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Rachel Davis Fowlkes, Ed.D., passed away Saturday, April 1. She was serving her second term on the Radford University Board of Visitors and was the Board Liaison to the Radford University Foundation.
Fowlkes was the founding executive director of the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, retiring in 2015 after 23 years of service. More than 1,200 people earned their degrees during that time. She was a strong advocate for empowering women in higher education and the workforce, and she was a role model for students, colleagues, government leaders, community members and many more. Fowlkes served on the Executive Board of the Virginia Network and shared that the Network’s knowledge and experiences were key to the development of the Higher Education Center in Abingdon.
“The loss of Rachel is heartbreaking for Radford University and Southwest Virginia,” said President Bret Danilowicz. “She was a true advocate for the opportunities education brings to individuals and communities. Her work on the Board, especially with the Academic Affairs and Student Success Committee, was thoughtful and she always put our students first in her recommendations.”
In that spirit of advocacy, her family has established the Dr. Rachel Davis Fowlkes Memorial Scholarship to support non-traditional students from Southwest Virginia pursuing a degree at Radford University.
"Our mother, Rachel Davis Fowlkes, was a visionary leader who believed in the power of education to help individuals achieve economic empowerment. A long-time resident of Abingdon, Virginia, she was passionate about creating jobs and other opportunities for residents of Southwest Virginia. She recognized that there are many paths on the education journey, including ones yet to be created." - John Fowlkes & Merrill Fowlkes Hoopengardner
Support this scholarship today and keep Rachel's legacy and love of education alive.
