Every other week, our Highlanders are using their education to do extraordinary things. Here, we鈥檒l highlight some notable mentions from local, regional, national and international news media. Whether our students, alumni, faculty and staff are featured as subject matter experts in high-profile stories or simply helping make the world a better place, we鈥檒l feature their stories.
Bank transfer
One of 澳门老奇人论坛鈥檚 more active supporters recently achieved a significant professional milestone.
Lara Ramsey 鈥�90, M.S. 鈥�92 was promoted to the position of president of National Bankshares, Inc., and its subsidiary, The National Bank of Blacksburg, effective Jan. 1, 2025, according to .
As a student at Radford, Ramsey earned dual bachelor鈥檚 degrees in psychology and economics, followed by a master鈥檚 degree in industrial and organizational psychology, and she now serves on the boards of directors of the 澳门老奇人论坛 Alumni Association and the 澳门老奇人论坛 Athletic Foundation.
A native of Lebanon, Virginia, she has been with National Bankshares since 1996, serving most recently as its executive vice president and chief operating officer.
Her husband, Sean Ramsey, is 澳门老奇人论坛鈥檚 Director of Data Management and Business Intelligence.
Articles about Lara Ramsey鈥檚 promotion appeared on , in the , and on and , among numerous other outlets.
Supply and demand
As technological dependence on semiconductors grows, world events have increasing effects on the production and delivery of those components.
Radford Assistant Professor of Management Zachary Collier is a recognized expert on that topic 鈥� he鈥檚 authored more than 50 articles and conference papers about the global semiconductor industry, as well as the supply chains that move them 鈥� and he recently spoke to two media outlets about how heavy flooding from Hurricane Helene impacted their domestic manufacture.
Storms in North Carolina recently disrupted the mining of quartz, a material necessary for the components鈥� production.
鈥淪emiconductors are basically the brains of all the electronic devices that we use鈥� to make phones, laptops, cars, airplanes and more, Collier told Radio IQ/WVTF in .
While he believes these events are likely temporary disruptions, he sees them as warnings to manufacturers that can help them learn how to be less vulnerable to future disasters.
鈥淥rganizations need to be able to have the capability to absorb a disruption and bounce back quickly,鈥� Collier told the station.
He also spoke to WFIR in Roanoke for its, starting at the 6-minute mark.
鈥淛ust last week, some of the operations did resume, and the supply chain is able to absorb some of these disruptions just naturally because companies have inventory in place,鈥� he said, adding: 鈥淚t serves as an important 鈥� warning to the supply chain.鈥�
Earlier this month, Collier also that examines 鈥渟upply chain warfare鈥� and the potential for weaponization within deliveries. As he has in the past, he called again for the United States to increase technological independence in that area.
鈥淲hile the U.S. only makes 12% of the world鈥檚 semiconductors, it consumes around 25%, resulting in an imbalance between supply and demand,鈥� he wrote on the website Supply Chain Brain. 鈥淪uch an imbalance is problematic.鈥�
Exceeding standards
A Radford graduate with more than two decades鈥� experience in public school education has been recognized by a state group for her success in teaching at-risk students.
According to , Tiffany Gillispie 鈥�04 was touted for her students鈥� achievements in their Standards of Learning (SOL) test scores for 2023-2024, specifically in the subjects of reading and math.
The acknowledgment comes from the , a consortium of Virginia public school divisions.
Teachers cited by the CIP had 鈥渁 minimum of 50% of their students who were identified as economically disadvantaged, and at least 10% of their students were identified as students with disabilities,鈥� according to the Virginian Review. It said SOL tests measure students鈥� success in meeting the state鈥檚 expectations in core subjects.
Gillispie teaches third grade at Jeter-Watson Elementary School in Covington, Virginia, and she has worked within the Covington and Alleghany Highlands public schools systems for the past 21 years.
鈥淥ur role as teachers extends far beyond test scores,鈥� Gillispie said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about fostering a love for learning, instilling confidence and providing support to help students grow academically and personally.鈥�
Art of noise
Painting is a visual medium, but a new exhibition by a Highlander faculty member draws inspiration from sound as well as the experiences of others.
It鈥檚 鈥溾�� a series created by artist and Radford Professor of Philosophy Katy Shepard, now on display in the B. Love Gallery at the Fine Arts Center for the New River Valley in Pulaski.
Shepard has described the large-scale oil mixed media works in the show as 鈥渉yper-realistic鈥� visual translations of audio data.
鈥淭he core of The Human Experience Project is a series of recordings from individuals sharing a significant moment in their lives,鈥� according to the Fine Arts Center鈥檚 website. 鈥淪hepard painted each work while listening to the continuous looped recordings, letting the sound and audio quality intuitively guide the brushstrokes.鈥�
The collection, it says, 鈥渙ffers a compelling investigation into empathy shaped by personal perspective,鈥� and it is on display now through Nov. 23.
The Human Experience Project has been written about in , the and .