Dr. Joe King
Director, Honors Academy

"As a faculty member I have always sought to enhance our academic reputation. Mostly I have tried to involve students in scholarly work outside the classroom, particularly in the laboratory. For me, this has often been an essential aspect of my teaching. I choose to donate to the Honors Academy Scholarship because the purpose of the Academy is to provide opportunities for students to work with faculty and one another in scholarly pursuits outside of the structured classroom environment. I believe it is important to invest in our outstanding students while simultaneously raising the academic profile of Radford University.”

Dr. Joe King joined the Radford University family in 1981 as a professor in the Psychology Department – he is an Experimental Psychologist. His first 10 years were devoted to teaching and student advising while serving his department and the University by participating in the Faculty Senate and Appeals Committees. He served as Director of Research Operations at the Radford University Center for Brain Research and Informational Sciences from 1992 – 2002. In 2003, he was appointed Director of the RU Honors Academy. In this capacity he spearheaded efforts to develop innovative teaching strategies in a wireless environment and the development of Honors Interdisciplinary teaching opportunities both of which enhance interactive and collaborative learning experiences among students and faculty.

In his tenure at Radford University, he has seen the academic profile of the University grow with the maturing of programs and the opportunities they afford our students. These opportunities go beyond learning the fundamentals of a subject area to collaborating with faculty on research and applying that knowledge on projects.

Each year, the Faculty and Staff Campaign raises thousands of dollars toward the funding of student scholarships and programs, library resources and building and technology enhancements. “Employee participation gives a strong message of internal support for those outside of our University.” said Penny Helms White, Director of Annual Giving for University Advancement.