Highlanders in the News: Week of Sept. 9, 2024

Every other week, our Highlanders are using their education to do extraordinary things. Here, we'll 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'll feature their stories.

"The impact that I can make…."

Nick Mayhugh '18 has spent a lot of the summer running around France - literally.

A competitor with the U.S. Paralympian team who in 2021 won three gold medals in track with record-breaking times, he's been the subject of numerous media updates and profiles over the past few weeks.

This month and last, Mayhew participated in the Paralympic Games Paris 2024, finishing seventh in the T38 100-meter finals on Aug. 31.

He then made his debut in the long jump Sept. 4, spanning 6.32 meters to place fifth, which landed him a mere 0.08 meters short of nabbing the bronze.

Mayhugh, who as a teen was diagnosed with a mild form of cerebral palsy, was also recently profiled in an extensive article and a long-form video by NBC Los Angeles, and he used the opportunity to talk about his life, his family and his career, and about the importance of the Paralympics, among other topics.

"What I care about," he said in the interview, "is the impact that I can make on the generations to come."

A standout in Division I soccer while at Radford, Mayhugh was also the university's 2022 Spring Commencement speaker. You can watch his address here.

Attaining a dream

At the close of July, Radford announced the hiring of Kevin Fagan as the 11th head coach of its softball program.

Fagan comes to Radford after four seasons as a Division II softball coach at Emmanuel University in Franklin Springs, Georgia, but from 1987 to 1993, he was also an NFL defensive end for the San Francisco 49ers.

"Throughout his career, he has consistently proven to be a champion, and we look forward to him leading our program," Director of Athletics Robert Lineburg said in July. "Kevin is truly an outstanding leader, and I am confident that our student-athletes will learn, grow and excel under his guidance."

In an Aug. 5 profile by Roanoke's WFXR-TV, Fagan said coaching at the Division I level was "a dream of mine for years" which he finally attained by coming to Radford, and he spoke briefly about his approach to coaching.

"The main thing is that your players know that you're invested in them as more than players," Fagan told WFXR. "I think when you do that, you instill trust and the things that are required to have a successful program."

Moving forward, he'll have help from a resource that's both familiar and familial - according to The Roanoke Times, he's already hired his assistant coach, his daughter, Cameron Fagan, who previously played softball at Virginia Tech.

The "Warren" report

Back in June, we told you about some of the recent news stories that included cameo appearances by Radford University Assistant Professor of Accounting Robert Warren, a retired IRS investigator who's also an expert on financial crimes involving members of the clergy.

But that was three months ago, and during the interim, Warren has stayed busy.

In August, he co-authored a story for The Catholic World Report, "The Curious Case of the Defrocked Cardinal…." and prior to that, he and Radford business instructor Vilson Dushi co-published an opinion piece about immigration that ran in The Roanoke Times.

Warren meanwhile remains an expert often called upon in financial reporting, such as a June 11 piece on corporate taxes in the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, and no less than five appearances in stories by The Pillar, including articles on parish thefts on June 5 and July 26; sports entertainment in July; an investigation into a false identity case on Aug. 21, and allegations of nepotism involving The Institute for Works of Religion in early September.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.