Harrisonburg Mayor Deanna Reed, director of alumni engagement and community connections at EMU, was named among the Top 50 Women Leaders of Virginia for 2026. “This year’s honorees…(guide) organizations that keep essential functions running and build the businesses and institutions shaping Virginia’s communities,” the online list of leaders says.
... read more about EMU’s Deanna Reed named to Top 50 Women Leaders of Virginia for 2026 from Women We Admire
Patricia Grace King ’89, an author living in Durham, England, who taught in EMU's Language and Literature Department from 2000-03, is the winner of the 2026 Drue Heinz Literature Prize, "one of the world's most prestigious prizes for a collection of short fiction" (University of Pittsburgh Press). Her collection, Those Who Vanish, will be published in September 2026.
... read more about Alumna author wins literature prize from The University of Pittsburgh Press
Luray High School senior Reese Fitton, who will play collegiate volleyball for the Royals next year, was profiled by the Daily News-Record as its Athlete of the Week. "I love [EMU head] coach Casey [Steinbrecher]," she told the newspaper. "I think he’s such a great coach, and I’ve been to some of their recruiting camps. I just loved the way he coached, so it was almost just God’s calling pushing me there. I knew that’s really where [God] wanted me to be to grow my faith, grow as a player and in my education.”
... read more about Incoming volleyball star named Athlete of the Week from Cody Elliott | Daily News-Record