Our Highlanders are using their education to do extraordinary things. Every other week, we’ll highlight some notable mentions from local, regional, national and international news media. Whether our students, alumni, faculty and staff are featured as subject matter experts in high-profile stories or simply helping make the world a better place, we’ll feature their stories.
The dean’s list
On Nov. 29, Virginia Business Magazine published its list of “100 People to Meet in 2025: Educators,” a compilation of noteworthy figures from around the area.
“As leaders in our pre-K through higher education workforce,” the editors wrote, “these educators, curriculum creators and administrators are passing on their knowledge to the next generation of Virginians.”
The third spot on that list is held by Radford’s Dean of the College of Business and Economics, Donna Weaver McCloskey, who took the office in July after a stint as associate business school dean at Pennsylvania’s Widener University.
“In her new role, McCloskey says she’s focused on building internship offerings, career preparation and curriculum aligned with job certifications and real-world projects,” the story notes. “Above all, she was attracted to the school’s focus on ‘developing ethical leaders.’”
You can see McCloskey’s entire entry and Virginia Business’ full list online here.
Healthy careers
The 2024 Health Sciences Career Advisory Summit, held Oct. 15, was a daylong event that offered a surplus of information about educational and employment paths in regional healthcare and bioscience facilities.
It was hosted in Roanoke by the Blue Ridge Partnership for Health Science Careers (BRPHSC) and featured such regional leaders as Chief Executive Officer Emeritus at Carilion Clinic Nancy Agee; Dean Amy White of the School of STEM and Workforce at Virginia Western Community College; and Anna Burch, nurse recruiter at Centra, as well as Radford’s Assistant Provost and Associate Dean Glen Mayhew.
If those topics and that line-up interest you, but you couldn’t be there in person, no worries – the BRPHSC’s Health Careers Podcast was front and center at the event and has posted a 25-minute video on YouTube, hosted by Allie Buth, which hits the high points of the conference.
Buth’s first guest is Mayhew, who talks about current options Radford can offer those who have a desire to enter the healthcare field – from students in the K-12 system to someone already in the workforce. He covers such topics as direct admission into nursing programs, the early assurance path for Radford’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) program and other routes to help Highlanders get where they want to be faster.
"We're working very closely with Transfer Virginia, the community college system pathway, to make sure that those students that are completing transferable degrees at [community colleges] are able to transfer those credits seamlessly into Radford University,” he explained.
Mayhew also noted that the university works with the K-12 system and such institutions as Salem’s Burton Center for Arts and Technology: “We have an EMT program there for those students that ... want to go into a career in Fire and EMS or emergency services."
Giving thanks at Thanksgiving
Just prior to the end of November, the Fairfax County Times reached out to more than two dozen residents and asked them what they were grateful for across the Thanksgiving holiday.
Respondents in the article cited family, friends, health and happiness. One of Fairfax County’s deputy sheriffs cited his ability to serve the community, and the mayor of Herndon, Virginia, said he was happy to see neighbors helping neighbors. A doctor who’s a native of Cuba noted that he’s proud to live in this country more than 60 years after becoming a United States citizen.
The final listing in the compilation, in particular, caught our eye.
It came from Skylar Hunt of Clifton, Virginia, a first-year student who’s majoring in communication.
“I’m grateful to have supporting, loving family and friends,” Hunt told the newspaper, then added, “I’m also thankful to be a freshman at Radford University and for the many friends and memorable experiences to come!”
Thanks, Skylar. Right back at you and the rest of the Class of 2028 as the fall semester draws to a close.