Academic awards ceremony celebrates the achievements of “a community of scholars”

Radford University recognized an array of its most accomplished faculty and staff members at the 2024-2025 Academic Affairs Awards Ceremony.

The April 30 event, which drew a crowd that filled Kyle Hall’s expansive third-floor conference room, was to honor this year’s winners of the presidential awards and the university awards, as well as the recipients of grants and academic affairs recognitions.

“All of you made a difference at Radford this year,” President Bret Danilowicz said in his opening remarks.

“I thank you all for your active participation. Yes, in the classroom with your students, but also as a community of scholars,” he added.

“I am excited to see you today,” Provost Bethany Usher told the crowd, “and for you to be able to recognize all of our excellent faculty and all of the excellent activities that we're doing.”

Usher’s Office of the Provost awarded four faculty members with the university’s highest honor, the Dalton Eminent Scholar Award, which is presented to educators who have established a distinguished reputation within their disciplines.

This year’s recipients of the Dalton Eminent Senior Scholar Awards were Sarah Capello, associate professor in the School of Teacher Education and Leadership; Eunyoung Lee, professor of nursing; and Jennifer McDonel, associate professor of music and an associate director of the Office of Undergraduate Research (OURS). 

The Dalton Eminent Scholars Rising Star Award, which acknowledges a faculty member who exhibits extraordinary promise in research or creative scholarship, was presented to Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice Lindsay Semprevivo. 

Winners of these awards receive a $10,000 prize each year for two years – provided by the Radford University Foundation through the Dalton Eminent Scholars Fund – as well as a medallion to be worn during commencement exercises. The distinction is named in honor of United States District Judge Ted Dalton and former Virginia Governor John Dalton. 

This year’s Dalton scholars boast a wide range of expertise and were introduced at the ceremony by Jeanne Mekolichick, associate provost for research, faculty success and strategic initiatives.

Sarah Capello’s work focuses on Ed.D education and program design, including rethinking and revising research methodology courses, doctoral assessments and advancing the preparation of pre-K-12 educational leaders. She has produced 12 articles in peer-reviewed journals, eight of which have been published since she arrived in Radford in 2021. She has served as a chair on 24 dissertations and has given more than 50 presentations at refereed national and international conferences.  

Capello is currently writing a book about educational research that integrates social science data collection methods and data analysis procedures. 

Mekolichick said Capello “is dedicated to contributing to national conversations and inviting a new generation of scholars into the research community.” 

Over the past 20 years, Eunyoung Lee’s primary area of research has been cardiac health. Lee has served as a fellow of the American Heart Association and was instrumental in directing Radford’s Scholar-Citizen Quality Enhancement Program, which involves students in community-engaged learning to increase their intercultural competence, their abilities as scholars and their awareness of the links between their studies and their personal and social responsibilities. 

Recognized at Radford and beyond for her “generosity of thought, spirit and action, as well as … exacting standards as a scholar and advocate for student and for patient care,” Mekolichick said, Lee has also volunteered her time and talent across the region with local clinics and food banks. 

Music education is central to the work of Jennifer McDonel, who has applied a career’s worth of research and knowledge of early development to create songs and programs that reach thousands of preschoolers across the nation. 

McDonel’s major works and curricula include “Harmony & Heart,” a music and movement program, the Problem Solvers curriculum and a 2023 record, “Little Beats: Counting, Shapes and Sets,” that was among the top 100 children’s albums of that year. 

She “is incredibly grateful to be part of a movement that strives to integrate music into the broader landscape of early learning and is committed to advancing music education in diverse contexts,” Mekolichick said. 

Now in her third year at Radford, Dalton Rising Star Lindsay Semprevivo was recognized for her innovative research, commitment to community engagement and dedication to mentorship. Her activities include volunteering with the New River Valley Juvenile Detention Home, where she researched the benefits of a gardening program for institutionalized juveniles. Undergraduates in her Gender and Crime course must donate 15 hours of community service by volunteering with such local agencies as New River Community Action and the Women’s Resource Center. 

“This honoree noted that their personal journey into academia was, and continues to be, one of individual passion and professional discovery,” Mekolichick said of Semprevivo, adding that she works “to create student-centered learning environments that empower students to think critically, engage with diverse perspectives, and apply their knowledge in real-world contexts.” 

Also during the ceremony, Faculty Senate President Matt Close presented the university awards, which, since 1977, have recognized outstanding performance in teaching, advising, and service. Recipients claim a certificate and a monetary award, and they may also designate a student of their choice to receive $500 in scholarship funds.

