.svg)
.png){kind=logo}
Academic Clubs & Honor Societies
Cadets at VMI have the opportunity to join a numbers of academic clubs and honor societies during their time at the Institute.
These groups offer a way to connect with faculty and staff who share common academic interests, travel to events around the country, and participate in conferences and discussion sessions around pertinent and timely topics related to the cadets' fields of study.
Academic Clubs
| Club Name | Department | Advisor(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drone and "Internet of Things' Club | Computer and Information Sciences | Dr. Sherif Abdelhamid | The purpose of this club is to provide cadets the ability to enhance academic, and military proficiency through numerous activities including learning to assemble, flying/racing drones, and the functional uses of the “Internet of Things” (IoT). This club can provide academic stimulation for cadets as participants will learn a variety of skills; Such as how to assemble a drone, programming languages (C++ and Python) needed to perform different tasks such hacking drones, flying drones, and uses of IoT and how it creates ease of use for users. |
| VMI Cyber Club | Computer and Information Sciences | Dr. Mohmaed Azab | The mission of the VMI Cyber Club is to prepare cadets to enter the cyber security industry by training them in the basic to intermediate skills needed in order to be proficient with different forms of penetration testing. |
| VMI Programming Club | Computer and Information Sciences | Lt. Col. Ramoni Lasisi | The mission of the VMI Programming Club is to test, develop, and archive algorithms to further both the participating cadet's knowledge and understanding of programming practices as well as make them available for institute use. It is also a priority to engage in intercollegiate or online programming competitions to further the exposure of VMI and expand upon the skills of the students. |
| Cadet Investment Group (CIG) | Economics and Business | Maj. Steven Landgraf (ECBU) and Maj. Tim Murray (ECBU) | The Cadet Investment Group (CIG) is a student-led organization that manages a $200,000 stock portfolio split between two funds investing in large and small/midsize companies, respectively. The group meets weekly to review the fund performance, learn how to evaluate stocks, and present buy or sell proposals. The proposals are judged and voted on by the group members, who aim to select only the best ideas. CIG hosts speakers, interacts with investment professionals and alumni, and takes an annual trip to New York City to meet with alumni working on Wall Street. It is open to all majors looking for hands-on experience in preparing for a career in the financial industry or developing personal financial skills. |
| Psychology Club | Psychology | Maj. Jillian Stuart and Maj. Michael LaRocca | The VMI Psychology Club is a cadet-run organization designed to foster communication, organizational skills, leadership skills, and understanding of psychological knowledge for any cadet interested in psychological science. This club is dedicated to building connections between cadets, faculty, and the Lexington, VA, community by organizing social events, facilitating cadet-faculty interactions, and inviting external speakers to post. |
| WiSE (Women in Science and Engineering) | Physics and Astronomy | Col. Daniela Topasna | The Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) group provides students at VMI with an opportunity to connect with women in STEM fields, to provide support and mentorship, and to increase visibility of women in these fields. |
Honor Societies
| Society Name | Department(s) | Advisor(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beta Beta Beta |
Biology | Lt. Col. Mary Beth Manjerovic | Beta Beta Beta (TriBeta) is a society for cadets who have excelled in Biology. The society is dedicated to improving the understanding and appreciation of biological study and extending boundaries of human knowledge through scientific research. VMI’s Psi Omicron chapter is dedicated to supporting member engagement through involvement in biological-related volunteer activities, guest speakers, events, publications, and presentations. |
| Gamma Sigma Epsilon | Chemistry | Lt. Col. Daniel McCain | Gamma Sigma Epsilon is a national chemistry honor society founded in 1919 at Davidson Col.lege. The purpose of Gamma Sigma Epsilon, as summed up by one of its founding fathers, MalCol.m Ray Doubles, was to “unite those men with a high scholastic grade in Chemistry, in Class A Col.leges, in order to foster a more comprehensive and cooperative study of that great branch of Science and its immediately allied studies”. |
