News Releases

Our heartfelt condolences go to the family of Susan Whealler Johnston upon her passing. Susan, a former member of the Radford University Board of Visitors, contributed tremendously to the university, chaired the search committee for our current president Bret S. Danilowicz, and led NACUBO as CEO since 2018.

This week in Highlanders in the News: Ben Carlin ’12 and his brother, Jonathan, scale the heights of YouTube with their popular channel; chemistry professor Kimberly Lane, Ph.D., weighs in on the recent emergence of a formidable designer opioid; and the Radford University Emergency Management office takes part in active threat training.

Over the course of a week, the STEM campers were in labs and classrooms all around the Center for the Sciences. They watched a show at the state-of-the-art Radford University Planetarium, learned about the chemistry of space, piloted drones, built surface rovers, launched rockets and engaged with women who work in science careers at Novozymes Biologicals and TORC Robotics.

Michael Clegg ’99, CEO of The Q Works Group, spoke about hiring and retention at the Business Development Forum luncheon, presented July 28 by the Radford-Blacksburg Technology Council and hosted at Kyle Hall by Radford University’s Davis College of Business and Economics.

This week in Highlanders in the News: Professor Emeritus of Economics George Santopietro, Ph.D., pens a Roanoke Times op-ed and takes a summer job; a tech-centric website rates Radford University in the upper half of its list of the top 10 online colleges in Virginia; and Digital Spy uses the school’s serial killer database to analyze a new Apple TV+ drama. 

Olivia Simmons, ’16 has many memories of and connections to Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital, now home to Radford University Carilion. From the time she was born until well after her graduation from college, she would return again and again to the downtown Roanoke landmark.

"I wanted to teach at a school that focuses on teaching, said Katie Arnold, Ph.D. "That's what I care about and that's what Radford University cares about, too." The combination of teaching both undergraduate students and master's program students are some of the many reasons Dr. Arnold loves Radford University.

The July 21 roundtable was attended by nearly two dozen of the New River Valley’s municipal and educational figures including Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade Caren Merrick; Jason El Koubi, president and CEO of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP); Radford University President Bret Danilowicz and many others.

This week in Highlanders in the News: Recent graduate Shaly Farmer ’22 hosts a theater workshop out of Marion, Virginia’s Lincoln Theater; choreographer Fiona Scruggs ’19 and her new dance company unleash a new project; and Bleacher Nation sends birthday greetings to Chicago Bull Javonte Green ’19. 

The new Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), adopted by Radford University and consistent with its 2018-2023 Strategic Plan, is included in the university's 10-year Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) reaccreditation. The new QEP is called RISE: Realizing Inclusive Student Excellence-Highlanders RISE Together!