Radford University

Radford University women's track & field's Elyssia Fisher has been named the Freshman of the Week, the Big South Conference announced on Wednesday.

Radford University associate professor of nursing Katie Katz, D.N.P. '13, M.S.N. '09, is being honored by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) as the 2023 recipient of the AANP State Award for Excellence in Virginia.

The Big South Conference announced Monday afternoon that Ashlyn Traylor has been named the Big South Freshman of the Week, the fourth weekly award for Traylor and the fifth overall for the Highlanders this season. Traylor is now the second player in Radford women's basketball history to earn four freshmen of the week awards and third freshman to ever win four overall weekly awards in the same season. The last player to earn four freshman awards in one season was Shannan Wilkey all the way back in the 1990-91 campaign. In the 1995-96 season, at the time freshman Kim Hairston also won three freshman weekly awards and one player of the week award.

Chapman Rackaway, professor and chair in Radford University's department of political science, has been selected as a faculty contributor for The New York Times' curricular tool, InEducation. The InEducation tool features weekly posts and discussion prompts from leading professors across 16 disciplines. Rackaway will cover Campaigns and Elections, and, along with his fellow contributors, help professors and students connect what's happening in the news with their studies.

Radford University students Devon Jones and Alex Williams have recieved the NAMM Foundation President's Innovation Award. The awards, made possible by the generosity of NAMM members and donors, provide funds to emerging industry leaders, college students and faculty to participate in The 2023 NAMM Show, April 13-15, in Anaheim, California. The President's Innovation Award honors college students who demonstrate excellence in the field of music. Winners have proven dedication to pursuing a career in music, including in the areas of music performance, music education, media, sound engineering/audio, event technology, production, administration, management and/or marketing, along with product creation and innovation. This year, the award will recognize and welcome 59 student recipients from 19 states, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates.

Two Radford University student veterans will appear on an upcoming segment of "Military Makeover with Montel." The episode airs on the Lifetime TV at 7:30 a.m. EST on Thursday, Jan. 19. The student veterans are highlighted in "Operation Career," a segment that highlights businesses and organizations, such as Radford University, that help former military members and their families as they transition into civilian life after service. Cullen Chavis '19 also joined the team for the day off camera to offer current students insight into his career and the benefits of the Military Resource Center.

Radford University volleyball player Shelby Hernandez has been named second team All-State by Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID), as was announced by the organization on January 17, 2023. VaSID names 44 all-state teams in 23 sports each year, as well as an Academic All-State squad and an all-sports champion in both the University and College Divisions. Membership in VaSID is open to all media relations professionals working at a university or conference in the state of Virginia.

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.

The Big South Conference announced Monday afternoon that Ashlyn Traylor has been named the Big South Freshman of the Week, the fourth weekly award for the Highlanders this season and third of the season for Traylor.

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.

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.

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 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?'

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.

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'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.