ridgeway ’67 of Vinton, Virginia, Oct. 21, 2024.

Norma Snider Ruble ’68, M.S. ’73, of Vinton, Virginia, Aug. 30, 2024.

Linda Campbell Oakes ’68 of Dry Fork, Virginia, Oct. 4, 2024.

Nancy Morrison Niswander, M.S. ’69, of Harrisonburg, Virginia, Aug. 13, 2024.

Phillip William Fred Berrier, M.S. ’69, of Cana, Virginia, Aug. 24, 2024.

Sandra Busick Akers ’69, M.S. ’75, of Limestone, Tennessee, Sept. 21, 2024.

Linda Warden Smith ’69, of Farmville, Virginia, Sept. 26, 2024.

Maxine Jeanette Mullins, M.S. ’69, of Buchanan County, Virginia, Nov. 3, 2024.

1970s

Carolyn Hopkins, M.S. ’70, of Rocky Mount, Virginia, Jan. 13, 2025.

Margaret Louise Drody Thompson ’70 of Pinopolis, South Carolina, Jan. 17, 2025.

Jane Whitfield Painter, M.S. ’71 of Salem, Virginia, Oct. 28, 2024.

Claude J. Reedy, M.S. ’71, of Carolina Shores, North Carolina, Nov. 15, 2024.

Rosemary Zava ’71 of Seminole, Florida, Nov. 17, 2024.

Wanda Ricketts Gibble ’71, M.S. ’72, of Chesapeake, Virginia, Nov. 24, 2024.

Carolyn Gayle Blackwell Snead of Christiansburg, Virginia, Nov. 12, 2024.

Darrell Leon Keene, M.S. ’74 of Sevierville, Tennessee, Sept. 13, 2024.

Mary Beth Viau ’74 of Fairlawn, Virginia, Jan. 24, 2025.

Evelyn Clemens Hobbs ’76 of Waynesboro, Virginia, Oct. 11, 2024.

Shirley Renee Parcell Thomasson ’76, M.S. ’81, of Roanoke, Virginia, Dec. 10, 2024.

Linda Sue Lothes ’76 of Beverly, Ohio, Jan. 20, 2025.

Juanita Marie Thompson Wilson ’77 of Dublin, Virginia, Aug. 10, 2024.

Richard Lyon Jones, Jr. ’77, M.A. ’82, of Ocala, Florida, Nov. 20, 2024.

William C. Auer ’77 of Newport News, Virginia, Nov. 29, 2024.

Nelson Coleman Edwards Sr. ’78 of Martinsville, Virginia, Sept. 4, 2024.

Janie Dillon ’78 of Max Meadows, Virginia, Jan. 28, 2025.

1980s

Robert Truman Ficke, M.S. ’81, of Pulaski, Virginia, Dec. 5, 2024.

James Gordon Hall ’81 of Bristol, Virginia, Jan. 25, 2025.

Eric Timothy Gress, M.S. ’82, of Dublin, Virginia, Oct. 4, 2024.

Craig Hodge ’83 of Roanoke, Virginia, Aug. 31, 2024.

Anna Harrison Kent ’84 of Chesapeake, Virginia, Aug. 17, 2024.

Timothy Allen Dennis ’84 of Pearisburg, Virginia, Nov. 2, 2024.

Daniel D. Aschenbrenner ’85 of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, Dec. 21, 2024.

Daniel (Dan) Frank Garrigan ’87 of Knoxville, Tennessee, Jan. 11, 2025.

1990s

Gregory W. Rhatican ’90 of Springfield, Virginia, Oct. 12, 2024.

Teddy Allen Wilson ’92 of Leesburg, Virginia, June 5, 2024.

Jada Celeste Callender ’94 of Clifton Forge, Virginia, Dec. 15, 2024.

Thomas Knapp Stone ’95 of Richmond, Virginia, Sept. 22, 2024.

S AV E T H E D A T E

Dec. 2-3, 2025

Tobias (Toby) C. Phillips ’96 of Pearisburg, Virginia, Nov. 25, 2023.

Mary (Stephanie) Coleman, M.S.W. ’96, of Amelia Court House, Virginia, Dec. 2, 2024.

Joseph Wayne Callaway ’97 of Florence, New Jersey, Oct. 7, 2024.

