Featured Stories

Cadet Carter Hugate '24 holds VMI flag at Army Airborne School

Cadet Successfully Completes Army Airborne School

Carter Hugate ’24, a civil engineering major from Chesterfield, Virginia, is the second cadet to qualify for and successfully complete the Army Airborne School in Fort Benning, Georgia.

Tommy Lees '24 at Special Forces Underwater Operations School

Lees graduates from Army Combat Diver Course

CDQC is a 6-week course, known by many as one of the most challenging and selective qualifications in the United States military. On top of being physically and academically demanding, combat divers are required to work extremely well as members of a team and under high pressure situations.

VMI logo with text 'Academic News' over photo of library

Cadets in Technical Writing and Statics Courses Collaborate on Design for Humanity Projects

Through ongoing interviews and discussions, cadets in ERH 314 learned about and translated mechanical designs developed by the mechanical engineering cadets for open-source reports accessible to engineering departments at other colleges and universities.

Maj. Kevin Braun watches as Noelle Heilpern ’23 prepares a pottery sherd for analysis

From Incan Pots to Forged Checks

“Chemistry can answer a lot of questions.” So says Maj. Kevin Braun, who was still in college when he discovered that a career in chemistry could allow him to deepen his interests in archaeology, anthropology, and forensics.

Milenski and Bailey standing in front of fireplace flanked by two suits of armor

An Overseas Connection to the Corps

During an exchange program at the University of Salford, John “Jack” Milenski ’24 visited the Great Hall of Edinburgh castle thanks to an invite from a descendant of a VMI alumnus.

Christopher M. Hulburt ’22, valedictorian of the Class of 2022 at Virginia Military Institute, speaking during commencement,.

Valedictorian Hulburt Addresses Graduates

Christopher M. Hulburt ’22, valedictorian of the Class of 2022 at Virginia Military Institute, spoke during commencement, of what brought his fellow cadets and himself to VMI, and what kept them at VMI, and the importance of attributes like honor, duty, excellence, and integrity.

Air Force ROTC cadets during 2022 spring field training exercises 70 feet in the air in the Corps Physical Training Facility

Cadets Conquer Challenges During 2022 Spring Field Training Exercises

Cadets conquered many challenges on and off post during 2022 spring field training exercises (FTX).

VMI cadet drives vehicle built for Baja SAE competition.

Cadets Harness Skills and Academics for Competition

A team of 26 mechanical engineering cadets bring their skills to the Baja Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) vehicle design competition at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville, Tennessee.

Portrait photo of Alex Rodriguez '22 in class dyke

Cadet Utilizes Career Services for Success

“As VMI cadets, we are sought after for our leadership, discipline, and integrity. These are qualities that are simply not reliably found at other schools.”

Team portrait of 2021-22 VMI club rugby team.

Club Rugby Seeks National Title

The VMI men’s club rugby team has dominated their conference this season, going 6-2 in the fall and 4-0 in the spring. Now they have their sights set on a national championship.

Maria Korsnick, president and CEO of Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI)

Expert Discusses Essential Role for Nuclear Energy

Maria Korsnick, president and CEO of Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) in Washington, D.C., recently visited the Department of Mechanical Engineering and underscored the essential role for nuclear energy.

Cadets and instructors at firing range

Cadets Work Towards Proficiency

Since November, several cadets have been working toward the German Armed Forced Proficiency Badge (GAFPB), a decoration which requires the completion of six physical and military events.

VMI and Citadel Army ROTC cadets group photo

Cadets Partner with Citadel for Military Skills Competition

Eight cadets from VMI, two from each class, traveled to Charleston and competed against the Citadel’s team. A series of challenging events and exercises, the competition was designed to foster camaraderie and showcase the best of each institution.

VMI Combat Shooting Team takes aim at targets.

