Cadets and faculty at VMI cover a wide range of topics and interests in their Summer Undergraduate Research Institute (SURI) projects. Explore some of the previous projects completed as part of this signature program offered at No Ordinary College.
| Bierstine, Ben | 2025 | Applied Mathematics | Airfield Combat Logistics for Contingency Operations [AIM Project] | Lt. Col. Sarah E. R. Patterson | 2024 |
| Carman, Aiden | 2027 | Applied Mathematics | Cadet Retention and Recruiting [AIM Project] | Col. John David | 2024 |
| Huang, Hai-Hsin | 2025 | Applied Mathematics | Enhancing Community Engagement Through Rockbridger How To: A Comprehensive Guide [AIM Project] | Maj. Blain Patterson | 2024 |
| Sok, Rechnna | 2026 | Applied Mathematics | Project Horizon: Trend Analysis Using VADATA [AIM Project] | Col. Troy Siemers | 2024 |
| White, JeNiya | 2028 | Applied Mathematics | Improving Tour Qualities of some TSP Heuristics Using Tree-Penalized Distance Matrices | Dr. Denis Aliyev | 2025 |
| Aguilar-Ficke, Isabella | 2027 | Applied Mathematics | From Shipment to Savings: Optimizing Inbound Freight Strategies at Trinity Industries [AIM Project] | Maj. Blain Patterson | 2025 |
| Carman, Aidan | 2027 | Applied Mathematics | Material Loss Percentages for Modine Manufacturing [AIM Project] | Maj. Megan Miller | 2025 |
| Davis, Benjamin | 2026 | Applied Mathematics | Preliminary Time-Series and Aggregate Analysis of Glycemic States in Type 2 Diabetes Using Multimodal Biosensor Data [AIM Project] | Col. John David | 2025 |
| Kohan, Andrew | 2026 | Applied Mathematics | Pitching Analytics for VMI Baseball [AIM Project] | Col. John David | 2025 |
| Naifeh, Matthew | 2027 | Applied Mathematics | Preliminary Time-Series and Aggregate Analysis of Glycemic States in Type 2 Diabetes Using Multimodal Biosensor Data [AIM Project] | Col. John David | 2025 |
| AguilarFricke, Isabella | 2027 | Applied Mathematics | Study Habits Associated with Mathematics Achievement Among Undergraduate Students: A Mixed-Methods Study at a Senior Military College | Maj. Sarah Patterson | 2026 |
| Ortiz, Austin | 2028 | Applied Mathematics | Market Optimization for All Pro Media Lynchburg [AIM Project] | Maj. Megan Miller | 2026 |
| Xie, Wuyue | 2028 | Applied Mathematics | From Call Queues to Cloud Agents: Applied Mathematics at Project Emblem [AIM Project] | Col. John David | 2026 |
| Aughinbaugh, Kern | 2026 | Biology | Population Genetics of Myotis Leibii Throughout the Shenandoah Valley | Col. Paul Moosman | 2025 |
| Calder, Samuel | 2028 | Biology | Investigating the Effects of Environmental Stressors on Brain Functioning in Beta Fish | Lt. Col. Molly Kent | 2025 |
| Cockerham, Luke | 2026 | Biology | The Attraction of the Beetle Tenebria molitor to Volatile Molecules from Tapeworm-Infected Rat Feces: Assessing Different Experimental Controls | Col. Ashleigh Smythe | 2025 |
| Jones, Connor | 2026 | Biology | Analysis of Tardigrade Cryobiosis | Col. Emily Fadia | 2025 |
| Phillips, Ava | 2028 | Biology | Betta Fish and Their Hormonal Changes Based on Different Aquatic Environments | Lt. Col. Molly Kent | 2025 |
| Bain, Charles | 2029 | Biology | The Impact of Oral Nicotine Pouches on Plant Growth – Proof of Concept | Col. Anne Alerding | 2026 |
| Nicely, Jakari | 2028 | Biology | Beta Fish Sleep Stress Experiment | Lt. Col. Molly Kent | 2026 |
| Taylor, Zeva | 2027 | Biology | How Will the Ratio of Cortisol and DHEA Affect Learning Using a Maze Model with Beta Splendens | Lt. Col. Molly Kent | 2026 |
| Boynewicz, James | 2025 | Biology | Exploring Natural Adaptations: Neurobiological Comparison Between Rural and Urban Wild Rat Populations of Rattus norvegicus | Lt. Col. Molly Kent | 2024 |
| Cacace, Alyssa | 2026 | Biology | Presence and Viability of Pseudogymnoascus Destructans, the Fungus That Causes White-Nose Syndrome in Rock Crevices Used by Eastern Small-footed Myotis and Big Brown Bats in Virginia | Col. Paul Moosman | 2024 |
| Clarke, Owen | 2025 | Biology | Assessment of Surface and Subsurface Particle-Size Distribution of Trout Spawning Habitat in the Jackson River Tailwater Section | Lt. Col. Mary Beth Manjerovic | 2024 |
