Waldron College has a new dean

Kenneth Cox, an RU faculty member for 10 years, has been named the new dean of the Waldron College of Health and Human Services, a role formerly held by Professor Raymond Linville, who returned to the classroom this August after six years as dean.

Cox joined RU in 2002 as director of audiology and the electrophysiology lab. He earned tenure and chaired the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders from 2005 to 2007, when he was appointed associate dean of Waldron College.

"I am honored to have been selected as the next dean of the Waldron College," Cox said. "I have had the good fortune to work with the previous two deans of our college"—Linville and the Karma Castleberry—"both of whom served as my mentors."

Formerly an assistant professor and research coordinator for audiology in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Cox took part in a variety of clinical and research activities, including clinical trials on implantable hearing aids. Among his current research interests are electrophysiology in children with autism and aural rehabilitation.

Noting that two of RU’s first doctoral programs—the Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) and the Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) degrees—are in health fields, Cox said, "I would like to see a doctoral program in each of the departments and schools in our college. I would also like to increase the number of scholarships and size of the awards for those scholarships for our students. Finally, I would like to continue to grow our partnerships with other institutions, including those in the Roanoke area."

Cox holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and a Master of Public Health degree in public health leadership from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, a Master of Arts degree in audiology from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro and a Doctor of Audiology degree from the University of Florida. He has been a licensed audiologist since 1997 and is currently licensed to practice in Virginia.

Looking ahead to his new position, Cox said, "This is truly an exciting time to be a part of Radford University, and the Waldron College is the ‘tip of the spear’ moving our university forward."