Every two weeks, Highlander Highlights shares with readers some of the extraordinary research and accomplishments happening on and off campus through the tireless work and curiosity of our students and faculty.

Living the life of a lawmaker

This week, a small group of Radford University students are participating in the inaugural Virginia Government Simulation (VGS) in Richmond. The event is designed to give undergraduate students from colleges and universities around the commonwealth a chance to play the role of a lawmaker during a three-day simulation Oct. 3-5.

Radford students and their counterparts mimic the job of a sitting Virginia legislator and "are expected," organizers said, "to research their partisanship and positions, elect party leadership, propose laws, review and amend offered bills, debate, engage in floor action and send passed legislation on to an internally elected governor."

Before the simulation began, students "received a bill book and guidelines for floor procedure where they are going to serve as legislators over the three days of VGS," said Professor Chapman Rackaway, chair of the political science department. "They'll seek leadership, set the calendar and debate and amend bills which they'll subsequently vote on."

Senior political science major John Russo of Bland, Virginia, aspires to one day work in state government. He saw VGS as "a remarkable opportunity to get a hands-on approach to what delegates go through on a daily basis," he said. "I believe that with VGS, this can create a new level of interest not only within myself but also with other students across the commonwealth."

VGS, the organizers noted, is a unique opportunity for students from various majors that provides a transformative experience "where they develop skills of communication, compromise, argument based on evidence, logical fallacies and how to discuss the problems that state and local governments face."

Senior political science major Zora Comer of Halifax, Virginia, said engaging with students from various backgrounds "will provide a rich environment for learning and exchanging ideas." Through the experience, Comer aims "to gain practical insights into the challenges faced by state leaders and the critical role they play in addressing pressing issues such as education and healthcare."

Davis College faculty examine IP sharing and trust in new article

Three Davis College of Business and Economics faculty members teamed up for a new publication "modeling whether cooperation can emerge between firms when one firm has to share intellectual property, but in doing so, runs the risk of the other firm using it to engage in overproduction," explained one of the authors, Assistant Professor of Management Zachary Collier.

He worked along with Department of Management Chair Jerry Kopf and Professor of Management Dale Henderson on the research article Protecting intellectual property in low trust environments: game theoretic modeling of overproduction in contract manufacturing, published Sept. 23 by InderScience.

"This paper came about because I was interested in exploring the dynamics of cooperation, trust and risk between companies," Collier said. "We used game theory to model the interaction between two companies, one of which must decide whether to share intellectual property (IP), but if it does, there is a chance that the other company can engage in a form of IP theft. We found that if the business interaction is repeated, there is the potential for cooperation to emerge."

We Are Radford employee recognition winner announced for September

The new We Are Radford employee recognition program is a monthly honor recognizing someone whose daily interactions with students and colleagues represent the best of the Radford University experience. The winner for September was Trey Pratt, director of Housekeeping Services.

"Throughout my time working with Trey, I have always been impressed with his steadfast ability to plan, coordinate and accomplish complex and, often, competing priorities to ensure the university's facilities meet high standards," wrote Pratt's nominator. "Trey leads his team to embody the university's commitments to excellence and community through a culture of persistence and service to faculty, staff and students alike. Trey is a reliable, responsive colleague who underpins the Radford experience, making him truly deserving of the We Are Radford recognition."

Employees who have served at least one year at Radford are eligible to be recognized for upholding the university's core values.

Nominate a Highlander!

On the air

Associate Professor of Political Science Daniel Reed is appearing on the "With Good Reason" public radio program this week, discussing "the power of party identification for American voters, where we get our party ID, the 'tribal' nature of modern partisanship, and how it influences our voting behavior," Reed said.

The interview airs for a week, beginning Friday, Oct. 4, on 129 radio stations across the United States. Listeners in the New River Valley can hear the program at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8, on Public Radio WVRU 89.9. The show is also available as a podcast at withgoodreason.org. The program can also be heard on the "With Good Reason" website and your favorite podcast app.

In case you missed it

Professor of Political Science Paige Tan and Associate Professor of Design Thinking Meg Konkel spoke to "With Good Reason" in an interview that aired last week about the numerous wicked problems initiatives happening on campus. The interview can be heard online. The fall 2024 Wicked Festival is set for 5-8 p.m. Nov. 14 in the new Artis Center for Adaptive Innovation and Creativity.

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