| Dabu, Cameron | 2025 | Biology | Zoonotic Disease Detection in Raccoon Populations | Lt. Col. Mary Beth Manjerovic | 2024 |
| Lassalle, Caroline | 2025 | Biology | Dermal Swab Samples on Zebrafish: Methods and Materials | Lt. Col. Molly Kent | 2024 |
| Maul, Gibson | 2025 | Biology | The Detection of Microplastics and Heavy Metals in Rattus norvegicus from Rockbridge County | Lt. Col. Mary Beth Manjerovic | 2024 |
| Tracy, Whitney | 2025 | Biology | Investigating the Role Rocky Habitat Features Play in the Bat Fungal Disease White-Nose Syndrome | Col. Paul Moosman | 2024 |
| Tulupov, Mikhail | 2025 | Biology | Utilizing Isoflurane as a Potential Field Anesthetic in Raccoon Population in Rockbridge County | Lt. Col. Mary Beth Manjerovic | 2024 |
| Oh, Woongchan | 2025 | Civil and Environmental Engineering | Cost-Effective Option to Treat the Foundation | Mr. Stephen L. Neas II | 2024 |
| Ericsson, Jack | 2026 | Civil and Environmental Engineering | Assessment of Asphalt Rutting Characteristics Using Calculated Performance Indices | Dr. Aksel Seitlari | 2025 |
| Zehring, Austin | 2026 | Civil and Environmental Engineering | Adapting the EPA SWMM Framework for Stormwater Simulation of a Utility-Scale Solar Farm in Fairfield, Virginia | Dr. Tanjina Afrin | 2025 |
| Robertson, Pedro | 2027 | Civil and Environmental Engineering | Engineered Bridges of Rockbridge County: A Preliminary Engineering Review | Col. Matthew Swenty | 2026 |
| Thompson, Ronnie | 2027 | Civil and Environmental Engineering | A Machine-Learning Model to Automatize and Classify Traffic Counts | Dr. Aksel Sietllari | 2026 |
| Hale, Nicholas | 2026 | Chemistry | Synthesis and Equilibrium Dynamics of Intramolecular Frustrated Lewis Pairs | Maj. Caleb Brown | 2024 |
| Bastien, Jocelyn | 2028 | Chemistry | Iridium Complexes and Machine Learning | Maj. Caleb Brown | 2025 |
| Callejo, Barrett | 2027 | Chemistry | Computationally Predicting Important Amino Acids in Ferritin Nanocage Structure | Lt. Col. Daniel McCain | 2025 |
| Stanley, Emma | 2028 | Chemistry | Astrochemical Momdeling | Maj. Chris Shingledecker | 2025 |
| Warren, Deaton | 2026 | Chemistry | An Astrochemical Modeling Study of the Chemistry or IrradiatedSulfer-Bearing Ice | Maj. Chris Shingledecker | 2025 |
| Jimenez, Tamara | 2029 | Chemistry | Exploring the Effective Length Requirement for Circular RNA to Form a G-Quadruplex Structure | Dr. Sumirtha Balaratnam | 2026 |
| Jackson, Rye | 2028 | Computer and Information Sciences | A Multi-Modal Survey of Drone Detection Methods: Acoustic, Visual, RF, and Fusion Approaches | Dr. Sherif Abdelhamid | 2026 |
| Kreckman, Evan | 2029 | Computer and Information Sciences | SCC and RTVS: Compiler-Driven Code Diversification for JIT_ROP Mitigation | Dr. Mohamed Azab | 2026 |
| Rymer, Erick | 2028 | Computer and Information Sciences | Learning Smart-Grid Cybersecurity Through Undergraduate Research: An Educational Case Study in Electrical and Computer Engineering | Dr. Mohamed Azab and Dr. Efat Fathalla | 2026 |
| Le, Dang Khoa | 2025 | Computer and Information Sciences | Friend-AS-A-Cyber Threat Identification | Col. Imran Ghani | 2024 |
| Lee, Chao-Chun | 2025 | Computer and Information Sciences | Behaviors of Choice Overload with Recommendations by Generative AI | Col. Imran Ghani | 2024 |
| Strapponi, Amber | 2026 | Computer and Information Sciences | Exploring Network Design for the Eduation Campus: Network Architectural Design, Secure Implementation and Policy Development | Lt. Col. Doug B. Wainwright | 2024 |
| Fraser, Serenity | 2028 | Electrical and Computer Engineering | Privacy Transparency via Human-AI Mediated Digital Consent | Dr. Efat Fathalla and Dr. Mohamed Azab | 2026 |
| Mettasat, Kanokpon | 2027 | Electrical and Computer Engineering | A Systematic Mapping of Quantrum Threats and Defenses for Blockchain | Dr. Efat Fathalla | 2026 |
| Zhu, Yushen | 2028 | Electrical and Computer Engineering | Rocket Avionics Bay Control System | Col. James Squire | 2026 |
| Lavender, Nathalie | 2026 | English, Rhetoric, and Humanistic Studies | Developing a Study: Does Viewing Art Through Virtual Reality Compete with the Engagement of Traditional Viewing Methods? | Col. Catharine Ingersoll | 2024 |
