May 1, 2026

This weekend, Radford University will celebrate 1,428 graduates at Spring Commencement, including 1,050 undergraduates, 327 master’s students, 43 doctoral students and others earning post-degree certificates.

Graduates represent 33 states and 16 countries, with Virginians from 118 localities. Ages range from 19 to 71, with three birthday grads celebrating birthdays on the day they graduate and six sets of twins crossing the stage.

Among undergraduates, 258 are first-generation graduates. Nursing leads undergraduate programs with 153 grads, while social work tops graduate programs with 62.

Congratulations to all graduates, and thank you to the Highlander family for supporting their journey!

At Radford University, finding your place is only the beginning. Members of the Class of 2026 prepare to step into what comes next, carrying with them the experiences that shaped their time on campus.

Our 2026 Spring Commencement video features seven graduating students from each of Radford's seven colleges whose stories reflect the many ways a place can shape a journey.

Each student is featured with a red suitcase, which is a symbol of the experiences, relationships and lessons they carry from Radford into their next chapters. 

About our featured graduates:

College of Education and Human Development
Program: Elementary Education
What’s next: Teaching fourth grade in the Fauquier County Public Schools system.

College of Nursing
Program: Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
What’s next: Working in the emergency department at LewisGale Hospital as a new grad nurse resident in Salem.

Waldron College of Health and Human Services
Program: Respiratory Therapy
What’s next: Working as a respiratory therapist at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital in Roanoke.                           

College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences
Program: History
What’s next: Simmons University's Archives Management Concentration within its master’s program for Library and Information Science.

College of Visual and Performing Arts
Program: Music Education
What’s next: Taking a gap year to prepare for graduate school auditions while working as a music instructor at Radford High School.

Artis College of Science and Technology
Program: Physics
What’s next: Working with the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA).

Davis College of Business and Economics
Program: Business Administration
What’s next: Training to become an area manager with Amazon in Wilmington, NC. 

Don’t forget to visit the Spring Commencement page on the Radford University website to find all of the details about our commencement ceremonies, including the university's clear-bag policy and prohibited items listing. These security measures apply to all who attend the ceremony. Please share this information with students and their guests as necessary. More information can be found on the Commencement Security Measures webpage.

Current forecasts indicate favorable weather conditions for the Saturday, May 2 Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony on Moffett Lawn. Please monitor the weather forecast and dress appropriately for the outdoor ceremony. Attendees are not permitted to use umbrellas during the ceremony, as they may obstruct sight lines of others in attendance.

After the May 8 edition of Radford University CONNECTED, the e-newsletter will switch to a bi-weekly schedule for the summer. Editions this summer will be published on the following Fridays:

Weekly editions will resume with the Aug. 21 edition.

If you have time-sensitive information to share with faculty and staff this summer, please plan ahead to submit your content for one of the dates listed above. All content will be due by the end of the day on the Wednesday before the publication date.

If you want to learn more about recruitment, admission and the retention process for students, you are encouraged to attend the Enrollment Operations Summit on Thursday, May 14, from 8:30-11:30 a.m. in Kyle Hall 340.

The goal of the summit is to:

Please RSVP by Tuesday, May 5, to attend. The agenda includes a lightning round of enrollment topics, speed networking and breakout sessions. Refreshments will be provided, and you’ll have the chance to win door prizes. 

From Sunday, May 3, through Friday, May 8, Radford University’s Department of Information Technology Services (IT) will be performing software updates and patches to network and server infrastructure. These updates are planned to minimize impact to the campus community, but there will be several brief outages from 4-7 a.m. each morning.

If you have a problem, please reboot your computer before contacting the Technology Assistance Center at 540-831-7500 or www.radford.edu/itonestop.

Users may notice an impact on Monday, May 4, when IT makes a core network equipment upgrade. During this upgrade, equipment will be replaced beginning at 2 a.m., with work expected to be completed before 7:30 a.m. During this time, network services, including the campus network, internet access, email and VPN connectivity, will be intermittent.

The Radford University Office of Accounting Services would like to remind employees that May 2026 statements for small purchase charge card transactions and airfare purchased through DGI Travel will be paid in the current fiscal year (FY26). After the May billing cycle, transactions will be applied to the next fiscal year’s budget (FY27). No exceptions will be made.

Your cooperation in adhering to these deadlines is essential and greatly appreciated. Accounting Services would like to thank you in advance for your assistance in following this schedule and supporting the timely closeout of the current fiscal year.

Contact Lucy White at 540-831-5423 or lecundiff@radford.edu for more information.

It’s time to have some fun in the sun at the ballpark! On Tuesday, May 5, at 11:05 a.m., the Salem RidgeYaks will be taking on the Delmarva Shorebirds on the Carilion Clinic Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark.

Radford University is a sponsor of this game, and it is Education Day. We are excited to be part of the action and invite all employees and their loved ones to join us for America’s national pastime.

The RidgeYaks are offering discounted tickets to Radford University employees and alumni, so stop by our sponsor table to say hello, grab some Radford swag and enjoy a night at the ballpark.

Open Enrollment for health benefits and flexible spending accounts (FSAs) will be held from Friday, May 15, through Friday, May 29. Rates and enrollment information will be communicated to campus as they become available. Manual forms, as well as Cardinal platform enrollments, will be offered for your convenience.

Engagement remains a central focus as planning continues for Radford University’s new Academic Health Sciences Building in Roanoke.

The Perkins & Will design team will return to campus from May 6-7 for additional tours and engagement sessions.

You are invited to an information session about the project on Wednesday, May 6, from 2-3 p.m. in room 617 at Radford University Carilion, or by Zoom (passcode 934315).

