The Radford University Office of Undergraduate Research (OURS) sponsored the 4th Winter CARD, or Creative Activities and Research Days Nov. 29 through Dec. 2. Working closely with faculty and other students during the fall semester, undergraduate students solved wicked problems we face in society and on our planet. Students presented their research projects through poster projects or orally to an audience. OURS provides transformative experiential learning opportunies to undergraduate college students to help them gain experience that will serve them well in their workplace and all of their lives. Students' experience in tackling ambiguous processes and solutions transforms them well beyond learning skill in their disciplines, to include being more engaged in their workplace even decades later (Purdue Gallop Poll), developing critical thinking and communication skills which are the most desired Career Readiness skills by employers, and helping get that first job as 86% of employers indicate they are more likely to hire students who have conducted a research project with faculty. For more information about Winter CARD at Radford University, please contact OURS at ours@radford.edu.

Rewarding her strong year on the court and in the classroom, Radford University volleyball's Shelby Hernandez has been named to the Big South All-Academic Team, the conference office announced Wednesday afternoon.

Two Radford University students, Caleb Belcher and Jaxon Turner, were recognized as 2021-22 Scholastic All Americans in August by National Collegiate Rugby. This annual program recognizes high performing student athletes across college rugby. Men's rugby and women's rugby were founding members of Radford's Sports Club Council (SCC). Since its inception, the SCC has helped develop 22 sport clubs with more than 450 participants. These clubs participate in collegiate leagues similar to those of varsity teams. National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) is focused solely on the growth and development of collegiate rugby teams, student-athletes, and coaches. NCR evolved from the National Small College Rugby Organization (NSCRO), founded in 2007. Initially created to support the growth and development of small college rugby, the organization now serves men's and women's college rugby programs of all sizes.

Capping a strong season in the middle of the Radford University Highlanders' defense, Shelby Hernandez has been named Big South Libero of the Week, the conference announced Monday afternoon.

The Big South Conference announced Monday afternoon that Ashlyn Traylor of Radford University Women's Basketball has been named the Big South Freshman of the Week, the first weekly honor for the Highlanders this season.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Thanks to his breakout performance on the road this week, Radford University men's basketball guard Kenyon Giles has been named Big South Freshman of the Week.

The Radford University Office of Undergraduate Research (OURS) is pleased to announce the schedule for this year's Summer Research Celebration. This past summer, 24 amazing student-faculty collaborative projects were funded through the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program. On Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022, students presented their research projects from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Kyle Hall, Room 340. The schedule of presentations is available at www.radford.edu/src. For more information about the Summer Research Celebration, please contacts OURS at ours@radford.edu.

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is proud to announce the recipients of a 2022 Love of Learning Award. The awards help fund post-baccalaureate studies and career development for active Society members.

Ally Meier, a senior nursing major from Windsor, Virginia, has received the Citizen Leadership Spotlight Award at Radford University. The program highlights those who go above and beyond the Citizen Leader Program requirements. The Citizen Leader Program helps students develop into effective leaders who tackle important issues from the local community level to the global community level. The students reflect on their curricular and co-curricular experiences as they hone their leadership skills. They examine their personal values, values held by the group, and the values embraced by the larger community.

The Big South Conference announced today that 59.92 percent of eligible student-athletes earned Presidential Honor Roll status for their work in the classroom in 2021-22 -- the third-highest percentage since 2004. To be named to the Presidential Honor Roll, student-athletes must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or better for the recently-completed academic year, and this past season, 2,441 out of 4,074 eligible student-athletes achieved the benchmark. Radford University led all Big South institutions for the first time since 2012-13, as RU had 77.83 percent of its 230 eligible student-athletes on the Presidential Honor Roll -- one of five members to have at least 70 percent of 3.0 students. High Point University placed 76.60 percent of its 282 eligible student-athletes on the list, followed by Presbyterian College at 73.39 percent (182-of-248), UNC Asheville at 71.92 percent (146-of-203) and Winthrop University at 71.31 (174-of-244) for the year. An additional four members reached the 60 percent plateau for 3.0 GPAs: Gardner-Webb University (67.84), Longwood University (65.89), Campbell University (65.84), and USC Upstate (60.78). The Big South had 207 student-athletes receive Commissioner's Award distinction in 2021-22 for having a 4.0 GPA. Gold Award scholars (3.75-3.99) totaled 559 while another 570 received Silver Award (3.50-3.74) accolades in 2021-22 for a combined total of 1,336 student-athletes with at least a 3.50 GPA last year - 54.73 percent of all Presidential Honor Roll members at or above that threshold.

