Design Advisory Board meets on campus

Members of the Department of Design Advisory Board visited the Radford University campus to connect with the faculty members and students they support.

From March 17-18, board members shared their views of the fashions, trends and best practices encountered in today's design landscape.

President Penelope W. Kyle, a longtime supporter of the board's work, joined its members for a working lunch on the second day of the visit where they discussed board members' interactions with students.

"It is so important that you have that connection," Kyle said. "When we do everything we can to help our students that is when we help them realize their true potential."

Also at the lunch, longtime board member Craig P. Stargardt presented the president with a tartan-and-gold bracelet and a framed photo of McGuffey Hall signed by the entire board.

"We would like to thank you for the vision and leadership you have shown as president, especially in your support of the Department of Design and the Advisory Board," Stargardt said, joined by applause from the assembly.

In addition to lunch and the visit's banner event, the spring Fashion Fete, board members met with junior and senior design students for one-on-one mock interviews. Students put their best foot forward to impress the professionals on the other side of the table and received feedback on their performance.

Board members also juried the Department of Design Senior Exhibition which occupied the Radford University Art Museum at the Covington Center before moving to the museum's downtown gallery on March 21.

The Advisory Board - the first of its kind at Radford - was created to connect the academic environment back to the professional world. Board members not only inform the Department of Design's programs and curriculum, but work with students, as in the interviews, to help hone their skills before graduation.

"We found very early on that it's the interaction of the board and the students that's so important," said Department of Design Chair Holly Cline. "It's about sharing experiences."

For more information about the Advisory Board or design, visit the Department of Design website.

Mar 25, 2016