It was only a week after James Rothrock’s death when Christine A. Reid, PhD, CRC began pursuing the idea of starting a scholarship at Virginia Commonwealth University in his name.

Rothrock, who earned his master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from the VCU College of Health Professions, served as commissioner of the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services from 2002 until his retirement in 2018. He also was an adjunct instructor for VCU’s Department of Rehabilitation Counseling, bringing his expertise and lived experience with disability to the classroom. He died in March at age 72 after a cancer diagnosis. 

To read more, visit VCU News' article about James Rothhock and the scholarship honoring his name.