The design team will lead us through a workshop sharing feedback around space types and characteristics that may be desired in the new building. There will be an interactive visioning session where the design team will collect additional feedback around the most impactful experiences for several different groups, including employees, students and university partners.

As a reminder, employees across all campuses are encouraged to complete a brief survey (less than 10 minutes to complete) to help inform the building’s vision and guiding principles by May 10.

Receiving payments and refunds via direct deposit is secure, convenient and fast for students. Students enrolled in direct deposit typically receive their payments and refunds within three to five business days after they’re processed. Compare that to manual processing for paper checks, which can take up to two weeks.  If you work with students, please let them know they can sign up anytime for direct deposit in OneCampus by searching “Student Direct Deposit” and encourage them to do so before summer break.

The direct deposit refunds guideline supports two of the strategic priorities in Radford University’s strategic plan: culture of care and organizational excellence and continuous improvement. The guideline outlines the requirement that all eligible students sign up for direct deposit to receive refunds processed from their student account by the university. This guideline may overlap with various federally funded work-related direct deposit requirements but is not to be enforced as a replacement for those requirements at the university. 

Our local NPR affiliate in Roanoke, WVTF, recently featured Radford University students and faculty in a look at music therapy and the Radford Music program, one of the oldest in the nation.

Reporter Roxy Todd highlighted the program through student and faculty perspectives, showing how training, hands-on experience and community engagement prepare students to use music as a clinical tool in diverse care settings.

Photo credit: Roxy Todd/WVTF

It also places the program within broader changes in Virginia, where new licensure efforts are working to formalize and expand recognition of music therapy as a professional practice.

The Accounting Services travel team is excited to announce that Radford University is transitioning to a new Enterprise Rent-A-Car online booking tool for university business-related travel. This new system will provide a streamlined and user-friendly way to reserve vehicles.

To support employees, the travel team is offering training sessions in May that cover how to use the tool, key features and allow time for questions.

The first session will be held on Tuesday, May 5, at 2 p.m. during the Our Turn sessions. You can register for this Zoom session online.

Additional training sessions will be provided by Zoom on the following dates (the password for all dates is 923679):

Registration is not required, but you must be logged in to your Radford University Zoom account to access the training.

Contact Amanda Melton at 540-831-7617 or travel@radford.edu for more information.

The Radford University Department of Human Resources is proud to share the recognition received by two exceptional individuals honored with the Presidential Employee Service Award, one of the university’s highest distinctions. These awards were presented by the president of the university during the Employee Service Awards celebration on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.

Emily Close, assistant director of graduate student success, Office of Graduate Affairs

Emily has been instrumental in strengthening graduate education at Radford University, bringing focus and stability during a time of transition. Her solutions-oriented approach has enhanced processes, strengthened collaboration, and improved the student experience from matriculation through degree completion. She is known for her responsiveness and commitment to student success, and she is a trusted partner who brings clarity, care and consistency to her work, making a meaningful impact across the university community.

Guy Rhodes, capital project manager, Facilities Management

For more than 12 years, Guy Rhodes has played a key role in shaping Radford University through his leadership of major construction and renovation projects. His work is reflected in spaces across campus that support learning and community every day. Currently supporting the Esports renovation in Peters Hall, Guy continues to demonstrate excellence through his diligence, collaboration and commitment, earning the trust and appreciation of colleagues across the university.

Radford University’s Connected Communities is launching an updated Safe Zone Initiative in fall 2026. This initiative is designed to foster a more inclusive campus environment by equipping employees and students with the knowledge to better support the LGBTQ+ community.

As Connected Communities prepares for this launch, it is actively gathering campus feedback to help shape the program. You are invited to share your insights by completing a brief survey.

The survey will close on Thursday, May 7, so be sure to submit your feedback before the deadline.

Radford University’s Office of Accounting Services has announced the launch of two new electronic forms for the university’s card programs. The first form, Charge Card Request, supports card requests, including SPCC, IL and card renewals.

The second form, Card Limit and Restriction Exception Request, is for card exception requests, such as temporary card limit increases, commodity code lifts and exceptions to the 90-day rule for registrations.

These forms are designed to streamline the request process and introduce an automated workflow. They also create a centralized repository for documentation, making it easier to retrieve information for audit purposes.

Both forms are available through the OneCampus portal and via links on the card programs website.

For more information, contact Jeanie Quesenberry or Lucy White.

The Radford University Office of Sponsored Programs and Grants Management invites you to strengthen your grant-seeking through targeted research development, grant writing and strategic consulting support offered by our colleagues at Hanover.

Why use Hanover?

Key topic areas

Radford University’s Office of Accounting Services will offer several training sessions during the month of May for employees.

The following sessions will be offered through Our Turn. Registration is required through Our Turn and by selecting the appropriate session.

You can register for the following sessions by emailing travel@radford.edu with the subject line “Training.” Indicate which session you would like to attend, and a link for the session will be sent to you.

Radford University’s librarians are offering several sessions during the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning-organized Our Turn in May. Sessions will include:

Also offered this month will be the workshop “Affordable Course Materials Zoom Workshop from the University Libraries and OEN,” on Wednesday, May 20, from 1-2 p.m. It will be presented by our Open Education Network Campus leaders, Dan Farhat, professor of economics, and Alyssa Archer, head of research services at University Libraries. This session is open to any teaching faculty wanting to learn more about Open Educational Resources [OER]. VIVA Libraries offers a $200 stipend per calendar year to faculty members who first attend this session, then review a textbook in the Open Textbook Library by Friday, Aug. 7 (all stipends will be paid after the due date). You can sign up online to receive the Zoom invite.

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