Highlander Highlights shares with readers some of the extraordinary accomplishments happening on and off campus through the tireless work and curiosity of our students, faculty, staff and alumni.
Rural leadership graduates have ties to Radford
Radford University is well represented in the latest class to graduate from the Virginia Rural Center’s Virginia Rural Leadership Institute (VRLI), a flagship program focused on developing and empowering existing and emerging rural leaders.
Two alumnae – Lauren Chitwood ’04, tourism director and farmers market manager for the Town of Hillsville, Virginia, and Heidi King ’17, a workforce analyst for Appteon Inc. in Harrisonburg, Virginia – were included in the cohort of 23. Also graduating were university staffers Nichole Hair, director of economic development and community engagement for the Division of Economic Development and Corporate Education, and Tom Bennett, interim executive director for the Vinod Chachra IMPACT Lab and senior director of operations and administration for Economic Development and Corporate Education.
VRLI cohort members engage in a comprehensive series of sessions held across Virginia’s diverse rural regions.
Each session features expert-led discussions on key topics such as economic development, housing, education, healthcare, broadband access and agriculture, while also offering immersive, place-based learning experiences with local leaders and community innovators.
“Through sessions held across five regions, this cohort of leaders deepened their connection to rural Virginia and gained insights from communities that have developed innovative solutions to local challenges,” said Kristie Proctor, executive director of the Virginia Rural Center. “Their community impact projects reflect the heart of VRLI by creating practical, lasting change for rural Virginia.”
Each VRLI participant completes a community impact project as a capstone to the program. These projects address issues such as public safety, food security, workforce development, youth engagement, senior support and community revitalization. The initiative ensures that graduates not only boost their leadership skills but also leave a lasting impact on their local communities.
“VRLI’s success comes from strong partnerships and a shared commitment to rural leadership,” said Bryan David, chair of the Council for Rural Virginia. “This program continues to build a network of leaders who will help rural Virginia grow and thrive for years to come.”
Radford partners with 4-VA
The university has recently joined 4-VA, a partnership among nine Virginia universities created to foster collaborations that leverage the strengths of each university and improve efficiencies in education across the commonwealth.
Thanks to 4-VA, unprecedented alliances among schools, departments, faculty and students can help generate significant, innovative solutions to educational and real-world challenges. 4-VA has pioneered a broad range of advancements in education that include research, pilot courses, redesigned courses, shared courses, online programs, STEM education, industry-focused adult degrees, new technologies, interventions, workshops and conferences as well as pathways to degree completion.
Through the partnership, Radford seeks to advance both the 4-VA goals and our own by fostering pedagogical and research collaborations with partner schools through course sharing, course redesign grants and collaborative ventures among 4-VA institutions.
Radford University participates in complementary funding up to $5,000 as funds are available. Faculty who are named collaborators in a proposal funded by another 4-VA institution are eligible for complementary funding. Awards up to $5,000 will be disbursed after the primary 4-VA institution notifies Radford University once the award has been funded. For more information, visit the 4-VA site.