Combat Shooting Club Team Makes Strong Showing

The VMI combat shooting club team represented the Institute at the annual Relentless Warrior Competition hosted by the Sig Sauer Academy in New Hampshire on April 9. At the event, the team competed against federal and senior military colleges in a six-stage combat shooting challenge.

U.S. Coast Guard HH-60 helicopter on parade ground

First Coast Guard Detachment FTX Kicks Off in Style

VMI’s Coast Guard detachment kicked off their first ever spring field training exercises with the arrival of a U.S. Coast Guard HH-60 helicopter to post.

Glee Cub members in Puerto Rico Spring 2022

Glee Club Takes Their Craft Abroad

The VMI Glee Club represented the arts for the Institute and enjoyed beautiful weather in Puerto Rico over spring furlough. The group escaped a Virginia snowstorm when they departed from Roanoke Saturday, March 12, and within a day they were at the beach of Luquillo, Puerto Rico.

Kirsten Engel ’22, Glen Lash ’22, and Ryan Carpino ’23 at the U.S. Air Force Academy with backdrop of mountains

Cadets Participate in U.S. Air Force Academy Symposium

Three VMI cadets recently attended the U.S. Air Force Academy’s 2022 National Character and Leadership Symposium in Colorado. The conference’s theme this year was “Ethics and Respect for Human Dignity,” and the event featured several keynote speakers and sessions.

Portrait of S.A. Cobsy over photo of Marshall Hall at night

Bestselling Writer S.A. Cosby to Visit Post for Reading and Q&A

Cadets across post will have an opportunity to visit with award-winning, New York Times bestselling writer S.A. Cosby, from Southeastern Virginia. The visit was arranged by LTC Mary Stewart Atwell, an associate professor in the department of English, Rhetoric, and Humanistic Studies.

Members of the VMI Club Pistol Team at the range

Club Pistol Team Carries on a Long Tradition

An Olympic sport, VMI has competed in pistol shooting in different forms since 1932. The current iteration of the team was formed in 2011 and is coached by Reece McCormick. Cadets fire two main types of pistols: air-powered pistols firing a .117 caliber pellet and .22 caliber pistols.

Julian Kim ’24

Support System at VMI Key to Cadet Success

As he looks ahead to completing his time at VMI, Kim hopes future cadets remember to focus on what is important and “find that balance between academics, physical fitness, and free time.”

Noah Goldsmith ’22 presenting research completed with John Barker ’22

Cadets Present Research to ACM International Conference on Advanced Information Science and System

Noah Goldsmith ’22 recently presented research completed with John Barker ’23 in the ACM International Conference on Advanced Information Science and System (AISS 2021) hosted in Sanya, China, guided by Dr. Youna Jung, associate professor of computer information sciences.

Cadets taking Civil Engineering 121  practice flying Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs or “drones”) used in surveying and mapping.

Civil Engineering in the Field

Cadets taking Civil Engineering 121, Surveying, took a field trip to McKethan Park before Thanksgiving furlough to practice flying Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs or “drones”) used in surveying and mapping.

Leon Thomas '22

Rigors of VMI Education Prepare Cadets for Commissioning

“There's so much knowledge here,” Leon Thomas '22 commented. “There's all this different military experience from different branches that you really would never have seen in many other places.”

Jack McCown '24 and family of alumni from Fall 2021

Photo from Alumni Reunion Reflects Family Legacy

Every picture tells a story, and this picture from an alumni reunion this fall depicts the VMI legacy of the McCown family. Originally from Lexington, Virginia, members of the McCown family have attended VMI since the 1920s.

Claire Lee '22

Parade Offers Insight and Encouragement to Attend

Her senior year of high school, Claire Lee '22 attended an open house to see what post was like, and as she put it, “The parade really got me. I fell in love with the whole system of VMI: the brotherhood, the discipline people are required to learn, the structure."

