March 21, 2025

Radford University’s Highlander Day, taking place on Saturday, March 22 on the main campus, is bigger than last year with over 570 students registered to attend, and Student Recreation and Wellness is hosting a women’s flag football tournament Monday, April 14 and Wednesday, April 16 at the Student Outdoor Recreation Complex – the first one since COVID-19. It's a busy Spring at Radford!

University Services has announced that the Hurlburt Student Center on the main campus is getting a fresh new look to bring the campus community an improved dining experience.

As part of this transformation, a full-service Chick-fil-A with an expanded menu will be introduced in fall 2025. Student Choice and Hissho Sushi will also swap locations – giving both spaces a fresh new vibe and layout designed to better serve customers.

Renovation work will begin on Tuesday, April 15, focusing on the Student Choice and Chick-fil-A areas. When faculty, staff and students return to campus this fall, we will be greeted with a completely reimagined space. To prep for the work to begin, both locations will stop service on Saturday, April 12.

Honeycomb Commons and Hissho Sushi will remain open for the rest of the spring semester.

Sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes updates and first looks at the renderings will be shared as work progresses via Radford University Dining Services’ Instagram and Facebook pages at @RadfordUDining.

Radford University’s exceptional students will be recognized at the 2025 Student Awards ceremony on Friday, April 25, at 6 p.m. in the Bonnie Auditorium on the main campus in Radford. Leading up to the ceremony, faculty and staff are encouraged to submit nominations to honor students and student organizations that have made a significant impact through leadership, service and academic excellence.

Nominations are now open and can be submitted online. The deadline to submit nominations is Monday, March 31.

Award recipients will be celebrated at the Student Awards Ceremony, followed by a reception with light refreshments and photo opportunities. Please RSVP if you plan to attend the ceremony and reception.

Director of Radford University Athletics Robert Lineburg announced the hiring of Zach Chu as the next leader of its men’s basketball program on Sunday. Chu is the ninth head coach in the storied program's history.

A native of Dallas, Texas, Chu brings with him over nine years of experience in the National Basketball Association and most recently served as the chief strategist for men’s basketball at Southern Methodist University (SMU).

Prior to his role with the SMU Mustangs, Chu served as manager of game strategy and analytics for three seasons on Rick Carlisle’s staff with the Indiana Pacers.

New men's basketball coach Zach Chu (center) with Director of University Athletics Robert Lineburg (left) and Radford University President Bret Danilowicz.

Before his time in Indiana, Chu served as an assistant coach for three years with the Texas Legends, the G-League affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks, followed by two seasons as the analytics liaison to Carlisle with the Mavericks.

Highlander Nation greeted Coach Chu at a press conference and fan meet-and-greet on Wednesday, March 19 at the Dedmon Center.

Radford University’s Training and Technical Assistance Center (TTAC) is partnering with the College of Education and Human Development’s Inclusive Practices Center and the I’m Determined project to offer students and the larger community a special screening of the award-winning feature-length film “Pulling Threads.”

Showings will be on Thursday, March 27, in the Bondurant Theatre in Preston Hall at 2:30-4:40 p.m. and 6-8:10 p.m.

Attendees will have a unique chance to interact with the film’s directors, screenwriters and a main character with a disability during Q&A sessions from 2:30-3 p.m. and 6-6:30 p.m., gaining insight into the film’s context and themes before each show starts.

“Pulling Threads” speaks to a wide audience, including parents, teachers, siblings and people with a disability. This screening provides a valuable opportunity for our community to engage in meaningful conversations about inclusion, advocacy and diversity, fostering a deeper sense of connection and awareness.

This event is free and open to the public.

The Radford University Office of Accounting Services will offer Emburse (Chrome River) travel training and food and beverage policy training in April:

To attend a session, e-mail travel@radford.edu with the subject line “Training.” In the body of the e-mail, 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 e-mail that you would like to attend more than one of these sessions.

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

The Office of Faculty Development invites all faculty, staff and students to the next installment of the Common Grounds discussion series on Tuesday, March 25, from 11 a.m. to noon at Radford University Carilion in Roanoke, room 617.

The prompt for this conversation will be, “Are social assistance programs like Medicaid a human right? Are they serving everyone equally?”

This in-person event includes free coffee, tea and bakery snacks, or you are welcome to bring your lunch.

Common Grounds events are aimed at building our community’s capacity to converse and collaborate across differences.  This series is sponsored by the Civil Discourse and Freedom of Expression Working Group and hosted by the Healthcare Ethics class. Common Grounds events are open to anyone in the Radford University community.

The annual Radford Community Fest, a free community celebration, will take place on Saturday, Aug. 23, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Community members, students and their families, university staff and faculty, and guests from the region are invited.

East Main Street will be full of more than 100 local vendors, five food trucks, a main stage with live music all day, street performers, community engagement and the downtown Radford merchants you love.

Local and regional crafters, artisans, community organizations and businesses are invited to purchase a booth. Spaces are 10’ x 10’. Singles and doubles are available. Limited spaces allow power for an extra charge.

Radford University Accounting Services has announced that the Direct Pay and Honorarium forms have been converted to an electronic form in Kuali. This move improves the workflow and the security of the forms.

Effective April 1, all Direct Pay and Honorarium forms should be submitted using the Kuali Direct Pay/Honorarium form.

Training on using the new form will be provided on:

To register for one of these trainings, e-mail Angela Jones at ahjones1@radford.edu. Specify in your e-mail which training you would like to attend.

All sessions will be via Zoom, and information on the sessions will be provided after registration. In-person sessions will be available upon request.

The Radford University College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) will be hosting the following events this month:

If you mentor students on research and creative projects, the Office of Undergraduate Research (OURS) needs your help in letting graduating seniors know about being recognized as Research Scholars for their diplomas and resumes.

Students qualify who have:

Let students who qualify know that they can apply for a Radford University Research Scholar transcript designation on their diplomas by filling out the Undergraduate Research Scholar Transcript Designation application.

They will need to:

Students should submit their forms by Friday, April 4, for possible inclusion in the program for Spring Commencement and to receive the designation on their transcripts.

Highlanders, spring has arrived. As the season of renewal and growth begins, take a moment to refresh, recharge and embrace new opportunities. Let the longer days and fresh energy inspire you as we move forward together. Here’s to a bright and revitalizing season ahead.