Every two weeks, Highlander Highlights shares with readers some of the extraordinary research and accomplishments happening on and off campus through the tireless work and curiosity of our students and faculty.
We Are Radford award winner for March
The We Are Radford employee recognition program is a monthly honor recognizing an individual whose daily interactions with students and colleagues represent the best of the Radford University experience. The winner for March is Makayla Oxendine Mabry in the payroll department.
“Makayla exemplifies excellence in her performance in the payroll department,” her nominator wrote. “She provides excellent customer service to our faculty and staff. Going above and beyond her job duties, Makayla is continuously improving processes for the department and helping coworkers whenever possible.”
Employees who have served at least one year at Radford are eligible to be recognized for upholding the university’s core values.
Radford group advocates for individuals living with brain injury
Communication Sciences and Disorders (COSD) senior instructor Terri Shelor and a group of clients from the Radford University Brain Injury (RUBI) Center spent time in Washington, D.C., last week advocating for improved assistance for individuals living with brain injury.
Shelor and RUBI clients Tod Kerstetter, John Long, Donnie Riddle and James Waddell, along with caregivers along with caregivers Sonya Jennings and Cara Waddell, participated in events for Brain Injury Awareness Day on March 5, using “their voices to advocate for meaningful change,” Shelor said.
The group met with congressional representatives, sharing their personal experiences and highlighting the importance of policies that support brain injury research, treatment and care.
In addition to their advocacy work, the group participated in events hosted by the Brain Injury Association of America, joining a larger community dedicated to raising awareness, Shelor explained.
Shelor, a speech-language pathologist, and COSD senior instructor Rebecca Epperly, RUBI’s founding directors, started the clinic in the fall semester of 2022 with a mission to improve the lives of persons living with brain injury using a life participation approach with group therapy.
“We are so proud,” Shelor said, “of our RUBI Clinic team for their dedication, passion and advocacy.”
RCPT students hone outdoor skills, host conference workshop
Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism (RCPT) students, faculty, and alumni recently participated in the Virginia Adventure Education Conference in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
The conference served as a unique opportunity for the group to network with outdoor education professionals and organizations offering potential jobs and internships. They also attended educational workshops designed to sharpen their outdoor skills.
“When I walked into the main conference room at the beginning of the day, there were around 200 students talking to potential job sites and vendors who were creating connections for future networks,” said senior RCPT major Lane Snow. “It was very inspiring to see that folks were so supportive of our peers around us. I know that this is without doubt the best major out there.”
Snow and junior Jadyn Sposto facilitated a workshop at the conference that “pushed each participant to work with one another to solve problems,” Snow explained. “We went with this type of presentation because, in the future, you may have to work with people you never met before, and it would be very beneficial to have strangers work with each other and come together as a team.”
Analyzing food insecurity in the U.S.
Assistant Professor of Geospatial Science Naveen Joseph recently published “Geospatial analysis of food insecurity and adverse human health outcomes in the United States” in the American Geophysical Union’s (AGU) GeoHealth journal.
“The study examines the potential relationships between food insecurity and chronic health issues like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases,” Joseph said, “as well as how food insecurity affects vulnerable populations and varies regionally, particularly in the southern U.S.”
AGU’s editors have also selected the paper as a Research Spotlight in Eos, the organization’s science news.
A Radford University seed grant supported Joseph’s research. “I hope the findings help spark meaningful conversations about addressing food insecurity as a public health challenge,” he said.
In December, Joseph presented his work at the prestigious American Geophysical Union (AGU) annual conference in Washington, D.C.