WXVU and WXV&U Health Receive National Recognition for Third Consecutive Year
Coolican and Dr. Weingarten
For the third consecutive year, WXVU 89.1: The Roar, Villanova University’s student-run radio station, and WXV&U Health, the first nurse-led health and well-being department in college radio, received national recognition from the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS). WXV&U Health is a partnership between WXVU and the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing (FCN), in collaboration with Villanova’s Office of Health Promotion.
Their prestigious awards were announced at the annual IBS conference, held March 6-8, 2025, at the Sheraton Times Square in New York City.
WXVU: Best News Interview
“An Interview with Tim Walz’s Former Student”
Junior M.K. Coolican, WXVU Station Manager
WXV&U Health: Best Public Affairs Program
“The Senior Scaries: A Journey Through Senior Year”
Completed at Villanova’s radio station, the podcast was part of a Spring 2024 Health Promotion and Community Health Nursing rotation by then-senior nursing majors Ryan Batkay, Laura Boyko and Teagan Sullivan and the WXV&U Health team. Batkay was the first nursing student to continue at WXV&U Health for a credit-bearing independent study following the rotation until his May 2024 graduation.
This year, for the first time, Villanova representatives also presented at the IBS conference. Associate Professor Carol Weingarten, PhD, RN, ANEF, inaugural Director of WXV&U Health, along with Nick Langan ’20 CPS, ’22 MS, WXVU/WXV&U Health Operations Manager; Cat Coyle, Assistant Director of Student Involvement for Student Media Programs; and Natalia Matar ’23 BSN, shared the story of WXV&U (established in January 2023), “From Struggle to Success: How One Station’s Journey Provides Advice for Strategies to Empower Your Station.”
The Villanova delegation included (from left) Langan; Coyle; Dr. Weingarten; junior Laura Norwood, News Director; Coolican; junior Emma Spangler, Music Director; and junior Nick Williams, Executive Digital Media Director and Photographer. Not pictured: junior David Szczepanski, Sports Director, and Mitchell Dalesio, Villanova Match Research Program for First-Year Students, WXV&U Health. Dalesio is the first nursing student to represent WXV&U Health as part of WXVU’s delegation to the IBS conference.
Through their involvement with WXVU, FCN students develop public health messaging and essential science-based communication skills to educate communities about health through the airwaves and in podcasts. In 2024, the College also launched its podcast series, Inspiring Careers in Nursing, to spotlight various and less common career path opportunities for nurses