This year’s university awards and winners: 

The Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes faculty who have contributed substantial service over a sustained period of time, went to Assistant Professor of Marketing Luke Liska. Liska serves as director of the Davis College Fellows and is a mentor for Honors Capstone projects and the Highlander Research Rookies. He’s a faculty advisor for the Radford chapter of the American Marketing Association as well as the Fishing Club, the Pokémon Go Club and the Pickleball Club. Liska is also the head coach for the Radford Collegiate League of Legends esports team, which placed third at the first Big South Esports Championship.

The Distinguished Faculty Advising Award, presented to faculty who demonstrate excellence through their academic advising, went to Professor of Geospatial Science Stockton Maxwell. Now in his 13th year of service at Radford, Maxwell has applied a modern, individualized approach to connecting with students. As Close put it, “These tactics of establishing relationships and showing empathy created a level of trust that allowed students to openly engage,” and students have said that Maxwell’s rapport has helped them come out of their shells and think critically, sparked their curiosity and made them more efficient problem-solvers.  

The Distinguished Creative Scholar Award rewards significant original contributions to the body of knowledge in academe, as well as efforts that have a key impact on classroom teaching. It was presented to Associate Professor of Dance Amy Van Kirk. Van Kirk created the course “Jazz Dance: A Fractured History,” which dealt with such issues as racism and appropriation; her methodology for it was selected by her peers for presentation at last October’s National Dance Education Organization conference. Close said: “This honoree, without fail, brings out the best in [her] students by being inspiring and uplifting and encouraging them not just to learn but to take ownership of their work.” 

The Award for Administrative and Professional Excellence recognizes those with a record of distinguished leadership and superior service in their professional activity at the university, and it went to Associate Director for Student Engagement in Roanoke Elizabeth Costa. Among her numerous accomplishments, Costa launched the training program “Clubs and Orgs 101: The Nuts and Bolts of Leading Your Student Organization”; greatly expanded outreach through social media; created the RUC newsletter “Campus Life Happenings”; and organized last fall’s first Tartan 5K. “This honoree shows exceptional initiative, genuine empathy, superior service and unwavering commitment,” Close said.  

The Anna Lee Stewart Award for Contributions to Faculty Development, which acknowledges faculty and staff who have contributed to the professional development of colleagues, went to Samantha Blevins, an instructional designer and architect in the Center for Teaching and Learning. Blevins plans and executes the center’s “Our Turn” programming and advises students in the development of their e-portfolios. One of the founders of the “IdeaX” collective, Blevins is also an active participant in the Wicked Festival as well as the Yarn Makers, which each winter creates cold-weather items for those in need. 

The Donald N. Dedmon Distinguished Teaching Professional Award recognizes educators who have an outstanding record of teaching and are professionally active and thoroughly knowledgeable in their disciplines. This year’s winner, Professor of Biology Karen Powers, is dedicated to sharing personal experiences in her research and teaching, bringing the theories and ideas taught as abstract ideas and making them personal. Powers has earned the 2012 Distinguished Faculty Advisor Award, the College of Science and Technology Outstanding Teacher Award in 2016 and was a 2021 recipient of the Dalton Eminent Scholar Award. “More than just a teacher,” Close said, “This person is an inspiration.”

Academic Affairs recognitions:

The OURS Outstanding Mentor Award, recognizing demonstrated excellence in mentoring and supporting undergraduate researchers, was presented this year to Professor of Chemistry Francis Webster and to Stockton Maxwell. 

Sponsored Programs’ Million Dollar Circle awards recognize Radford faculty who have successfully written competitive external proposal applications that have brought in at least $1 million of funding. Since its founding in 1995, more than 80 faculty members have received this honor. This year’s recipients are Karen Douglas and Darren Minarik, co-directors of the Virginia Inclusive Practices Center in the College of Education and Human Development. 

Douglas has accumulated more than $1.2 million in external awards and has research interests that include enhancing inclusive practices in schools to support the academic and social/emotional skills of all students, but particularly those with disabilities. 

Minarik successfully secured more than $1 million in outside funding. His research focuses on the intersection between social sciences and special education with an emphasis on inclusive educational practices, self-determination, disability history and civic engagement. 

Faculty professional development leave:

This program provides tenured faculty with opportunities to engage in advanced study, research and other scholarly and creative activities to enhance their competencies as teachers and scholars. This year’s recipients include David Anderson, Shala Cunningham, Zehui Dai, Karen Douglas, Thomas Duncan, Tiesha Martin, Michael Meindl, Tara Pelletier and Paul Thomas.

The 2025 Academic Affairs Awards ceremony also recognized 15 recipients of SEED Grants – one-year grants of up to $10,000 to fund pilot or preliminary work – as well as 67 external grant awardees. Radford’s total amount of grant funding received for fiscal year 2025, through April 15, is $6.1 million, which represents a 24% increase over the same time last year.