Mitchell Masterson '21 and his mentor, Maj. Jochen S. Arndt

Cadet Presents Research at Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference for Undergraduate Scholarship

Mitchell Masterson '21 and his mentor, Maj. Jochen S. Arndt, travelled recently to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference for Undergraduate Scholarship, where Masterson presented his work on "Reporting on Civil War: How Newspapers Explained Township Violence in South Africa, 1990-1994."

William Wallace ’22, Dane Hamilton ’22, and Kelly Rollison ’22 greet prospective cadets and their families in Lejeune Hall during Open House Oct. 15.—VMI Photo by Kelly Nye.

Overnight Visits Return to Open Houses

As the world adapts to an environment of managing COVID-19 risk, VMI admissions staff have been able to bring back a staple of pre-pandemic life—overnight visits by prospective cadets—but with safeguards in place.

Tanner Mallari ’22

CIS Major Presents at International Conference

Tanner Mallari ’22, a computer and information sciences major, recently presented at the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) International Conference on Computer Science and Software Engineering (CSSE 2021).

Members of VMI Running Club posing with awards.

Recent Success for Members of Running Club

Cadets part of the running club at VMI have found much success at recent races in southwest Virginia. Club members ran in both the Chessie Nature Trail races and Harvest Hustle races, with many cadets running personal best times.

Members of the Mateja family pose at their tailgating tent during the 2021 Family Weekend on post. —VMI Photo by H. Lockwood McLaughlin

Family Weekend Returns in Full Force

Maybe it was because Family Weekend was canceled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the Family Weekend festivities on post held Oct. 8-10 seemed livelier than ever.

Kasey Meredith ’22 and Kathryn Christmas, Citadel regimental commander, exchange momento covers at the Citadel.—VMI Photo by Eric Moore.

Leading Side-By-Side

Many ceremonious events at VMI have a face and a voice. They’re often that of Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins ’85, superintendent, or Kasey Meredith ’22, this year’s regimental commander. The VMI community has become familiar with Meredith from events like Matriculation Day and parades.

Cadets Michael Hoffmann ’22 and Christopher Soo ’22—VMI Photo by Eric Moore

Among the Top Cadets in the Nation

Cadets Michael Hoffmann ’22 and Christopher Soo ’22 have been recognized by Army ROTC Cadet Command as top cadets in the nation, with Hoffmann ranking No. 5 and Soo No. 7.

Col. M. Houston Johnson V, professor of history, speaks to William Rich ’23 during the Constitution Day event held in Marshall Hall Sept. 20.—VMI Photo by H. Lockwood McLaughlin.

Constitution Day Event: A Review of the Historic and the Complex

On Monday, Sept. 20, the history department, in conjunction with the English department, sponsored a Constitution Day event supporting VMI’s emerging Constitutional history program. Constitution Day, which commemorates the signing of the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787, is observed on post and

Cadets select toppings for their nachos at Foster Stadium

Food Service Changes Focus on Convenience

As with everything else at VMI this fall, food service has undergone numerous changes in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Savanah Diamond ’22, one of VMI’s many cadet EMTs, applies sunscreen to a rat during Matriculation Week.—VMI Photo by Mary Price.

‘It’s a People Game’: Cadet EMTs, Now Approaching Record Number, Help Those in Need

Easily recognizable in their navy blue shirts, VMI’s cadet emergency medical technicians (EMTs) seem to be everywhere at certain times of the year. During Matriculation Week, some of them are working almost 18 hours a day as the new cadets and their cadre train in the August heat.

Todd Pegg gives the oath at a ceremony

Pegg Named Commander of National Guard Unit

This year, Lt. Col. Todd Pegg '92 added a new level of responsibility to his already full plate when he assumed duties as commander of the Virginia National Guard’s 329th regional support group.

A picture of Even Rogers and Sydney Linden

A moment of leadership leads to a spark

The United States Space Force Captain Even Rogers ’10 typically flies from Colorado to Arizona when visiting his family, but the small plane he has was in the shop. Isn’t that how all stories of fate begin?

Thomas Muldowney '21 is shown in front of his laptop computer.