| Omicron Delta Epsilon | Economics and Business | Col. Sam Allen (ECBU) and Maj. Steven Landgraf (ECBU) | The honor society has two goals: first, to recognize outstanding achievement in economics, and second, to encourage a closer academic and social relationship between honor students and faculty on an informal basis. The criteria for eligibility are: 12 semester hours of economics classes, minimum 3.0 GPA in Economics classes, and a minimum of 3.0 Cumulative GPA. |
| Beta Gamma Sigma | Economics and Business | Col. Jennifer E. Pullin (ECBU) and Col. Barry Cobb (ECBU) | The Mission of the International Honor Society is to encourage and honor academic achievement in the study of business, to foster personal and professional excellence, to advance the values of the Society, and to serve its lifelong members. |
| ASCE | Civil and Environmental Engineering | Col. Matt Swenty, Maj. Andrei Ramniceanu, Col. Chuck Newhouse | American Society of Civil Engineers - Provide essential value to our members and partners, advance civil engineering, and serve the public good. |
| ASME | Mechanical Engineering | Faculty Advisor: Col. Joyce Blandino | American Society of Mechanical Engineers - The mission of the ASME is to promote Mechanical Engineering cadets' knowledge of, and interest in, mechanical engineering technologies, practices, and careers; to enhance Mechanical Engineering cadets' professional development as mechanical engineers; and to provide leadership opportunities to Mechanical Engineering cadets. |
| Eta Kappa Nu | Electrical and Computer Engineering | Col. Jim Squire | Electrical and Computer Engineering Honor Society - Eta Kappa Nu is an honor society, i.e., not a club, that honors those students who are near the top of their classes in the ECE program. |
| IEEE Virginia Mountain Section | Electrical and Computer Engineering | Lt. Col. David Feinauer | Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers - The IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) is the primary professional organization to our discipline. Monthly meetings of the IEEE VMI Student branch provide continuing education credit as well as networking opportunities for all attendees. The annual regional meeting of the IEEE (SoutheastCon) hosts a number of professional activities, including student competitions and technical presentations. |
| Pi Tau Sigma | Mechanical Engineering | Capt. Robert McMasters | International Mechanical Engineering Honor Society - PI TAU SIGMA members are chosen on a basis of sound engineering ability, scholarship (upper 35%), personality, and probable future success in their chosen field of Mechanical Engineering. There are three grades of membership: Honorary, Graduate, and Active. Honorary members are technical graduates actively engaged in engineering work; or members of mechanical engineering faculties. Active members are selected from the junior and senior mechanical engineering classes at their respective schools whose mechanical engineering curriculum must be accredited by ABET. |
| Society of Women Engineers | Engineering (multiple) | Dr. Tanjina Afrin and Maj. Rebekah Martin | The Society of Women Engineers chapter at VMI aims to support and connect women engineers from all three engineering Maj.ors. The Society of Women Engineers was founded in 1950 to empower women, expand the image of engineering as a positive force to improve the quality of life and demonstrate the value of diversity and inclusion. This chapter is open to anyone who supports women in engineering. |
| Tau Beta Pi | Engineering (multiple) | Col. Joyce Blandino, Col. C. Newhouse, Lt. Col. David Feinauer | Our mission is to honor the top standing cadets in engineering. The five (5) cadet officers of Virginia Delta must plan and execute the initiation ceremony of new members each fall and each spring; this includes the actual ceremonies as well as holding election meetings and filing the correct reports with National. Usually 8-10 cadets are involved in some of these activities during the year. |
| Society of American Military Engineers | Engineering (multiple) | CAPT Robert McMasters | This is a world-wide group with individually organized groups or “posts” in various geographical for regions. Col.lege and university chapters are sponsored by a “parent” post in the same geographic region. VMI’s parent post is the Virginia Peninsula Post headquartered at Langley AFB. The society exists to facilitate networking opportunities among individuals and organizations in the engineering field and to facilitate continuing education. Engineering and construction work oriented toward military infrastructure are the main areas of activity around which the group is centered. |