Jennifer M. Bukowski, M.S. ’99 of Harborcreek, Pennsylvania, Aug. 16, 2024.

Every gift, no matter the size, makes a difference.

Show your pride.

Make an impact. #HighlandersGiveBack

Cheryl Lynn Hart ’99 of Boone, North Carolina, Sept. 27, 2024.

Victoria (Vickie) Renee Simmons ’79 of Clifton Forge, Virginia, Jan. 4, 2025.

Spring 2025 45

2000s

Darryl S. Milam ’01, M.S. ’03, of Roanoke, Virginia, Nov. 5, 2024.

Support Scholarships!

Hit the links with us in 2025!

Tidewater Alumni Chapter Virginia Beach National Golf Club Virginia Beach, Virginia Thursday, May 29

National Capital Region Evergreen Country Club Haymarket, Virginia Thursday, June 26

Richmond Chapter

Meadowbrook Country Club Richmond, Virginia Friday, Sept. 19

John Preston Rodes Jr. ’05 of Lake Worth, Florida, Nov. 10, 2024.

James (Christopher) Gay ’07 of Yosemite National Park, California, Oct. 15, 2024.

Ashley Leigh Simpson ’07, M.S. ’08, of Roanoke, Virginia, Nov. 3, 2024.

2010s

Mariah (Riah) Corinne Whitcomb ’14 and ’22

Of Salem, Virginia, passed away on Nov. 9, 2024, after a valiant battle with cancer.

Whitcomb, who received her bachelor’s degrees in psychology and nursing, was an active member of Alpha Zeta Tau sorority and a VICU RN at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital prior to her passing. To honor her legacy, her family established a memorial scholarship to assist students pursuing a nursing degree at the Roanoke site. If you wish to contribute to the scholarship in Whitcomb’s memory, please visit radford.edu/give Holly Jennings King ’16, M.S. ’21, of Craig, Virginia, Sept. 27, 2024.

Anthony (AJ) Tyrone Zellars, Jr. ’19 of Charlotte, North Carolina, Nov. 19, 2024.

Find the details at

www.radford.edu/alumni .

46 The Magazine of Radford University

2020s

Kelsey Alanna Patton ’23

Of Max Meadows, Virginia, tragically passed away on Sept. 23, 2024. Patton earned her bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders in 2023 and was on track to receive her master’s degree in 2025. Patton was known for her strong work ethic, kind spirit and loving nature. To honor her legacy, her family established a memorial scholarship to assist graduate students in the communication sciences and disorders program. If you wish to contribute to the scholarship in Patton’s memory, please visit radford.edu/give

Faculty & Staff

John Marcellus Barnett of Christiansburg, Virginia, Aug. 28, 2024.

David Lee Gautier, Jr. of Radford, Virginia, Oct. 24, 2024.

Gwen Brown of Lawrenceville, New Jersey, Nov. 25, 2024.

Rogers Franklin Lambert of Christiansburg, Virginia, Jan. 23, 2025.

Brent Chumbley of Bowling Green, Kentucky, Jan. 30, 2025.

Randy Lee Davis of Newbern, Virginia, Feb. 1, 2025.

Highlighted 2025 Events May 29

Tidewater Alumni Chapter Golf Tournament Virginia Beach, Virginia

June 13

Durham Bulls Game Raleigh, North Carolina

June 14

Alumni Adventure Grayson Highlands, Virginia

June 17

Alumni Social Atlanta, Georgia

June 26

National Capital Region Golf Tournament Haymarket, Virginia

July 10

Radford Night at Elmwood Park Roanoke, Virginia

July 18

Radford Night at the Richmond Squirrels Richmond, Virginia

Aug. 15

Radford Day at Nationals Park, with Sam Hunt Concert Washington, D.C.

Aug. 21

Radford University AlumniEmployee Kickoff at BT’s Radford, Virginia

Aug. 23

Radford Community Fest Radford, Virginia

Sept. 19 Sept. 26-28

Richmond Chapter Golf Tournament Richmond, Virginia Family and Friends Weekend Radford and Roanoke sites

Oct. 9

Golden Reunion (Class of 1975) Radford campus

Oct. 9-11

Homecoming Radford campus

Oct. 11

Highlanders Festival Radford campus

Oct. 25

Alumni Adventure Bottom Creek Gorge, Virginia

Nov. 14

Day of Gratitude Radford campus

Dec. 2-3

Highlander Giving Day Online

Dec. 12

Graduate Hooding and Commencement Ceremony Radford campus

Dec. 13

Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony Radford campus

For a full listing of events and activities, visit calendar.radford.edu.