This week in Highlanders in the News: The Class of 2026 arrives on campus to start the fall semester; and writers, friends and colleagues pay tribute to Radford University women's basketball icon Charlene Curtis '76.

The Reserve Organization of America, previously known as the Reserve Officers Association of the United States, has announced this year's 20 Henry J. Reilly Scholarship recipients, who will each receive $2,500 toward their studies. "Supporting the educational goals of these outstanding scholars selected for this year's Henry J. Reilly Scholarships is a source of pride and stewardship for ROA," said National President Capt. Robert Carmack, U.S. Coast Guard Reserve (Ret.). "We wish them great success as they go forward into a future of potential, whose freedom is secured by those who serve our nation in uniform."

It was a solid first day of the 2022 season for the Radford Volleyball team after it bested UT Martin, 3-2, and then fell to Eastern Kentucky, 3-0.

The Radford Volleyball team dropped a 3-0 decision to IUPUI in the final match of the Colonel Classic on Saturday.

Radford University presented 1,165 undergraduate and graduate degrees during the 2022 spring commencement exercises. On Friday, May 6, 250 graduate degrees were awarded during a hooding ceremony at the Dedmon Center on campus in Radford, Virginia. On Saturday, May 7, 915 degrees were presented on Moffett Lawn. Stacey Price '99, M.S. '01 delivered the keynote address at the graduate hooding ceremony Friday night. "Congratulations to all of you. You made it!" said Price, a Washington, D.C.-based social entrepreneur who leads a retail incubator that supports nearly a thousand entrepreneurs. "You not only made it through all of the classes and the papers and the exams, but I want to you take a moment to acknowledge that you did it with the weight that you have felt over these last two years." Alumnus Nick Mayhugh, '18, delivered the message, "Be the best Highlander you can be," as undergraduates eagerly awaited receiving their degrees Saturday morning during spring commencement ceremonies on Moffett Lawn. Mayhugh, who won three gold medals in the Paralympic Games in Tokyo in August 2021, delivered the keynote address under gray, rain-threatening skies at Saturday morning's ceremony. He offered an inspirational message to the class of 2022, speaking about his journey from being diagnosed with and overcoming a mild form of cerebral palsy and his transition from Highlander soccer player standout to an international track star.

When Kevin Meredith graduated from Radford High School, it was 1990, and he didn't really know what he wanted to do, but higher ed did not seem to be in the cards. While still a teen, Meredith enrolled in cosmetology courses and, less than a year later, emerged trained and certified to cut and style hair. He'd also found a clear path he would follow very successfully for decades. But as he was scaling his 40s, he recalled, "I had reached that point where the salon was running on its own steam. I'd been doing hair for 30 years, and I woke up one day and was like, 'Maybe do something else?' And I started thinking, 'What would that be?'

Helping younger students learn about physics, then delivering a presentation about that experience, was in itself an education, according to a recent essay written by two Highlanders. The account, by physics major Kaleb Martin and cybersecurity major Sam Williams, was published earlier this year in the winter 2022 edition of the SPS Observer, the magazine of the Society of Physics Students. It's available online and appears on page 16.

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is proud to announce the 2022 Study Abroad Grant recipients. The grants, worth $1,000, were awarded to 125 students nationwide.

Radford University has released its Dean's List for Spring 2022. Appearing on the Dean's List is the most prestigious academic recognition RU students can receive for their performance during a semester. Students will be placed on the Dean's List if they meet four specific criteria. They must have 12 semester hours of coursework graded A-F; earn GPA's of at least 3.4 for all courses not graded on a pass-fail basis; obtain no grade lower than "C"; and no incomplete grades.

Radford University's United States Army ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) commissioned 11 officers Friday, May 6, 2022, in a ceremony in the Hurlburt Student Center Auditorium. The officers, who also graduated from Radford University during commencement ceremonies over the weekend, have earned the rank of second lieutenant and were granted authority by the U.S. Army to carry out their duties as newly commissioned officers.

