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January 2010

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ALUMNI RELATIONS
PO Box 6914
6226 University Park Dr.
Suite 3400
Radford, Va. 24142
540-831-5248
1-888-4RUGRAD
alumni@radford.edu


The Newsletter for RU Alumni & Friends

Homecoming 2010

Homecoming 2010Join us on February 5 and 6 as alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends celebrate 100 years of Radford University at Homecoming 2010. Numerous events are planned for our Centennial Homecoming, including reunions, tailgates, Highlander polar plunge, men's and women's basketball games, a Presidential brunch, Alumni Teaching Day, Legacy tours and college open houses, an all-Greek reunion, a TOMS Shoe project and more.

Visit the official Homecoming Web site for information about reunions and a full schedule of events.

If you haven't registered for Homecoming 2010, you can do so online.

Volunteer for Homecoming

Homecoming volunteers are needed for the following: Alumni Teaching Day (guest lecturers, mentors and panel presenters), reunion leaders for the all-Greek Reunion, men's and women's alumni basketball reunions and swimming alumni reunion, Centennial Ambassadors and other affinity reunion liaisons.

All volunteers are welcome. Please contact alumni@radford.edu with your contact information. See who's volunteering for Homecoming, and view a list of areas that still need your help (pdf file).

We need your help for our Centennial Homecoming to be the best ever!

Make Your Annual Fund Gift

Now is the time to make your gift to the Radford Fund. Our goal is to reach $2.5 million and 4,000 alumni donors by the end of the fiscal year. Making a gift ensures that you join an elite list of donors who recognize the value of empowering Radford University with immediate cash resources to fund new ideas and initiatives as they emerge at the university. Through the Radford Fund you can direct your giving to those areas of the University for which you are most passionate. Funds received can be used immediately to meet Radford University's most important needs and priorities and support initiatives of RU's 7-17 strategic plan. The Radford Fund is the administrative umbrella for all the annual giving programs at RU and is the bridge that joins private support with the needs of the university. Make a Gift.

Julian Bond to Join RU in Celebration of King Day

Julian BondJulian Bond, one of the most prominent leaders in the American Civil Rights Movement and current chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, will join the Radford University community for a celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Wednesday, Jan. 20. The event, "The Road to the Dream," will include a reception, a keynote address by Bond, and a candlelight march.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for the 6 p.m. reception in the lower lobby of Preston Hall. Bond will speak at 7 p.m. in Bondurant Auditorium, Preston Hall. The candlelight march to the campus fountain follows. Admission is free and the public is encouraged and invited to attend. To learn more, see the RU News Release.

RU Reschedules Winter Commencement Ceremony

Radford University will hold a Commencement Ceremony for Winter 2009 graduates on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010 at 2 p.m. in Preston Hall's Bondurant Auditorium. The original ceremonies, scheduled for December 18 and 19, were cancelled due to the major winter storm that blanketed the area with 16-18 inches of snow and shut down most of western Virginia's roadways and transportation systems. To learn more, see the RU News Release.

Be Part of the Centennial Service Challenge: Buy a Pair of TOMS Shoes

In honor of Radford University's year-long Centennial celebration and 100 years of service, the university has partnered with TOMS Shoes to give students, alumni, and friends a unique opportunity to help needy children around the world by purchasing a pair of the popular shoes.

For every 1,000 pairs of shoes purchased through the challenge, a RU student will have the potential to join TOMS staff and volunteers during one of the company's "shoe drops." In addition, members of the RU community will also save $5 on their first purchase. To redeem this offer and be part of RU's continued mission of service, simply enter the promotional code "RADFORD" during checkout. Read More>>

Join the Parents Executive Committee Today
and Attend the Spring Meeting and Presidential Brunch

The Parents Executive Committee (PEC) will hold its spring semester meeting on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010, during festivities associated with RU's Homecoming Weekend. The meeting will include brainstorming and goal-setting sessions, as well as presentations from areas of the university campus that have benefited from the Parent and Family Fund. Members of the council will also attend brunch with President Penelope W. Kyle.

To become a member of the Parents Executive Committee, visit www.giveto.radford.edu. Donations may be designated for the Parent and Family Fund or any other department or special interest fund. For more information, contact Cassandra Dove, assistant director of special and annual giving, at cpdove@radford.edu or (540) 831-5812. Read More>>

Communication Week

The RU School of Communication is hosting its inaugural Communication Week Monday, Feb. 1 through Friday, Feb. 5. Several alumni are scheduled to speak on topics ranging from the future of communication to the role of emerging media. Topics will include advertising, journalism, public relations and new media. Read More>>

RU Alumni Among 2010 McGlothlin Awards
Semi-finalists; RU to Host April 13 Events

Twenty outstanding teachers from across the Blue Ridge region have been selected as semi-finalists for the 11th annual McGlothlin Awards for Teaching Excellence. These teachers now begin the second phase of the awards program which will culminate April 13, 2010, 4 - 7 p.m., at Radford University. Among the finalists are RU alumni Melissa Kile M.S. '98, a teacher at Auburn Elementary School in Montgomery County, Va., and Sharon Hill '85, a teacher at Glenvar Middle School in Roanoke County, Va. Read More>>

RU Board Member Honors University Centennial
with Gift to Support Faculty Excellence

Pat and Nancy ArtisA member of the Radford University Board of Visitors and major university benefactor has presented the university with an $11,000 gift in honor of RU's Centennial. Ms. Nancy Artis, a 1973 biology alumna, and her husband, Dr. H. Pat Artis, have donated the funds to create the Artis Centennial Early Career Development Program in the university's College of Science and Technology. "Nancy and Pat Artis are exceptional friends and benefactors of our university, and we're very grateful for this newest expression of support as we begin our Centennial year," said Radford University President Penelope W. Kyle. Read More>>