Determining What Helps Migrants Integrate

This summer, Thomas Muldowney ’21 is working on a research project that involves a lot of number crunching— finding out which policies benefit people.

Josie Freeman '23 works on her laptop computer

SURI Project Seeks Motivation for Memes

“Memes are just an interesting concept.” That’s what Josie Freeman ’23 has to say about her Summer Undergraduate Research Institute project, “Motivation for Memes.”

Participants from Career Services Webinars. From top left: LTC Ammad Sheikh, Director of Career Services, Tyler Lighton '15, Reunion Giving Officer at VMI Alumni Agencies, MAJ Sara Blake, Assistant Director of Career Services, Jamaal Walton ’07, Associate AD for External Operations at College of Charleston Athletics Department

Webinars Show the Way: Class of 2020 Has Job Search Assistance Available

As graduation loomed for the Class of 2020, and the U.S. unemployment rate rose, the VMI Alumni Agencies and the Office of Career Services began to work together to bolster new graduates’ chances of job-hunting success.

The tick rover is shown with new wings

Tick Rover Goes Global

The tick rover, a longtime project for Col. Jim Squire, professor of electrical and computer engineering, has won a national award. Additionally, the VMI team beat out teams from several nationally recognized research universities and is headed to the international stage.

A large crane is shown in front of construction to Scott Shipp Hall

New Projects Highlight Summer Construction Schedule

This summer, work will begin on three construction projects, while work continues or nears completion on a multitude of others.

Four cadets hold up a VMI flag in Lithuania

A Global Connection

This spring, 35 cadets were on study-abroad programs when the pandemic hit. By March 23, all had safely returned to the United States. At first, it wasn’t clear that they were going to have to leave their host country—and many didn’t want to leave until they absolutely had to.

Tinni Sen took a screenshot of her asynchronous class on Zoom

‘Focus on What is Best for Cadets’: Faculty Adapt to Distance Learning Environment

For the first time in history, VMI started holding online classes by the end of Spring Furlough. Leading the charge was Brig. Gen. Bob Moreschi, dean of faculty, and the entire faculty and staff at VMI.

Four graphs display the supply of toilet paper over time

Toilet Paper Shortage Illustrates Economic Theory

The toilet paper shortage engendered by the coronavirus pandemic provided one VMI economics professor with a real-world example of a supply chain issue that’s affected nearly every American.

A female cadet talks with a representative from the Peace Corps during a career fair

How to Kick-Start Your Career This Summer

It may feel strange job or internship searching during this “coronavirus economy," however the VMI Office of Career Services has some ideas for a productive summer.

An exterior view of the old VMI hospital in 1890

Epidemics and the Corps of Cadets

This will be the longest the Corps has been away from Lexington since the Civil War, according to Col. Keith Gibson, director of VMI Museums. Gibson recalled VMI's history with epidemics starting with typhoid fever in 1845

The Keydet Invitational competes in the Corps Physical Training Facility

Busiest Winter to Date in the CPTF

For the third year in a row, the Corps Physical Training Facility serves as the site for the Southern Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships Feb. 29-Mar. 1 in Lexington.

A picture of Col. Howard Sanborn

Fulbright Offers Firsthand Glimpse at Struggle for Democracy

When Col. Howard Sanborn received the notice in the spring that he’d been selected for a Fulbright award allowing him to teach in Hong Kong for the fall 2019 semester, he knew that rumblings of civil unrest were beginning, but that didn't stop him.

A compilation picture of David Souliotis, Preston Duff, and Mark Reilly

‘Leave a Mark on Your Alma Mater’: Alumni Construction Professionals See a New Side of VMI

This academic year, construction equipment and noise seem to be everywhere on post, as renovations continue to both Preston Library and Scott Shipp Hall. Many of those working on these projects, of course, were unacquainted with VMI before their work brought them here.

