Center for Interprofessional Education and Practice named for Raymond N. Linville

On March 26, Radford University celebrated the legacy of Raymond N. Linville during the naming ceremony for the Center for Interprofessional Education and Practice (CIPEP). Organizationally housed in the Waldron College of Health and Human Services, the newly named Linville Center is physically located in the Artis Center for Adaptive Innovation and Creativity.

Linville, whose career was characterized by his exceptional teaching and innovative research, began working at Radford in 2000. He served as the chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, director of the School of Allied Health, associate dean of the Waldron College of Health and Human Services and, finally, the dean of the college starting in 2007. He then returned to the classroom in 2012 to teach before retiring in 2016.

After his passing in June 2024, his wife, Beth, and their family expressed interest in supporting an initiative that would honor Linville’s legacy and advance healthcare education at Radford. In recognition of his dedication to education and collaboration, the family decided to make a gift that would name the CIPEP in his memory. These funds will enhance interprofessional education and practice events and activities led by CIPEP.  

“I thought it was important that his legacy lives on here at Radford,” Beth Linville said. “He had a knack for seeing in all of us what we never saw in ourselves. His students said that he was tough, but he was fair.

“He was a mentor. He was a counselor. He was a friend. He made meaningful changes to this university and to the community at large. He touched many lives – including my own, and I think everyone in this room – and we are better for knowing him.”

Kenneth Cox, dean of Waldron College, worked closely with Linville and shared his reflections during the naming ceremony.

“He was a true servant-leader and a role model to me and many in the Waldron College and far beyond,” Cox said. “Even more than that, he was a fierce and loyal friend. He was a gentleman and scholar, and he played an instrumental role in establishing both the physical therapy and occupational therapy programs at Radford.

“In 2011, a group of faculty approached Dr. Linville with the idea of creating programming around interprofessional education and practice, or IPE for short. He enthusiastically supported them, and today, our Case Study Symposium is one of the signature IPE events in Waldron College. As we like to say, healthcare is a team sport, and Dr. Linville knew this well. He helped us lay the groundwork for IPE.”

From this foundation, Cox and Corey Cassidy, professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, founded CIPEP in 2017. The mission of CIPEP is to prepare students to become health and human services providers who can transform healthcare service delivery through collaborative practice, and it recognizes that learning how to practice interprofessional care requires one’s education to be fully integrated with professional development, community engagement and research, scholarship and innovation. The Linville Center serves as a hub for interprofessional education and collaboration.

“The Linville family’s gift will enable us to continue impacting the lives of our students and patients by directly supporting the activities of the Linville Center. This programming includes our IPE case study events and annual IPE symposium, as well as our Healthcare Advocacy Committee’s work on social determinants of health, belonging and civil discourse,” explained Cox. “Just as Dr. Raymond Linville will always be a part of us, his name and legacy will remain intertwined with Waldron College for years to come.” 

If you are interested in learning more about naming a space at Radford University, please contact Vanessa Conner, director of Donor Outreach and Special Events, at vconner@radford.edu or 540-831-7757.