RU Foundation President David W. DeHart Passes Away

David DeHartDavid W. DeHart, a local banking executive who served as President of the Radford University Foundation, Inc., passed away on Monday, Jan. 4. DeHart, who most recently served as Executive Vice President, Regional Corporate Banking with StellarOne Corporation, had provided leadership for Radford University and for several foundations associated with the university. "The entire Radford University community has lost a great friend," said Radford University President Penelope W. Kyle. Read More>>

Alumnus Publishes Study Showing that Police Officers'
Divorce Rates Not as High as Many Think

It's often said that law enforcement officers divorce at a higher rate than couples working in any other profession. Not so, says recent RU graduate Shawn McCoy and Radford University Professor Emeritus Mike Aamodt in a soon-to-be published study. "A Comparison of Law Enforcement Divorce Rates with Those of Other Occupations" is set to be published in the spring issue of the Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology. McCoy, who was one of Aamodt's undergraduate students, is the lead author of the study that has determined that police officers do not have a higher level of divorce than those in other professions. To learn more, see the RU News Release.

Purchase Your Limited-Edition RU Centennial Calendar

Enjoy "Celebrate the Century," a limited-edition, color RU Centennial wall calendar for 2010, and explore the photographic and narrative retrospective commemorating RU's 100 years of service. Call RU Alumni Relations at (540) 831-5248 or e-mail alumni@radford.edu to get this limited-edition commemorative wall calendar. Cost is $10, plus $3.50 processing fee to cover sales tax, shipping and handling.

"Celebrating the Century" is produced by the Radford Heritage Foundation (RHF) and the Radford Centennial Celebration Committee. It is sponsored by Taylor Hollow Construction and benefits the RHF.

Alumni Recommendation Program

Radford University alumni have a unique opportunity to give back to their alma mater by recommending academically-talented students to apply and attend RU. This program allows Radford University alumni to interact with students who soon will be attending college by sharing personal RU experiences, pride and loyalty. By recommending talented students, alumni can help ensure that Radford University increases the number of highly competitive students who are considering enrolling at RU. To recommend a student, please fill out the Alumni Recommendation form, and return it to the RU Admissions Office.

Speier Inks Deal with Nats

Ryan Speier's job is moving him closer to home. The former Highlander baseball star recently signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals, with an invitation to the team's spring training in March. Speier, who played high school baseball at West Springfield High in Virginia, had spent his entire Major League Baseball career with the Colorado Rockies and pitched in the 2007 World Series. He pitched four seasons for RU as a starter and reliever and signed with the Rockies out of the Cape Cod League in 2001. Speier earned the minor league Rolaids Relief Man award in 2004, the first player in Rockies organization history to win the honor.

Alumni Profile

Alumnus' Newspaper Spotlights Diplomats
Victor ShiblieAs publisher, editor in chief and founder of The Washington Diplomat, an independent monthly newspaper that covers the diplomatic community, Victor Shiblie '89 has interviewed numerous foreign diplomats and has traveled across the globe to such locations as Brazil, Syria, Romania, Lebanon and Spain. Read More>>

RU Athletics

RU's men's and women's basketball will host games at the Dedmon Center during homecoming on Saturday, Feb. 6. The women will tipoff at 3 p.m. against Gardner-Webb. A special recognition of all former Radford women's basketball players will be held. Later, the men begin play at 7 p.m. against High Point. The Highlander Homecoming king and queen will be recognized at halftime of the men's game.

The RU men's basketball game at James Madison originally scheduled to be played Dec. 19 has been rescheduled for Monday, Jan. 25 at the Convocation Center. The game will tip at 7 p.m. RU's women's basketball team has rescheduled its home game vs. Davidson for Friday, Jan. 29 in the Dedmon Center at 7 p.m. Both games were postponed because of snow.

RU men's tennis begins 2010 play Friday as the Highlanders compete in the South Florida Tournament in Tampa. Later in the month, the team will compete in the ITA Indoor National in Los Angeles. Yale, Southern California and Vanderbilt also are entered in the tournament. The women's team begins play Jan. 28 against Elon in Blacksburg.

For more on these and other Highlander highlights, visit RU Athletics.

Upcoming Alumni Events

Saturday, January 23
Nationwide Watch Parties -- RU vs. Liberty
TV: MASN
Tipoff: 6 p.m.; Come earlier for dinner
NOVA/DC Watch Party – First Down Sports Bar (4312 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, Va.)
Contact: alumni@radford.edu to promote your watch party in your hometown.

Friday-Saturday, February 5-6
Homecoming 2010
Register Online Now

Tuesday, February 16
Nationwide Watch Parties -- RU at Liberty
TV: MASN
Tipoff: 7 p.m.; Come earlier for dinner
NOVA/DC Watch Party – First Down Sports Bar (4312 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA)
Contact: alumni@radford.edu to promote your watch party in your hometown.

Saturday, February 27
Nationwide Watch Parties -- RU vs. Winthrop
TV: MASN
Tipoff: 4 p.m.; Come earlier for lunch
NOVA/DC Watch Party – First Down Sports Bar (4312 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA)
Contact: alumni@radford.edu to promote your watch party in your hometown.

Wednesday, March 24
Centennial Charter Day Events
Featured speaker, Blake Mycoskie of TOMS Shoes

Visit the Alumni Relations Web site for a complete events schedule.


We have email addresses for less than half of our 60,000 Radford University alumni, so to help keep your classmates connected, please encourage classmates and fellow alumni to email us and subscribe to the Radford e-News.

To submit class notes for use in The Magazine of Radford University, please send your correspondence to alumni@radford.edu. Photographs may also be submitted; however, please note that photographs may not be returned to you.