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Every summer for the last few years, the occupational therapy labs on the main campus in Radford and at Radford University Carilion in Roanoke echo with the sound of children’s giggles, playful screams and excited chatter during free summer camps held for kids ages 3-6. Both the children and the occupational therapy students who run them benefit from the experience.

For De’anthony “DJ” Taylor, a third-year student in the emergency services program at Radford University Carilion (RUC), it took a leap from a big pond to a small pond to find his comfort zone and path to a career.

Peri S. Braxton-Sears ‘22, a graduate of the Master of Healthcare Administration program at Radford University Carilion, says you are your greatest barrier, if you allow it. Her inspirational story about earning her master's degree and using it to develop a thriving career just might make you think twice about making the leap in your own post-grad educational journey.

Healthcare professions students from Radford University, Radford University Carilion and the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine worked together in teams to assess their patients’ needs, treat them and recommend additional resources at the Interprofessional Simulation Day on April 22, held at the Carilion Clinic Center for Simulation, Research and Patient Safety in Roanoke.

For the first time in three years, Waldron College of Health and Human Services students and faculty gathered in person to present research and share ideas at the Interprofessional Symposium and Expo. The seventh annual daylong celebration of original research from the college presented an opportunity for those involved to share research via poster and podium presentations well as roundtable exercises.

The student organizations from Radford University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy Assistant and Master of Occupational Therapy programs teamed up to host No Dunking Allowed 2022. Eighteen teams of players of all abilities competed in wheelchairs in a 3-on-3 basketball tournament to raise funds for nonprofit groups Wheel Love and the Roanoke Stars Wheelchair Basketball team.

Professor Kevin Chui, P.T., D.P.T., Ph.D., was named the recipient of the 2022 Mercedes Weiss Service Award by APTA Oregon, a chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association. The award was established in 1976 to publicly acknowledge the outstanding contributions of members of the profession. Chui is program chair of Radford University's Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) program.

Sara O’Dell is a full-time nurse and a mother with young children. The RUC Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration program gives her the flexibility to build on her education and career while continuing to work and care for her kids.

The family tree of one group of occupational therapists is forever intertwined with the Radford University Master of Occupational Therapy program. It’s a complicated story involving a variety of family and friends, featuring matchmaking, weddings and an academic program that has graduated group of very talented healthcare professionals.

On November 19, members of the Commonwealth of Virginia Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee visited Radford University Carilion in Roanoke as part of the group’s annual meeting activities.

If there are words that exemplify second-year Radford University Carilion Doctor of Physical Therapy student Natalie Weber, they are empathic, compassionate and caring. From the patients she works with to her classmates, Weber continually works to find ways to support others and improve their lives.

Children from across the region who were part of the occupational therapy camps last summer returned to Radford University’s campus for a fun, spooky time at a Halloween party hosted by the Student Occupational Therapy Association in October.