Highlander Highlights: Week of June 26, 2023
Geology star! Professor elected to prestigious fellowship
Professor of Geology Elizabeth McClellan has been elected to a Geological Society of America (GSA) Fellowship, an honor bestowed on leading geology professionals.
Fellowship winners are nominated by other members within the organization in recognition of a sustained record of distinguished contributions to the geosciences and the Geological Society of America.
This can be accomplished through publications, applied research, teaching, administration of geological programs, contributing to the public awareness of geology, leadership of professional organizations and taking on editorial, bibliographic and library responsibilities.
Professor of Geology Elizabeth McClellan
“I am honored to be elected a Fellow of the Geological Society of America. I’ve been an active member of GSA since my undergraduate days and benefited from its support of student research during my days as a graduate student,” McClellan said. “Today, GSA benefits our own geology majors through grants for research, employment mentoring and networking opportunities. I am deeply grateful to be recognized for mentoring of undergraduate research at Radford University and for service to GSA.”
McClellan’s research and expertise include igneous and metamorphic petrology, application of petrology, structural geology, and geochemistry to tectonic and stratigraphic problems.
McClellan earned a Ph.D. in geology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Before joining the Radford faculty in 2009, she taught at the University of Tennessee at Martin, University of Kansas and Western Kentucky University.
Professor speaks at policy summit about ‘the history of the idea of Appalachia’
Radford Professor of History Richard Straw recently spoke at the Appalachian Policy Summit March 23-25 in Washington, D.C., offering insight into the history of the idea of Appalachia.
Sponsored by the American Enterprise Institute’s Academic Programs division, the purpose of the summit was to gather Appalachians and leading scholars to discuss current issues facing the region. The participants covered topics including Appalachian history, rebuilding small towns and rural areas, the opioid crisis, workforce development and telling the stories of forgotten places.
Straw was one of a handful of faculty and students from 17 regional universities and colleges who were invited to participate in the three-day summit.
Catch a rising star
Radford men’s basketball assistant coach Shane Nichols is among the 75 rising stars in college basketball mid-major programs for 2023, according to a recent list published by Silver Waves Media.
Nichols is in his third season as an assistant with the Highlanders and is the older brother of head coach Darris Nichols. Under the siblings’ direction, the team sported a 21-15 record in the 2022-23 season and advanced to the third round of the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) post-season tournament.
Silver Waves Media, a company dedicated to “helping sports professionals and athletes advance their careers to the next stage,” published the list, “2023 75 Rising Stars: Impactful Men’s Mid Major Assistants,” in May.