Lt. Col. Ammad Sheikh, director of Career Services, speaks with career fair attendees

‘A 40-Year Marathon’: Career Services Director Emphasizes a Life Plan

Lt. Col. Ammad Sheikh, who’s now in his second year as director of career services, has a different goal: helping all cadets develop a life plan that will sustain them not only economically but mentally and emotionally throughout their working life.

Kirk Ring ’21 and Grace McDonald ’21 are shown addressing students in a classroom.

‘An Engaging and Exciting Middle Ground’: English Fieldwork Partners Cadets with Student Writers

Grace McDonald ’21 and Kirk Ring ’21 are making weekly trips to Rockbridge County High School, where they assist Annie Knepper, chair of the RCHS English department, with marketing, publicity, and tutoring support at the school’s fledgling writing center. Their work at RCHS fulfills the fieldwork re

Al Hockaday sits at a table with Max Gallahan, VMI Class of 2020

Cadet Project Explores African-American Experience in Vietnam

This summer, Maxwell Gallahan ’20 hasn’t just been studying history. He’s been helping to create a historical record. Gallahan, a history major, has been working on a project, “African-American Vietnam War Veterans and the Civil Rights Movement.”

Col. Turk McCleskey, professor of history, poses with historical interpreters at the Williamsburg Courthouse.

History, Engineering Collaboration Produces New Findings about Colonial Virginia

What happens when a history professor meets an electrical engineer? At most schools, the answer might very well be “nothing.” But at VMI, the answer is a successful collaboration that’s been going on for over a decade and has now resulted in the publication of four scholarly articles.

A students stands with a Zimbabwean man holding two certificates

Passion for Research Takes Cadet to Zimbabwe

It’s not unusual for a highly motivated cadet to have a passion for research—or for a cadet to be willing to travel to do that research. But a passion so strong that it involves 44 hours on an airplane? Now that’s unusual.

Three faculty members talk with three Aseshi University members

‘Holistic, Mutual Benefit’ Seen With African Partnership

A soon-to-be-signed memorandum of understanding between VMI and Ashesi University in Berekuso, Ghana, will allow a variety of collaborative projects to flourish between the two schools.

A cadet stands in front of a class
Cadets study a map of Aramco’s oil fields in Saudi Arabia

Trip to Saudi Arabia Provides Glimpse of Modern, Ancient Ways

In late November, three cadets and a faculty member took advantage of an unusual opportunity: an all-expenses-paid trip to Saudi Arabia.

Dr. Florence Martin speaks during the Tournées Film Festival

Tournées Film Festival Brings French Cinema to Post

Founded in 1995, the Tournées Film Festival has a goal of bringing French cinema to American audiences—and this November, for the first time ever, the festival came to VMI, with six films being shown from Nov. 7-16.

Two cadets and professor demonstrate virtual reality equipment
Cadet and professor look at laptop
Aaron Causey ’20 presents his research on “Hybrid Disaster Response System Using Web of Things” at an international cybersecurity conference

Causey Represents VMI at iiWAS2019

In early December, Aaron Causey ’20 quietly racked up a remarkable achievement: becoming the first cadet majoring in computer science at VMI to present his research at an international conference.

A group of cadets look at a virtual image of the human body

Anatomy Class Makes Virtual Dissection Possible

The Anatomage Table, which is meant for the study of the human body and virtual dissection, is “kind of like a giant iPad,” explained Darren Ostrander ’20, one of the first cadets to use the table. Ostrander, along with five other cadets, is enrolled in PE 274 class, human anatomy.

Participants in the College Orientation Workshop (COW) program work on their physical fitness in Cormack Hall.

Psychology Professors Investigate the Success of College Orientation Workshop

For over three decades, the College Orientation Workshop (COW), a program meant to encourage high school-age minority males to attend college, has been held on the VMI post each summer. The program is led by Gene Williams ’74, the first African-American to serve on the VMI BOV.

VMI: Forging 21st Century Leaders