51�鱨վ

Nuclear medicine lets clinicians catch what the eye can’t see: a tumor before it spreads, therapy landing exactly where it should, healing in real time. That’s the kind of precision work that drew Sara Maynard to 51�鱨վ, first as a student and now as director of the nuclear medicine technology program. She’s leading a close-knit program in a fast-growing field — the kind of growth that opens doors for students, thrills alumni who love this work, and reassures parents who want a clear path to a great job.

“I love nuclear medicine, and I’m really passionate about it,” Sara said. “I love teaching it.”

As a faculty member and alumna, Maynard has pushed the program forward with a simple idea: treat students like the colleagues they’re about to become. That mindset shows up in the details: refreshed coursework, extra mentoring around board prep, five-day clinical rotations at multiple hospital and clinic sites, an annual senior research/continuing education event that draws roughly 10% of alumni in a single day, and a culture that blends lab precision with patient-first care.

The results are tangible. Cohorts are full. First-time board pass rates have been perfect the last two years. Employers across the region and beyond actively recruit Old Dominion graduates for their professionalism and readiness on day one. For families doing the math, hiring bonuses are common in today’s market and national median pay sits in the high five figures for bachelor’s-level roles — a compelling combination of purpose and payoff.

Harold Riethman, Ph.D., chair of the School of Medical Diagnostic and Translational Sciences in Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences Ellmer College of Health Sciences at 51�鱨վ, said: “Sara has rejuvenated the [nuclear medicine technology] program over the past several years — she was just awarded the Ellmer College of Health Sciences Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award last month.” He adds a wider lens, too: “I believe the field is poised for significant expansion and deserves wider exposure.”

That expansion is already underway. Nuclear medicine is rapidly marrying imaging and therapy — often called theranostics — to both see and treat cancer with targeted radiopharmaceuticals. Recent clinical wins (think FDA-approved lutetium-177 therapies) and a pipeline of next-gen alpha-emitting drugs have ignited investment, research, and demand for skilled technologists who understand PET/CT, dosimetry, and therapeutic radiopharmaceutical workflows. In other words: more paths for graduates to do life-changing work, in Hampton Roads and across the country.

For Maynard, the future is both personal and practical. She’s advancing her doctoral work, expanding student training in therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals and PET, and looking at ways to extend that training to alumni through affordable continuing education. She’s also frank about balance: “Honestly, CrossFit is my outlet.” The discipline that keeps her strong in the gym shows up in the program with smart time-blocking, early starts on hard tasks, and building in wiggle room so real life doesn’t derail progress.

And there’s more to come. The college is exploring thoughtful ways to grow capacity and capability in imaging sciences. It’s early but momentum is real.

Curiosity draws them in; compassion keeps them here. Students who thrive in nuclear medicine love understanding the science and the person behind the scan. That mix of intellect and empathy has shaped a community that lasts well beyond graduation. Alumni return to mentor students and earn continuing-education credits, keeping the cycle of learning and connection alive.

Because the point of seeing what others miss isn’t just the image. It’s what you do next.