February 20, 2026

Kathryn “Katy” Pendleton, a junior from Hampton, Virginia, majoring in performance and directing in the Department of Theatre and Cinema, has been accepted into the highly competitive Disney College Program for a four- to six-month internship.

Pendleton will travel to Walt Disney World in early summer, where she will spend the fall semester working as an entertainment attendant, service worker and guest associate, gaining hands-on industry experience.

Pendleton said she is grateful for the opportunity and thanked the theatre department and its professors for their continued support inside and outside the classroom.

Radford University faculty are invited to presentation sessions on the COACHE (Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education) survey results. The survey captures faculty opinions on teaching, service, research, promotion and tenure, departmental engagement and collegiality and other aspects of the academic workplace at Radford University. Faculty completed the survey in spring 2025, and the results are now complete and ready to be shared.

Please plan to attend one of the following three sessions:

Members of the Faculty Senate from the Campus Environment Committee will share results about:

In partnership with Radford University, Harvard University administers the COACHE survey, analyzes the data and prepares a report. Radford faculty take the survey every other year.

The Radford University Department of Human Resources will host the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) and VOYA on Tuesday, March 17, at 9 a.m. on the main campus in Heth Hall 044.

A presentation detailing retirement eligibility, life insurance and other state benefits will be offered, followed by one-on-one meetings to discuss personal retirement accounts from 10:20 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants must register for the one-on-one sessions but not the morning presentation.

The Radford University College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) will host several upcoming concerts. Mark your calendars for these great events. All of these performances are free and open to the public.

The Radford University Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL) and the Department of Academic Technologies will host a three-hour accessibility bootcamp on Wednesday, March 4, from 9 a.m. to noon in Heth Hall 043 and via Zoom. This event will give you the nuts and bolts of document accessibility. Discussions will focus on Word, PowerPoint and PDF accessibility.

This training is for anyone who has responsibilities for creating or remediating documents that will be housed in digital formats on webpages, in D2L or on social media. Bring a laptop and a few documents to work on – a Word document, a PowerPoint presentation or a PDF.

There are two registration sites, one for in-person attendance and one for Zoom attendance. In-person attendance is limited to the first 40 registrants. You can find both registration sites at the CITL Registration System webpage.

The University Scheduling Office is announcing that a new centralized room/space scheduling system, Ad Astra, will launch at Radford University on Wednesday, April 1.

Whether you need to reserve tabling space or a meeting room or coordinate a multi-room conference, the new system makes it easy to schedule any space on campus. The scheduling office will provide three separate portals to reserve spaces, including ones for main campus, Radford University Carilion in Roanoke and SELU. 

Training sessions for Ad Astra will be offered initially between March 9 and 19. Details on the training, including registration information, will be provided soon on the University Scheduling webpage.

Scheduling can also help coordinate your event needs, including facilities, parking and catering. 

Radford University’s research services librarians are here to help with any stage of the research process, including:

You and your students are encouraged to reach out to Research Services – please pass along this resource to them as well. University Libraries offers multiple ways to connect via the Research webpage, including:

Do you have a course assignment that requires some of the above skills? 
If your students may benefit from library instruction, contact Alyssa Archer, head of research services at McConnell Library, or Mary Catherine Santoro at RUC Library with questions.

University Libraries also offers asynchronous D2L modules that you can assign to your class (including quizzes) that take less than an hour to complete on APA 7th, evaluating sources, SuperSearch, avoiding plagiarism and more.

Students’ research could win them rewards
Please let your students know they can win up to $750 for course-embedded research projects undertaken between spring 2025 and the current semester with the Winesett Awards for Library Research – yet another reason to get involved in research.

Radford University’s Department of Theatre and Cinema will present “Gulf View Drive” by Arlene Hutton, directed by Mazie Wakefield, from Friday, Feb. 20, to Saturday, Feb. 21, at 7:30 p.m. each day and on Sunday, Feb. 22, at 2 p.m. Performances will be held in Artis Center 239, the Black Box Studio.

Blending comedy and drama, the play follows a young couple whose marriage is tested when their families descend on their home.

The cast includes Charlotte Hall, Brandon Smith, Gwendolynne Arnold, Katy Pendleton and Ange Capots.

Admission is free, but tickets are required. Visit the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ current season webpage for more information.

The Radford University Office of Undergraduate Research (OURS) will continue the regular faculty and student support seminar series for the spring semester. All seminars are open to all Radford University students and employees. The next meeting will be hybrid through Zoom and in person:

Ethical Conduct of Research
Tuesday, March 10, at 2 p.m. in McConnell Library 231
Ethical research is fundamental to academic success – but it requires navigating complex issues like authorship, fraud and the guidelines of IRB and IACUC. In this workshop, you’ll explore how to address these challenges, ensure ethical decision-making and uphold the integrity of your research from start to finish. To participate via Zoom, use the password: OURS.

Also, save the date for the Professional Presenting seminar on Tuesday, March 24, at 2 p.m. More information will be shared soon.

OURS is happy to meet individually or with groups all across campus and can be contacted at ours@radford.edu, at 540-831-7203 or by visiting Whitt Hall 118-126. OURS can also run workshops on various professional development areas for your class or research team. These include the above and other topics, such as writing abstracts, preparing for a conference and more.

The McGlothlin Center for Global Education and Engagement will be hosting its annual International Culture Night event on Thursday, March 12, at 5:30 p.m. in Kyle Hall 340.

This event is a celebration of the diverse cultures from around the world at Radford University. It will feature performances, food, music and art. The event is free and open to everyone, but seats are limited, so an RSVP is required.

Find out how Radford students, faculty and staff are finding their place and shaping tomorrow – together.

Radford University Board of Visitors to Consider 2026-2027 Tuition and Fees

Highlander Highlights:
Week of Feb. 9, 2026