Being The Change

Iraq war veteran and inspirational speaker Justin Constantine (’92) died in 2022, but his spirit lives on. Hear how first-year JMU student Samantha Cornell is benefiting from Justin’s legacy because of Dhalia Constantine’s generosity, and how Navy nurse Racheal Fletcher (’05) cared for Justin stateside before discovering they both were JMU alumni. 

In the second episode in a series about JMU’s continued evolution as a research institution, Dr. Patrice Ludwig (’96, ’01M), biologist and interim assistant vice president of Research and Innovation, provides context on how research pervades the undergraduate experience at JMU, while students Corrinne Cullina (’25) and Tony Gelona (’25) describe their life-changing research experiences starting early in their careers at Madison.

From a teachers’ school for women, to a regional master’s-level university, to a national research institution, JMU certainly has evolved during its 117-year history. Dr. Anthony Tongen, vice president of Research, Economic Development and Innovation, and Dr. Rudy Molina, vice provost for Student Academic Success, discuss how this evolution continues to progress and what’s in JMU’s future. 

Successful investors and entrepreneurs Don Rainey (’82), Rusty Shepard (’86) and Rick Kushel (’87) describe why the College of Business’ business plan competition is such a formative experience for JMU students and why their endowed scholarship fund, which distributes $53,000 annually in competition prizes, charges the competition with real-world high stakes.

Dr. Kara Dillard, executive director of the James Madison Center for Civic Engagement, discusses the recent conversation on campus between Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (’93) and Minority Leader Ryan McDougle (’93), and how these two JMU alumni from opposite sides of the political spectrum collaborate despite their differences. 

Chaz Haywood ('97), clerk of the Rockingham County Circuit Court, and Megan Pullen ('18, '23M), the court's deputy clerk for historic archives, discuss how unearthing courthouse records dating back to the 1700s brings to life local history and demonstrates how much our lives have improved since the early days of the republic. 

Sierra Stanczyk ('09), Meghan Schenker-Fulcher and Carole Anderson ('86) discuss the phenomenal rise of Women for Madison, a group that has taken the JMU campus community by storm by celebrating successful women and supporting the university.  

Click here to register for Women for Madison's Women Who Amaze Summit, May 2-4, 2025.

Wears Woody apparel brand founder Mike Norwood ('89) discusses how he is chasing his entrepreneurial dreams while helping to fund research to find a cure for type 1 diabetes. 

Undergraduate applications to JMU have increased by more than 80% over the last five years, smashing records. Vice President for Enrollment Management Melinda Wood discusses the factors contributing to this incredible increase in JMU's national and international popularity, and how the university plans to navigate increased competition as college-aged populations decline. 

Eric ('91) and Lara ('92) Major describe how their support for JMU brings them great joy. And, as the university gears up for Giving Day on Feb. 27, Nick Langridge (’00, ’07M, ’14Ph.D.), vice president for University Advancement, explains how generosity is actually good for us emotionally and biologically. 

JMU alumni Jeff Gorman ('12) and Jake Cochran ('12), who comprise the critically-acclaimed band Illiterate Light, discuss their origins at JMU, their unique live act, and powering guitar amplifiers with bicycles. The Washington Post calls their sound "massive," and they currently are touring nationally.

Mary Sullivan, who coordinates the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP) initiative for JMU and the region, describes how the program connects Virginia businesses with Virginia students looking for work-based learning opportunities. Ryzing Technologies’ Ross Ruffing describes how the program helped to double the opportunities at his company in Staunton, Virginia.

There's a shortage of health care workers, especially nurses, in Virginia and beyond. Dr. Melody Eaton, director of the JMU School of Nursing, explains why this has occurred and how the school is working to solve the crisis with unique curricular solutions and by expanding capacity. 

Librarian Liz Thompson and Chief Diversity Officer Dr. Malika Carter-Hoyt discuss how Open Education Resources in the JMU Libraries are helping students find alternatives to paying the high price of some textbooks and course materials. 

Ranked Virginia’s “Best School for Getting a Job” several years running, JMU is committed to preparing its graduates for the workforce. Myles Surrett and Libby Westley with the University Career Center discuss how our alumni are making their way in the “real world” more successfully than their peers from other institutions.

Traci Zimmerman, interim dean of the College of Arts and Letters, and Shannon Wilson, the college's director of Professional Development and Engagement, answer the question of whether a degree in the liberal arts is worth the investment, and what JMU is doing to make certain career outcomes for students in these majors are optimal.

The Carrier Library renovation currently underway is a stunning project that will ultimately grace campus with a facility befitting JMU's rise. Join Dean of Libraries Bethany Nowviskie and members of her team to hear more about this exciting addition to campus.  

Kay Coles James, JMU Board of Visitors member and chair of the presidential search committee, and Donna Harper (’77, ’81M, ’86Ed.S.), secretary of the committee, discuss progress in the search for the next president of James Madison University. 

JMU alumnus and entrepreneur Peter Denbigh (’02, ’11M), along with JMU VP of Research, Economic Development and Innovation (REDI) Dr. Anthony Tongen, discuss the imminent opening of a new cutting-edge co-working space in downtown Harrisonburg within the context of JMU's continued evolution as a national research university and regional economic engine.