Our Highlanders are using their education to do extraordinary things. In this column, we highlight some notable mentions from local, regional, national and international news media. Whether our students, alumni, faculty and staff are featured as subject matter experts in high-profile stories or simply helping make the world a better place, we’ll feature their stories.
On the rise
Last fall, Radford University saw its undergraduate totals rise by nearly 1,100 enrollments, or about 20% over 2023, from 5,074 to 6,161.
A July 29 article in Virginia Business magazine took note of that upswing and examined some of the factors behind the jump, including enhanced affordability – largely through the school’s new Tuition Promise – as well as recruiting efforts, enhanced engagement, a recent rebrand and an updated website.
“One of the things we did was re-engage with the high schools, the communities, the commuters within range here, to show that we are here for them, and specifically we’re trying to help their communities,” President Bret Danilowicz told Virginia Business.
“We leaned into our very hands-on experiences [with] students in the classroom, that we’ve got a very small student-to-faculty profile,” he added. “We really leaned into being an affordable institution.”
The story also offers a brief overview of the university’s background, its campus and faculty and its 76 undergraduate degree programs in 47 disciplines.
Production credits
It’s been 11 years since Matthew Bagley ’15 – then an aspiring musician – was suddenly invited onto the Bondurant Auditorium stage to play alongside jazz great Chick Corea during a concert.
More than a decade later, the memory remains clear: “The last thing he said to me was, ‘Hmm, you’re pretty good,’” he recently told Richmond, Virginia’s Style Weekly.
“That’s when I was like, ‘Maybe I could really do this.’”
And indeed, he really has done it – today Bagley performs as Alexander Mack, serving up a fusion of funk- and jazz-inflected hip-hop, and he’ll be appearing Aug. 9 at the Richmond Jazz and Music Festival as part of a line-up that includes Jodeci, Aloe Blacc, Dru Hill, TI and CeeLo Green.
Mack sat down with Style Weekly for an interview and discussed such topics as how he made his way into music production and live performance, dealing with the sensory condition synesthesia, the advice he got from his saxophonist father and the plans he’s made for his festival performance.
“I say this on every stage I get on: It’s about all of us and our experience. It’s not just me,” he explained. “When people come to a show, they’re coming to experience and have a good time and make memories. So, I really try to read the people and go off of what they’re feeling.”
The piece also includes a YouTube link to Mack’s springtime release, “Cucumber Cool.”
Checking the list
Nurse.org recently ranked the 10 best nursing schools in the state of Virginia, and slotted Radford University’s program into the ninth spot.
The website’s overview touted the school’s smaller class sizes and in-state tuition as “two huge pluses for students interested in a BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing).
“Radford’s nursing program is best for students who want to begin a nursing career right after earning their degree. The curriculum focuses on preparing nurses for various nursing jobs, contributing to the school's exceedingly high NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) pass rate.”
Touting a monthly audience of more than 1.5 million visitors, Nurse.org shares information for healthcare professionals through its website, newsletters, social media and its Nurse Converse Podcast.