By Kaylen Ayres '25
Roanoke College has made its mark in the media recently, as new academic programs were announced and the political poll prepared voters for the upcoming presidential election.
The latest poll from Institute for Policy and Opinion Research considered opinions before Super Tuesday and saw lots of traction in the media. The Roanoke College Poll was featured in articles by Cardinal News, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Yahoo! News, The Sacramento Bee, The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot and NBC News. Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley wrote an extensive social media post about the poll. The Roanoke College Poll was also ranked 31st in the nation in 538.com’s Pollster Ratings.
The College announced several new academic programs that premiere in the fall. The cannabis studies program, spearheaded by Dr. DB Poli, features two tracks for a Bachelor of Science degree, as well as a minor. This first-of-its-kind program, in fact the first in Virginia, received coverage from Cardinal News, The Roanoke Times, WFIR News, WWBT and WSLS. The cannabis announcement was covered by several national outlets: University Business, MarketWatch, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, BestColleges.com and Ganjapreneur.
Roanoke's new Master of Education program was also announced and was covered by The Roanoker and WDBJ7. The education announcement was tied to National Read Across America week.
For Black History Month, Zoe Jones ’25 read her poem “Brown Eyes” as part of WDBJ7’s Voice’s of Virginia Program. Curtis Campbell was featured in an article by WFXR for Black History Month as the school’s first African American athletic director.
Samantha G. Rosenthal, associate professor of public history, published an article about transgender healthcare, which was shared by several outlets, including Advocate and Scientific American.
Meghan Jester, director of career exploration, was quoted in an article in the National Association of Colleges and Employers newsletter about PLACE’s survey efforts and how they are using survey data to help inform student success efforts.
Bryan Stinespring, head coach of the football team, is reviving the program after its 82-year hiatus. His efforts were updated in BNN and The (Charlottesville) Daily Progress. In other notable athletic news, Brady Fowler ’25 and Kaitlyn Nguyen ’24 competed at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships. Fowler placed fifth in the 200m and eighth in the 60m, becoming a two-time first-team All-American. Nguyen placed ninth in the high jump, garnering second-team All-American honors. Five Maroon wrestlers will advance to nationals on March 15-16 after a team third-place finish at the southeast regionals. Head Coach Nate Yetzer received SE Regional Coach of the Year, while the assistant coaches and staff received recognition as well.