A Message from Dean Orion Rogers

Orion Rogers

Dean Orion Rogers chats with students oustide Reed Hall.

I am proud to lead the College of Science and Technology for many reasons. CSAT faculty and staff are dedicated to excellence in teaching, advising and mentoring students. Since 2008, five CSAT faculty members have won university-level awards for teaching, research and service, and five CSAT faculty members have earned the Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award since 1996. Dr. Donna Boyd received the U.S. Professor of the Year Award in 2006.

I am proud that students conduct research with renowned faculty scholars who write books, publish and present papers, earn grant funding and edit journals. We are proud of Brandon Newmyer and his research mentor, Dr. Mark Cline. In 2011 Brandon became the first Radford student to receive a Goldwater Scholarship, a prestigious national award to college sophomores and juniors pursuing careers in science, mathematics and engineering.

Opportunities for extraordinary learning experiences are CSAT points of pride. At RU, students use the aviary, greenhouse and observatory, and conduct research with sophisticated equipment, including LIDAR remote sensing technology and a scanning tunneling/atomic force microscope. Study abroad opportunities exist in the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador. Students actively engage in learning and complete course projects that solve information technology problems for nonprofit organizations. Educational outreach through the Museum of the Earth Sciences, Magic of Chemistry, Planetarium, Science Exploration Day, Blue Ridge Highlands Science Fair, programming competitions and Summer Bridge Program inspire visiting K-12 students to pursue careers in science, technology and mathematics.

I am most proud of the transformation in our students as they are challenged and supported to grow intellectually, develop a professional work ethic and experience the rewards of teamwork, problem-solving and diligence.