Jasmine Rollins is definitely someone you'd want tagging along on a walk. "I go on hikes all the time, and I tell people who are with me what they are seeing all around us, the topography, fossils and all the different rocks," said Rollins, a Radford University senior geology major. "I get joy out of doing that because I love geology." Rollins first discovered her love for the science when she was a student at Northern Virginia Community College, and that realization later led her to further pursue her academic interest by transferring to Radford University.

Judy Carmichael, renowned pianist, vocalist and radio host, recently harkened back to Radford University, via Twitter, posting a picture of herself and a pair of Highlanders with whom she spent some time - Jessy Gahafer and Cienna Lindsay.

A 55-year-old man described a motorcycle crash he experienced. He explained how the accident happened and described his symptoms to about 120 healthcare professions students from Radford University, Radford University Carilion and Cirginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. The man was real although his symptoms were not. He was simulating the accident and his injuries for an annual education session for this interprofessional group of students. The goal of the simulation was to show the students how they can work together in teams to assess their patients' needs, treat them and recommend additional resources, as needed. This coordinated care of patients by a collaborative team of healthcare providers is also known as "interprofessionalism."

For the first time in three years, Waldron College of Health and Human Services students and faculty gathered in person to present research and share ideas at the Interprofessional Symposium and Expo, held in Heth Hall on April 14, 2022. The seventh annual daylong celebration of original research from the college presented an opportunity for those involved to share research via poster and podium presentations well as roundtable exercises. It was the first in-person version of the event since 2019 due to the COVID pandemic.

Students in the fire and arson investigtion course at Radford University worked through a simulated fire scene on April 13. Since 2014, Todd Jones, a fire and insurance fraud investigator and adjunct instructor in the academic department of criminal justice, has been using a mobile burn trailer at Radford since 2014 to give students this hands-on learning experience.

Three students in Radford University's nursing program were in the right place at the right time to help a driver in distress. After leaving their clinicals for the day, the students noticed an unconscious driver stopped in the street. When they investigated further, they realized he was not breathing and performed life saving measures before the ambulance arrived and resuscitated him.

The following people recently were initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.

Sara O'Dell, a student in the Radford University Carilion (RUC) Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration program, admits she sometimes makes impulsive decisions. A few years ago, during her ninth year as a nurse, she decided it was time to return to school. "I like to think of myself as a professional student," O'Dell said. "I have always enjoyed learning, especially when it comes to healthcare, so I felt like it was time to build on my education and my career. I decided on the spot to do it." In addition to being a full-time nurse, though, O'Dell was also a mother with young children. That meant the program she enrolled in would have to be flexible and allow her to continue working and caring for her kids as she learned. Enter the healthcare administration program at RUC.

Sami Reitz is a star in academics and on the volleyball court. Reitz is a four-year letter winner for the Radford University volleyball team, and she ranked in the top five on the team in blocks and kills for three consecutive seasons. Reitz's coaches and advisor Dr. Rhett Herman encouraged her to take a rigorous course load, and then she took it upon herself to become involved in numerous extracurricular and academic growth programs. The hard work and long hours paid off as Reitz was accepted to Northwestern, Yale, Chicago and Purdue universities to pursue her Ph.D. in chemistry. She would like to be closer to her to home city, St. Louis, but wherever she goes, one thing is guaranteed, Reitz is headed for great achievements.

There is a good chance most faculty, staff and students have seen Luc White on the Radford University campus. "Everywhere" is a good word to describe White's impact here in the past three-plus years, and "almost everything," while seemingly hyperbolic, is fairly accurate in describing the extent of White's campus involvement. White is double majoring in studio art, with a concentration in photography, and biology, concentrating in ecology. If that weren't enough - and it's not, for White, who uses the pronouns they, them and theirs - they have three minors: French, chemistry and women's and gender studies. "I'm a senior, but I'm going to be a senior for an extra two years," White jokes, referring to the amount of time it will take to complete their studies. Luc is in the Honors College and serves as Honors Student Council president. They hold that same position with the Selu Garden and Service Club. "I'm in the greenhouse a lot," they said. But that's not all.