Highlanders in the News: Week of Jan. 23

Every week, our Highlanders are using their education to do extraordinary things. Here, 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.

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President Bret Danilowicz introduced Radford University and talked about the school's Military Resource Center on a recent episode of "Military Makeover with Montel."

“Military” strength

Radford University’s Military Resource Center – as well as the school’s president and two of its many student veterans – got a national audience on Jan. 13 and Jan. 19 when they were featured on a popular Lifetime television program.

Those New River Valley ingredients were part of that week’s episode of “Military Makeover with Montel,” during its “Operation Career” segment, which looks at veterans who are making the transition from service into civilian life and which focuses on some of the means available to help them succeed.

“One university has found a way to better serve those who served us,” host Montel Williams says in the show’s lead-in. “Radford University … is one of the best colleges in the country for veterans seeking a degree and a clear path towards a rewarding career.”

President Bret Danilowicz kicks off the four-minute clip by introducing the university to newcomers and describing the amenities it offers those who served, such as financial aid opportunities and academic advice.

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Radford University senior Sarah Schafer spoke to Lifetime television's "Military Makeover with Montel" about her years in the United States Air Force and her later transition to academia.

“Radford University’s Military Resource Center was developed to make a one-stop shop for our veterans, for our active and reserve military and for their dependents,” he says. “For our veteran students, we take the time to understand what they want to do with their degree. That’s going to be unique for each student.”

Seniors Sarah Schafer and Chandler Scott discuss their earlier stints in the United States Air Force and Marine Corps, respectively, reflecting on how they utilized Radford University to step into academia.

“The Military Resource Center was the first place I went to. I said, “that’s where my people are going to be,” Schafer explains. “I would say to a vet looking to come to Radford, absolutely, let me help you.”

“It’s an awesome school with an awesome community,” Scott offers. “People take care of you here. They want you to succeed.”

You can watch the entire “Operation Career” segment here.

The Lifetime spot was also covered by WDBJ news in Roanoke, which conducted an in-studio interview with Chandler Scot about his military background and the experience he had working on "Military Makeover." That chat was also picked up by WLOX in Biloxi, Mississippi, as well as KWCH in Wichita, Kansas

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Ronald Gunn '82

Check “list”

A Highlander who heads a Richmond, Virginia-based company has been named among Virginia’s top 25 healthcare technology leaders by a website that specializes in that field.

Ronald Gunn ’82 was singled out by the Healthcare Technology Report in its 2023 rankings.

Gunn, who earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and statistics, is the president and CEO of Kaléo, a privately held, commercial-stage U.S. pharmaceutical company. He’s #14 on this year’s list.

“The state is home to a number of incredibly innovative health-tech companies across a range of specialties, from pharmaceuticals to biologics, diagnostics and medical devices, among many others,” the site’s editors wrote.

“This year’s awardees lead from a variety of positions, from CEO to CFO, VP, COO, and CTO,” their summary said. “What they have in common is their demonstrated commitment to innovating in the healthcare technology space, prioritizing patient well-being in the Virginia area and around the world.”

The full list is available here

Pole position

A former Radford pole vaulter who now works in finance has earned a place in her high school’s sporting annals.

Kayla Burd Trujillo, B.B.A. ’15, was inducted Dec. 17 into Delmarva Christian School’s Athletics Hall of Fame.

Trujillo joined the hall alongside three other student-athletes and the Georgetown, Delaware, school’s 2005-2006 boys’ basketball team. The ceremony was reported by Delaware’s Cape Gazette on Jan. 16.

As a senior at Delmarva, Trujillo was the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association state champion pole vaulter for 2011, as well as that year’s indoor and outdoor track-and-field MVP, among numerous other honors she collected while in high school.

After that, she was on Radford University’s track-and-field team from 2011 to 2014 and now works as a vice president in financial consultation with Charles Schwab in San Luis Obispo, California.

Jan 27, 2023
Neil Harvey
(540) 831-5150
nmharvey@radford.edu