About Us

Carbon Commitment

For many years, Radford University has ranked among the most environmentally conscious campuses in the country. In late 2020, Radford’s strong commitment to sustainability took a giant leap forward when former President Brian O. Hemphill signed the Carbon Commitment, which pledges the university to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2040 and integrate sustainability and climate action into the university’s curriculum and culture.

As a mid-sized, comprehensive public institution dedicated to the creation and dissemination of knowledge, Radford University empowers students from diverse backgrounds by providing transformative educational experiences, from the baccalaureate to the doctoral level, within and beyond the classroom. As an inclusive university community, we specialize in cultivating relationships among students, faculty, staff, alumni, and other partners, and in providing a culture of service, support, and engagement. We embrace innovation and tradition and instill students with purpose and the ability to think creatively and critically. We provide an educational environment and the tools to address the social, economic, and environmental issues confronting our region, nation, and the world.

We are committed to integrating sustainable practices into all aspects of our operations and engaging students across the curriculum to learn, discover, and contribute to positive current and future environmental solutions.

On Friday, November 13, 2020, Radford University President Brian Hemphill signed the Carbon Commitment, reaffirming the University’s commitment to pursuing net carbon neutrality. The Carbon Commitment recognizes the increasing pace and detrimental impacts of climate change and the need for colleges and universities to exercise leadership in addressing the problem. At the core of the Commitment is the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2040 and to integrate sustainability and climate action into university curriculum and culture. 

The Radford University Board of Visitors approved this plan to serve as the framework for pursuing net carbon neutrality and the institution's other sustainability goals. 

• Be creative, innovative, and bold in recommending a course of action that will reduce our environmental footprint and bring recognition to our University as a leader in sustainability.
• Strive to make Radford University the most sustainable campus in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
• In accordance with the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), the committee will serve as the institutional structure to guide the implementation of the University’s Climate Action Plan in pursuit of the goals committed to in the ACUPCC.

• Dr. Aysha Bodenhamer, Sustainability Manager
• Mr. Avraham Boruchowitz, Assistant Director Environmental Health & Safety 
• Mr. Jorge Coartney, Executive Director of Facilities Management 
• Dr. Holly Cline, Faculty Chair of Department of Interior Design & Fashion 
• Mr. Adrean Harris, Director of Dining Services 
  
• Mr. Bruce Hayden, Associate Dean of Students
• Dr. Angela Joyner
• Dr. Heather Keith, Executive Director of Faculty Development, CITL, Professor of Philosophy
• Mr. Eric Lovik, Director of Institutional Research 
  
• Dr. Stockton Maxwell, Associate Professor, Geospatial Science
• Mr. Chad Osborne, Public Relations Writer 
  
• Dr. Christine Small, Professor of Biology
  
• Ms. Tricia Smith, Assistant VP for Student Life 
  
• Dr. Eftila Tanellari, Assistant Professor of Economics 
• Mr. Neal Thompson, Recycling Coordinator 
• Dr. Rick Van Noy, Professor of English