Spring 2025 47

BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT Kevin Rogers ’87 Dale Ardizzone ’85, M.S. ’86 GeGe Beall ’82, M.S. ’90 Hilary Blackburn ’84 Tawanna Blassingame ’92 Pete Campbell ’92 Byron Chafin ’90 Stephanie Cifuentes ’05, M.S. ’06 Rita Davis ’80 Mike “Flip” DeFilippo ’90 Sherry Fisher ’85 Susy Furr ’86 Gina Gallagher ’85 Nicole Gwanzura ’12, MBA ’13 Landon Hinton ’13 Brandon Jackson ’10 Nancy Manning ’65 Rebecca Phillips ’06 Lara Ramsey ’90, M.S. ’91 Tommy Slusser ’79 Tyler Swarmer ’16 Nana T-Chee Kum ’09 Correy Watkins ’02

Learn how you can get involved and inspire the next generation of Radford leaders.

Together, we can ensure that the journey of finding one’s place continues for generations to come.

www.radford.edu/alumni-volunteer 48 The Magazine of Radford University

Finding your place — then and now

Do you remember your first steps onto Radford University’s campus? That mix of excitement and nerves as you wondered where you’d fit in and how your journey would unfold? For so many of us, Radford wasn’t just about classes and exams – it was where we started figuring out who we were. It was late-night conversations near the fountain, joining clubs we’d never heard of before and even a few missteps that taught us more than we expected.

I’ve learned that belonging isn’t just about where you are but about the connections you build along the way.

Finding your place isn’t something you do just once. It’s an ongoing journey, one that unfolds with every new chapter of life.

Author Ursula K. LeGuin said it best: “It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”

My own journey began in 1983, moving into Muse Hall, the “Tower of Power.” Within days, I was playing flag football in front of the dorm, meeting so many new people I lost count. I joined Phi Kappa Sigma, played intramural sports and even started a student services business to earn a little extra money so my friends

Former university president Donald N. Dedmon with Kevin Rogers as Rowdy Red.

and I could fully enjoy campus life. I was a speech and communications major, but it was on campus that I first discovered my passion for business. My advisor and professor, Ted McKosky, challenged me constantly – pushing me to develop the skills I’d need to succeed.

One of my favorite roles was becoming Rowdy Red, the school mascot. I’ll never forget the moments of school spirit and community, especially when Radford’s president, Dr. Dedmon, and his wife became my biggest fans. Mrs. Dedmon, with her signature beehive hairdo, was a regular at Radford basketball games and always took my playful antics in stride, even when Rowdy Red used her beehive as a punching bag to get the students and spectators at the game fired up.

Over the last eight years as president of the Alumni Board, I’ve had the privilege of reconnecting with Radford. Looking back 41 years later, I realize Radford was a place where we could grow, gaining confidence and courage before stepping into the world. It wasn’t just about academics – it was about discovering who we were meant to be. Whether it was late-night study sessions in the library, cheering on the Highlanders or the friendships that turned strangers into lifelong connections.

The challenges we faced back then taught us resilience and adaptability. Now, as alumni, those lessons continue to guide us. Radford didn’t just prepare us for careers; it gave us the tools to navigate life’s uncertainties, reminding us that finding our place is a continuous journey.

Your journey didn’t end at graduation; it’s still unfolding. And now, you have the opportunity to help today’s Highlanders find their way. Whether through mentoring, sharing career advice or volunteering, your experience can make a lasting impact. Let’s give back to the place that helped shape us.

Visit www.radford.edu/alumni-volunteer to learn how you can get involved and inspire the next generation of Radford leaders. Together, we can ensure that the journey of finding one’s place continues for generations to come.

With Highlander pride, Kevin Rogers ’87

Rowdy Red (ʼ85-ʼ87) Radford University Alumni Board President

Spring 2025 49

P.O. Box 6915 | Radford University Radford, VA 24142 Change Service Requested

Mark your calendar!

The 2025 Highlanders Festival will coincide with Radford University Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 11. You won’t want to miss it!

Questions? Contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 540-831-5248 or email alumni@radford.edu.