February 27, 2026

This summer, the Radford campus will host several new groups, including The Potomac School, School Safety Symposium (Resource Officers), VCU Dental Care, the Viola da Gamba Society of America and the School Nurse Conference. Be ready to roll out the red carpet for our guests! 

The Highlander Bookstore will host a Grad Fair for students participating in Spring Commencement 2026 in Dalton Hall on the main campus on Wednesday, March 11, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For Radford’s Roanoke-based students, the Highlander Bookstore will host a pop-up Grad Fair at Radford University Carilion on Wednesday, March 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the third-floor retail location just off the lobby.

The Division of Advancement and Alumni Relations, the Center for Career and Talent Development and the Office of Graduate Affairs will be at the Grad Fairs.

Please let your graduating students know about these opportunities.

If a student can’t make it to the Grad Fairs, regalia will also be available to purchase in the Highlander Bookstore or to order online by visiting the Spring Commencement webpage and clicking the “purchase regalia” online link through Friday, March 27.

Faculty members in need of regalia can purchase or rent it by contacting Michael Maiolo, Highlander Bookstore manager, at mmaiolo@ecampus.com by March 27.

Radford University’s Office of Accounting Services will offer Emburse (Chrome River) Travel Training and Food and Beverage Policy Training in March for employees.

The March training sessions will be:

To attend a session, email travel@radford.edu with the subject line “Training.” In the body of the email, indicate if you would like to attend the Emburse (Chrome River) Travel Training session or the Food and Beverage Policy Training. You may also indicate in the email that you would like to attend both sessions.

Each Zoom session is limited to 20 participants. Once your email request is approved, you will receive a link to attend the requested session.

The Radford University Office of the Provost will host Associate Professor Sarah Capello and Assistant Professor Max Yurkofsky, both from the School of Teacher Education and Leadership, as the next RAD Talks speakers on Tuesday, March 24, at 7 p.m. at the Radford Public Library, 30 W. Main St. in Radford.

Capello’s and Max Yurkofsky’s topic will be “Leading Educational Change with Improvement Science.” This event is free and open to the public.

Radford University students saved approximately $80,000 on textbooks during the spring 2026 semester by utilizing 94 new and repeat e-textbooks purchased by Virginia’s Academic Library Consortium, VIVA.

This partnership with University Libraries and the Highlander Bookstore continues to expand affordable access to course materials.

Professor of Music Bruce Mahin released a new recording, “Lady Isabel and the Elf King," on Feb. 23 on the PnOVA Recordings label. It features Scottish singers Alison McNeill and Laura Margaret Smith, along with British pianist Martin Jones, and is available on Bandcamp. Adapted from a British folk song, the work tells the story of a young woman whose lover transforms into an evil elf. The recording highlights the performers’ Scottish and English accents, bringing life and nuance to Mahin’s lyrical storytelling.

Radford University’s Department of Academic Technologies is offering training opportunities with a focus on accessibility in March. Training is open to all employees and students. All sessions are in Walker Hall 275 on the main campus, with the option to join remotely. Click on a link below to learn more and register for the training.

Radford University’s 25th International Guitar Festival will take place Friday-Saturday, April 10-11, at Davis Performance Hall in the Covington Center. All events are free and open to the public. The featured artists include Hao Yang (China), James Piorkowski (U.S.), Duo Chinoiserie (Bin Hu and Jing Xia, China), Christopher Wilkie (U.S.) and the Community Guitar Orchestra.

The festival schedule includes masterclasses and workshops, as well as evening concerts each night.

Congratulations to Radford University art student Lou O’Neil, who presented a paper at the College Art Association (CAA) 114th Annual Conference in Chicago on Feb. 21. She was one of only 11 undergraduate researchers selected nationally.

Her paper, entitled “Reexamining the Narrative of Multitasking Women through Time,” was well received, and O’Neil represented Radford University with grace and professionalism alongside students from institutions including Brown University and Washington University in St. Louis.

With mentor Carlee Bradbury, the pair connected with Radford alum Luc White ’24, who presented at CAA in 2023. Both students’ research was supported by the Radford University Office of Undergraduate Research (OURS), which O’Neil acknowledged during the Q&A session after her presentation.

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