| Sigma Tau Delta | English, Rhetoric, and Humanistic Studies | Lt. Col. Steven Knepper | International English Honor Society - The VMI Chapter of Sigma Tau Delta initiates members each year and offers to Maj.ors and minors a rich array of extracurricular activities such as field trips to museums and plays, concerts, speakers, poetry readings, ethics discussions, and cadets’ presentations of their creative and scholarly projects. |
| Phi Alpha Theta | History | Maj. Madeleine Ramsey and Maj. Liz Schroepfer | National History Honor Society - Phi Alpha Theta is the national history honor society. It promotes the study of history and seeks to bring students, teachers and writers of that subject together both intellectually and socially. It is open to any cadet who has completed at least 12 hours of Col.lege-level history courses with an overall GPA of at least 3.0 and a GPA in the history courses taken that is higher than 3.0. |
| VA History Society | History | Lt. Col. Boonshoft and Maj. Madeline Ramsey | Furthering interest in all aspects of Virginia’s history by visiting historic sites or inviting appropriate speakers to Post. (Open to any cadet). |
| Pi Sigma Alpha | International Studies and Political Science | Col. Brent Hierman | The Alpha iota Omicrom Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha is VMI’s chapter of the only honor society for Col.lege students of political science and government in the United States. The purpose of the organization is to recognize excellence in academic achievement by undergraduate and graduate students in the fields of political science, government, international and public affairs; to stimulate scholarship and interest in political science; to promote worthwhile curricular and extracurricular activities related to political science; to promote civil dialog; and to engage in any other activities that further these purposes. |
| Phi Sigma Iota | Modern Languages and Cultures | Dr. Laura Xie | International Foreign Language Honor Society - Phi Sigma Iota recognizes outstanding accomplishment in the study or teaching of any of the academic fields related to foreign language, literature, or culture. |
| Pi Delta Phi | Modern Languages and Cultures | Col. Abbey Carrico | National French Honor Society - The purpose of the Society is to recognize outstanding scholarship in the French language and its literatures, to increase the knowledge and appreciation of Americans for the cultural contributions of the French-speaking world, and to stimulate and to encourage French and francophone cultural activities. |
| Sigma Delta Pi | Modern Languages and Cultures | Dr. Sabrina Laroussi | National Col.legiate Hispanic Honor Society - The Mission of the honor society is to recognize academic excellence in the students and to foster a more profound cultural awareness of the Hispanic world internationally, as well as its presence in the United States. |
| Psi Chi | Psychology | Col. Glenn Sullivan | Psi Chi recognizes academic achievement, provides leadership opportunities, and enhances intellectual experiences for members. Psi Chi members organize and lead the Psychology Club, arrange for extracurricular educational opportunities (such as external speakers or visits to psychology conferences), and provide mentorship to other PS students. |
| Sigma Pi Sigma | Physics and Astronomy | Col. Greg Topasna | Physics Honor Society - Sigma Pi Sigma exists to honor outstanding scholarship in physics; to encourage interest in physics among students at all levels; to promote an attitude of service of its members towards their fellow students, Col.leagues, and the public; to provide a fellowship of persons who have excelled in physics. Sigma Pi Sigma’s mission is not completed in the induction ceremony with the recognition of academic accomplishment. In the four dimensions of Honor, Encouragement, Service, and Fellowship, the mission of Sigma Pi Sigma takes a longer view. |
| Society of Physics Students | Physics and Astronomy | Col. Greg Topasna | The SPS exists to help students transform themselves into contributing members of the professional community. Course work develops only one range of skills. Other skills needed to flourish professionally include effective communication and personal interactions, leadership experience, establishing a personal network of contacts, presenting scholarly work in professional meetings and journals, and outreach services to the campus and local communities. Locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally, the SPS offers the opportunity for these important enrichments to the student's experience. |
Faculty Groups and Organizations
| Group Name | Department | Advisor(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women in STEM (WiSTEM) | Multiple departments | Lt. Col. Youna Jung (CIS) | Women in STEM is a faculty group that supports women faculty and cadets in the science, technology, engineering and math fields at VMI. |