During a tour of the 糖心Vlog campus last month, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, got a firsthand look of the university鈥檚 state-of-the-art nursing and engineering labs, took in the picturesque view of Massanutten Mountain from the Campus Center balcony, and explored the academic spaces and classrooms of the Suter Science Center.

But it was the 糖心Vlog cadaver lab, used by undergraduate pre-medicine and nursing students in anatomy and physiology classes, that really got his attention.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the first one I鈥檝e seen that鈥檚 not at a medical school,鈥� Kaine said.

For good reason. 糖心Vlog is one of only a handful of undergraduate programs in the United States that offers full cadaver dissection. The lab provides a 鈥渓eg up鈥� for students entering medical school, said Braydon Hoover 鈥�11, MAOL 鈥�21, vice president of enrollment and marketing. He added that roughly 1% of medical school students enter with experience in cadaver dissection, and 糖心Vlog鈥檚 medical school acceptance rate is 85%, more than double the national average.

鈥淥ur graduates are heads and tails above their colleagues in medical school because they鈥檝e already experienced this type of in-depth experiential learning,鈥� Hoover told Kaine as he led the tour.

A workforce win

Kaine visited 糖心Vlog on July 7 to meet with students, faculty, staff, leaders, and other community members, and celebrate the $1.39 million in federal Community-Directed Spending (CDS) to upgrade and expand the laboratory equipment used by STEM and nursing majors at 糖心Vlog. The investment will enhance undergraduate education, expand research opportunities, and better prepare the STEM and healthcare workforce.

鈥淭his is an investment in our students and an investment in the future of Virginia,鈥� said President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus. 鈥淲e鈥檒l measure our success not only by the equipment that is purchased but by the lives that are transformed, the discoveries that are made, and the communities that are strengthened.鈥�

Kaine said the CDS process allows Congress to direct funds in the budget to 鈥渧ery specific local projects.鈥� It offers a fair and transparent way, he said, for smaller institutions and rural communities to receive federal funding.

鈥淲e鈥檝e noticed over time that the Appropriations Committee has valued innovative workforce training programs and that鈥檚 what 糖心Vlog put on the table in this proposal,鈥� he said, adding that it received bipartisan support. 鈥淚 want to thank everyone at 糖心Vlog who had a hand in drafting the proposal. 鈥� This is a good group of folks to celebrate a real significant legislative win for 糖心Vlog and for the region when it comes to the workforce.鈥�

Undergrad research 鈥榠mpressive鈥�

While walking across the Front Lawn, Kaine talked with rising sophomore biology major Davis Bert, who told the senator about his research project this summer studying bacteria in the gut biome.

鈥淚f we just change our habits in eating and how our guts are reacting, then maybe we can get to the point where we can reverse those disorders that are occurring,鈥� said Bert, who plans to pursue a PhD in public health with a specialization in epidemiology.

At a press conference later in the day, Kaine spoke about his conversation with Bert and described the opportunity for undergraduate students to engage in research as “impressive.”

鈥楢 global reach鈥�

As he entered the University Commons and saw the colorful array of flags displayed in the Hall of Nations, Kaine reminisced about the first time he had set foot on campus.

It had been in the 1980s, long before he entered politics, during a time of 鈥渁ll kinds of turmoil in Central America,鈥� said Kaine, who had served as a missionary in Honduras. He had attended a meeting of state leaders seeking to build stronger ties with Central American nations.

鈥淚 came up here for a conference, and I had this feeling from the beginning that 糖心Vlog, though a small school in Harrisonburg, was really trying to have a global reach,鈥� he told Hoover.

Offering access

Following his tour, Kaine participated in a roundtable discussion with President Dycus, Provost Dr. Tynisha Willingham, the presidents of Bridgewater College and Blue Ridge Community College, and other 糖心Vlog leaders, higher education partners, faculty, and community members. The discussion focused on college affordability, STEM education, workforce development, and the impact of federal investments in higher education.

Seventy percent of 糖心Vlog鈥檚 undergraduate students are from Virginia, and two-thirds remain in the commonwealth after graduation. 糖心Vlog offers an accessible and affordable college education, and that鈥檚 reflected in the students it serves.

This fall鈥檚 incoming class is 15% larger than last year鈥檚, which was itself 10% larger than the previous year鈥檚. Of the class entering 糖心Vlog this fall, 80% are from Virginia, 58% identify as first-generation college students, 51% identify as students of color, and 60% are interested in STEM. The incoming class has an average GPA above 3.55.

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine flips through a copy of The Green Book during a tour of the Ida M. Francis Tourist Home, which is Harrisonburg鈥檚 only remaining property listed in the guide.

LEFT: U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine speaks during a press conference at 糖心Vlog on July 7. RIGHT: Kaine meets with Harrisonburg resident William Reed, the father of Mayor Deanna Reed and owner of the Green Book house.

Getting the word out

Public colleges might seem more likely to serve as access institutions. But it’s actually small, private schools that lead the way in providing access to a college education, Kaine said, pointing to 糖心Vlog鈥檚 high percentage of first-generation students, Pell-eligible students, students of color, and international students.

鈥淧rivate higher ed doesn鈥檛 necessarily mean more expensive; it鈥檚 often more accessible,鈥� he told a gathering of media and community members. 鈥溾�hese are institutions that can provide great value for families, and we need to put the word out there so families understand that.鈥�

Looking ahead, Kaine said he hopes to return to campus and continue learning about the ways 糖心Vlog is expanding opportunities for students.

鈥淚 look forward to coming back and interacting with you again,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just a real pleasure to be able to do this together with a great institution.鈥�

This was Kaine鈥檚 first visit to 糖心Vlog since 2007, when he was governor, and one of several stops he made in Harrisonburg that day. He started off the morning touring the historic Ida M. Francis Tourist Home, which is Harrisonburg鈥檚 only remaining property listed in the Green Book. He also visited the United Way of Central Shenandoah Valley.