President Hemphill and Mayor Horton discuss safety, collaboration at start of fall semester

Radford University President Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D., and Radford City Mayor David Horton ‘90 sat down together at the beginning of the Fall 2020 semester to discuss the well-being of both the Highlander family and the Radford City community as the two entities continue to move forward during the COVID-19 global pandemic.

“We are excited about having our students back, but of course, the thing that is on our minds, first and foremost, is making sure that safety is No. 1 for all of us,” President Hemphill said.

During the candid conversation, the two leaders talked about the importance of social responsibility: specifically, wearing a mask, washing hands and maintaining social distance.

President Hemphill explained several measures the University has in place to monitor the virus, such as a symptom tracker and different types of testing. He encouraged people to read Radford University’s Reopening Plan, which outlines detailed information about additional precautions the University is implementing to ensure the health, safety and well-being of faculty, staff, students and Radford citizens.

Mayor Horton said the city is working closely with the New River Valley Health District to implement the same kind of contact tracing as the city moves through Phase 2, Phase 3 and beyond.

“We are looking to try to make the best decisions possible for our community to keep everybody safe, everybody working and to keep this economy moving forward,” Mayor Horton said.

Both President Hemphill and Mayor Horton agreed that collaboration between the University and the city is key, especially during this unprecedented challenge.

“We look forward to having a great relationship for many years to come and to continue to do great work on behalf of not only the University, but the city and everyone that we have a responsibility to serve,” President Hemphill said.

Watch the full conversation below: