2024 Award Recipients
Carlee Bradbury, Ph.D., Professor of Art
Donald N. Dedmon Distinguished Teaching Professor Award
Dr. Bradbury’s core values as an educator are community, collaboration, and creativity, by combining teaching, research, and service into a holistic approach to student success. She works to create a welcoming space, where inquiry and discussion are challenging, comfortable and contemplative.
A faculty member since 2007, Dr. Bradbury was recognized as the Distinguished Faculty Advisor in 2015, has been nominated for the Dedmon Award on five previous occasions, and earned an Honors College Faculty Fellowship in 2024.
A scholar of Medieval and Early Modern Art, she is known beyond Radford University as an active presence at conferences on the national and international level and has accepted invitations to present her work at universities across the nation.
Here at Radford, Dr. Bradbury directs students to the intersection of art and research as a valued partner of the Office of Undergraduate Research. She directs both experienced and new researchers to make real and personalized connections with their work, and actively seeks new money and resources to ensure that students experience art and architecture in both tangible and memorable ways.
Dr. Bradbury is unique, refreshing, inspiring, and memorable in the eyes of students and colleagues alike.
Abigail Craig
Student Honoree
"A Roanoke native, Abigail Craig is an adult transfer student from Virginia Western Community College and a new Art History and Museum Studies (AHMS) major here at Radford University. She impressed me from our first e-mail exchange as a student with a clear purpose and direction. She is taking my ART 215 class this semester and is excelling. Art 215 is the first of two art history survey classes. It can be a challenge to connect with students in this large online asynchronous class, so I was delighted to meet Abigail first through email and then in person.
We have had several productive meetings since August, Abigail is articulate, organized, and kind. With a strong interest in languages (she is taking Chinese) and the Art Nouveau, she will be a strong student in AHMS, and I look forward to having her in more classes. As a new student on campus, she has already joined the Art History club and is involved with planning group activities. We have a very dedicated and close-knit community of AHMS majors, she is already an important part of the group.
Her background in the studio area, especially glassblowing, gives her a unique visual perspective and an insightful sense of visual analysis. She has a keen eye and a compassionate spirit. It will be a privilege to work with her at Radford University and beyond. She is interested in pursuing a career in archival or library science work in a museum setting. Abigail's career at Radford University will surely be bright and I do believe that the sky is the limit for her."
Judy Smith, Ph.D., Professor, RUC-Physician Assistant
Distinguished Faculty Advising Award
Dr. Judy Smith has advised students for more than 20 years. She joined the Physician Assistant faculty at Jefferson College of Health Sciences in 2010. Though only “officially” assigned to 8-10 students per year, Dr. Smith has an open-door policy, a rocking chair, and a box of tissues at the ready, and serves as an advisor to any student, faculty, or staff member who walks in the office. No issue is too large or too small, she believes that everyone is doing the best they can – they need to be “seen”, empowered, and validated. Students have said that Dr. Smith has helped them find safe living situations, has brightened difficult days, and has helped RUC feel like a home away from home.
Rachel Hinson
Student Honoree
Rachel Hinson received her Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science from Virginia Tech in 2021. While job shadowing veterinarians, she realized her “desire to care for the people part of the equation surpassed my love of animals.” Through volunteering on mission trips and with Hope and Happiness, a non-profit organization that provides socialization events for special needs individuals, Rachel found she had an “intrinsic need to care for others.” Rachel was accepted into the Physician Assistant (PA) Class of 2025 after gaining over one thousand hours of healthcare experience as a medical assistant in sports medicine and family practice and as a patient care technician.
Dr. Smith stated, “I chose Rachel for this scholarship not only because she is an excellent student academically, but also because Rachel displays the passion for caring and helping others that I feel the Advising Award embodies. Her peers in her class say that Rachel is always supportive in both academic and emotional ways, sharing her study materials and helping to lift them up when times are tough. Rachel has a quiet confidence about her with a winning smile and an infectious laugh. I know her patients will love her when she becomes a PA.”
Geoffrey Pollick, Ph.D., Professor, Philosophy and Religious Studies
Distinguished Service Award
Dr. Geoffrey Pollick has invested significant time in service to Radford University since arriving in 2018, working to improve the environment for faculty members while impacting students at all stages of their academic journey.
He has served the Teaching and Research Faculty Senate since 2019 and has been key in the implementation of the REAL curriculum, budgeting, academic program review, Covid-19 response protocols, and enhancing relationships between the faculty and university Board of Visitors.
As an Academic Leadership Fellow in the Provost’s office in 2022-23, Dr. Pollick served as an academic advisor during Quest orientation and led tours of Hemphill Hall during Fall Open House sessions, helping prospective students gain a sense of what’s possible at Radford University.
In addition, he currently serves on the Civil Discourse and Freedom of Expression Working Group, the Online Advisory Committee, and is a bagpiper in the Radford University Highlanders Pipes and Drums performance troupe.
Glenn Bost
Student Honoree
In selecting Glenn, Dr. Pollick wrote, “I first met Glenn at Highlander Day before he enrolled at Radford University. From our initial conversation, Glenn’s bright intellect, curious mind, and focused determination impressed me. As a transfer student, Glenn arrived at Radford with a clear vision for his education and strong motivation to develop his skill as a historian. And he’s made good on these pursuits, excelling as a researcher, writer, and archivist. Glenn represents the best of what can be done with a Radford University education and will go far upon graduation.
Glenn Bost is a Junior with a lifelong passion for history and archival work. Long summers spent at the public library where his father works introduced him to the world of library science, and after sneaking into the library’s records room he found his calling in historical archiving. After transferring to Radford University in Fall 2026, he fell in love with the Center for Archives and Digital History and committed himself to joining Radford’s History Department. He now works as a Student Archivist and assists other students with digitizing, transcribing, and interpreting a wide variety of historical documents, from eighteenth-century property deeds to WWII correspondence. He also serves as a Student Ambassador and as an intern under the History Department Chair, Dr. Sharon Roger Hepburn. Using the skills he’s developed at the CADH, Glenn hopes to connect others with their family history as a transcriptionist, translator, and preservationist for immigration records and passenger logs.”
Christine Small, Ph.D., Professor of Biology
Distinguished Creative Scholar Award
Dr. Christine Small’s research and teaching is focused on forest ecology and conservation, impacts of invasive species, conservation of medicinal plants, and broader socio-ecological issues. As a scholar, she is a leader in understanding sustainable sourcing of native Appalachian forest plants that are valued for their medicinal qualities.
While at Radford University, Dr. Small has mentored more than 120 students in out-of-class undergraduate research and has mentored nearly as many in student presentations at university symposia. She embodies the ideal of the teacher-scholar model and is a role model within the Artis College for how to combine these skills.
Abigail Green
Student Honoree
In selecting Abigail, Dr. Small wrote, “Abbi Green, a Mathematics and Statistics major from Elkton, Virginia, uses computational biology and applied mathematics to investigate biological problems.
Abbi has an impressive range of accomplishments, including research presentations at the 2023 Evolution Meeting, 19th International Bat Research Conference, and 50th Annual North American Symposium on Bat Research, and co-presentations on the value of undergraduate research for work readiness and student retention at ConnectUR 2024. Abbi has conducted research with Dr. Tara Pelletier (Biology), exploring DNA genetic structure and biogeography in hundreds of species of salamanders and bats, funded through the Highlander Research Rookies program, and with Drs. Jeanne Mekolichick and Joe Wirgau, analyzing data on the value of undergraduate research experiences. Abbi serves as a Radford University student ambassador to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), as 2024-25 President of the Radford University Honors Student Council, as President of the RU Math Club, and as Executive Student Assistant in the Office of Undergraduate Research, where she mentors other undergraduate research students and was named 2023 Outstanding Student Worker.
In the coming year, Abbi will work with Drs. Caleb Adams and Christine Small on her Honors Capstone, developing mathematical models to predict impacts of the Emerald Ash Borer, a devastating insect pest in North American forests. I am delighted to share this award with Abbi Green, in recognition of her outstanding work.”
Paige Tan, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science
Anna Lee Stewart for Contribution to Faculty Development Award
This year’s honoree is widely known as one of the architects of the Wicked Festival, which was based on this question – how can we find solutions to the world’s unsolvable problems? Those include global problems such as conflict between nations or climate change, or domestic solutions to political strife or inequality.
The seeds of the Wicked Festival have yielded significant growth. Since Fall of 2021, the festival has evolved from a few students sharing their research in the basement of Heth Hall, to a sprawling event taking up three floors of Kyle Hall, with nearly 500 students and 15 faculty members by the Fall of 2023. Year-round Wicked Initiatives have taken off, including new academic degree programming, and presentations by Radford students at global conferences.
Students say this individual has helped unlock critical skills for their lives beyond Radford University, including interpersonal communication, creativity, teamwork, confidence, and leadership.
Caroline Sapp
Student Honoree
Dr. Tan wrote, “Caroline is a Senior Political Science major from Warrenton, Virginia, with a minor in International Studies. I met her during my 2022 Washington D.C. study away trip and witnessed her keen interest in contemporary American politics as well as her willingness to use feedback to constantly improve. In summer 2023, Caroline completed an internship with one of the Radford alum lobbyists, Mr. Jeff MacKinnon, we met on the study away trip. Mr. MacKinnon subsequently helped Caroline secure a summer 2024 internship with Southwest Virginia's Congressman, Mr. Morgan Griffith, this past summer.
Caroline's passion for the Russian language and area studies, coupled with her career goals in foreign policy, diplomacy, or national security, is evident. Her research on US foreign policy and the fentanyl crisis was recognized with a Gold (1st) prize in Outstanding Presentation at the Fall 2023 Wicked Festival. She also won a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship for Summer 2024 to study Russian transnational repression and US foreign policy responses. For the last two years, as my Citizen Leader faculty partner, Caroline has worked at my side organizing the Wicked Festival, managing student workers and volunteers, maintaining the festival website, and creating engaging social media content.
Caroline’s active involvement on campus extends to her leadership as President of the Women’s Club Volleyball Team and her participation in Model United Nations and the Wicked Society. She is traveling with the Wicked Society under the guidance of Dr. Tay Keong Tan to present research at the September 2024 United Nations Principles for Responsible Management Education conference in Berlin, Germany. Caroline’s dedication and accomplishments position her for a promising future, and she is eager to give back to Radford University upon achieving her goals.”
Dr. Renée Huth, DPT, RUC-Doctorate of Physical Therapy
Administrative and Professional Excellence Award
This honoree is driven to empower students from diverse backgrounds to experience transformative learning opportunities, to serve their communities, and to demonstrate care for others in all settings – an outlook that’s aligned with Radford University’s mission.
As a clinical educator, this individual has proactively sought collaborations with health systems and practitioners across our region, ensuring that students get the experience they need while enhancing outcomes for people in Southwest Virginia.
A student impacted by this honoree remarked on their efforts to go above and beyond in helping students by frequently hearing concerns, providing wisdom and context, and helping them discover their passions to provide care for others.
Haley Logan
Student Honoree
Dr. Huth stated, “Haley Logan is a star student. She stood out as a leader from day one in the DPT program. She always works to meet the needs of those she serves, whether patients, colleagues, or peers. Her future patients will be in good hands! She is an effective communicator, and her positivity is infectious. Haley is one to watch, and I am honored to support her in her current and future endeavors.”
Haley is from Huntingtown, Maryland, where she grew up on Chesapeake Bay. She attended St. Mary’s College of Maryland and received her Bachelor of Science in biology and biochemistry. Haley has embraced life’s obstacles with resilience and has pursued further professional growth in her graduate journey in the Radford University Doctor of Physical Therapy program. She is on course to graduate in the Spring of 2025.
She is a determined individual and consistently dedicates her time to her growth and those around her in various leadership roles. By compassionately listening, providing support and motivation, and advocating for their needs, Haley helps her peers achieve their best outcomes. She believes her leadership should emphasize a servant-style approach, where the needs of those she leads influence her actions and decisions. This is evidenced by her leadership as class president for her cohort (’25) and by actively engaging with her assigned student-peer mentee. Haley is also a role model for demonstrating professional behaviors such as punctuality, respectfulness, and organization, both academically and in her work-study position at the Highlander Success Center.
Haley frequently volunteers for the department and the community. She assists with student recruitment for incoming classes via open houses and interviews. She also serves on the Bradley Free Clinic executive board as the fundraiser chair and is continually involved with community organizations such as Ronald McDonald House and Wheel Love. During these volunteer opportunities, Haley demonstrates her kindness, compassion, and effective communication, which will be essential in her future practice as a licensed physical therapist and in her leadership roles.