BOV recognizes Radford University IMPACT program with resolution

The Radford University Board of Visitors (BOV) approved a resolution at the Sept. 15 campus BOV meeting that recognizes the university’s brand new competency-based education program, Innovative Mobilized Personalized Accelerated Competency Training.

The groundbreaking program, called IMPACT, was formally introduced to more than 550 guests at the IMPACT launch event on Sept. 8 in the university’s Kyle Hall, keynoted by Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe.

IMPACT is the first of its kind among four-year public institutions in Virginia and will position the university as a national leader in training working professionals for high-demand careers and meeting the evolving needs of business and industry.

IMPACT will officially begin Oct. 1 with an initial focus on cybersecurity, an information technology security program in which Radford University is nationally recognized. The university was designated in 2016 as a Center of Academic Excellence in cyber defense by both the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Cybersecurity trained professionals are highly sought after in the workforce; Virginia currently has 36,000 job openings in the field. Radford University has consistently taken the lead to train and prepare its current students, faculty, K-12 students, instructors - and now, working professionals - to meet this growing demand.

Beginning in early 2018, IMPACT will focus on geospatial intelligence, and in fall 2018, counseling, with a focus on opiates is being considered. All are programs in which the university is also well-positioned and acclaimed.

IMPACT’s executive director is Matthew Dunleavy, whose “decade-long tenure at Radford University established and advanced a clear vision for the robust utilization of technology as a learning tool for young minds, while simultaneously nurturing the creative and entrepreneurial spirit of all Highlanders,” the resolution states.

The resolution highlights additional team members who created and will help IMPACT succeed, including Drs. Andrew Foy, Hwajung Lee, Stockton Maxwell, Jeff Pittges, Greg Shuman, Prem Uppuluri and Erin Berman, Jagat Dhami, Thomas Jeter, Steve Oake, Tom Snediker and Randy Ughetta.

“Radford University’s IMPACT Program provides limitless opportunity for our University to make a lasting mark as a national leader in innovation, while interacting with students of all ages, interests and skillsets in new and profound ways, thereby igniting their passion for learning, strengthening the course of their professional careers and providing a strong foundation for their critical role as citizen leaders,” the resolution states.