| Adams, John Paul | 2027 | English, Rhetoric, and Humanistic Studies | A Most Peculiar Burglar: The Virtue of Generosity in The Hobbit | Col. Steve Knepper | 2026 |
| Fleming, Sofia | 2028 | History | World War One Logistics | Maj. Alex Paul | 2026 |
| Adams, John | 2027 | English, Rhetoric, and Humanistic Studies | Scriptural Monster: A Literary Study of Tolkien’s Jonah | Col. Steven Knepper | 2025 |
| Bowen, Benjamin | 2026 | English, Rhetoric, and Humanistic Studies | The Tragic Absence of Happy Endings: An Examination of the Power of Happy Literary Endings and How to Write Them | Lt. Col. Polly Atwell | 2025 |
| Conley, Jack | 2025 | History | The Vindolanda Tablets: Supplying Roman Frontier Garrisons | Maj. Christopher M. Blunda | 2024 |
| London, Michael | 2025 | History | The Violent Crowd and its Influence on American History | Lt. Col. Mark Boonshoft | 2024 |
| Lorence, Anna | 2026 | History | U.S. Foreign Realtions with South America from 1904-1939 | Col. Houston Johnson | 2025 |
| Woods, Jeremiah | 2027 | History | African Americans at the Virginia Military Institute from 1850-1865 | Maj. Madeleine Ramsey and Lt. Col. Mark Boonshoft | 2025 |
| Amaral, Iuri | 2028 | History | Modern Times Old Manners: The Rapid Rise of Aviation to its Place in Modern Warfare, and the Iconographic Resemblances Between Medieval Knoghts and World War One Fighter Pilots | Maj. Liz Schroepfer | 2026 |
| Haynes, Parker | 2027 | History | The Historical Dynamic of the U.S. Government and the Muslim Brotherhood | Dr. Semih Gokatalay | 2026 |
| Heeter, Grant | 2027 | History | Stemming the Tide: Deindustrialization in Warren County, Pennsylvania 1970-2000 | Maj. Bryant Etheridge | 2026 |
| McDowell, Aidan | 2027 | History | Frontier Loyalism in Virginia | Maj. Zachary Deibel | 2026 |
| Shah, Syed Eshan | 2027 | History | Have U.S. Politics Rhetorically Framed Islam in a Way That Has Engendered Islamophobia? | Col. McMillan Johnson | 2026 |
| Stephani, Benjamin | 2027 | History | Forgotten Records of a Forgotten Interention: The U.S. Department of Defense, the CIA, and their Role in the Angolan Conflict, 1975-1980 | Lt. Col. Joel Christenson | 2026 |
| Vaughn, Jesse | 2027 | History | Honor in Europe | Maj. Patrick Klinger | 2026 |
| Huang, Hai-Hsin | 2025 | Human Performance and Wellness | Cost-Effective Health Outcomes of Strength Training Programs for the Elderly | Col. Michael Krackow | 2024 |
| Shirk, Colton | 2027 | Human Performance and Wellness | Effects of Music Genre on Vertical Jump Power and Hand Grip Strength in Resistance Trained College Students | Col. Michael Krackow | 2025 |
| Townsend, David | 2027 | Human Performance and Wellness | The VO2 Slow Component and Load Carriage: A Revies and Need for Further Research | Lt. Col. Dan Baur | 2025 |
| Townsend, Margaret | 2027 | Human Performance and Wellness | The Effects of Sex Differences on the Physiological Responses to Thoracic Load Carriage | Lt. Col. Dan Baur | 2025 |
| Abramov, Polina | 2027 | Human Performance and Wellness | Exploring Motivations, Influences, and Perceptions of Protein Supplement for Use Among Military College Students: A Qualitative Approach | Maj. Deanne Moosman | 2026 |
| Jurack, Jonah | 2025 | International Studies and Political Science | Satisfied or Dissatisfied: The Facotrs Influencing Citizen Satisfaction with Democracy in Eswatini, Lesotho, and Morocco | Dr. Salih Yasun | 2024 |
| Layman, Katy | 2026 | International Studies and Political Science | Case Studies of Women’s Movements in Islamic States | Dr. Vera Heuer | 2024 |
| Martindale, Delilah | 2025 | International Studies and Political Science | Preventing Suicide: The Effect of Visibilty on Mental Health Infrastructure (MHI) | Dr. Vera Heuer | 2024 |
| Ryan, Dmitri | 2026 | International Studies and Political Science | How Incorporating Virtual Reality into Law of Armed Conflict Classrooms Enhances Comprehension | Lt. Col. Tim Passmore | 2025 |
| Eckman, Bryan | 2029 | International Studies and Political Science | A Comparative Study of the Effects of the Opium Trade on Urban Bias in Afghanistan since 1994 | Col. Brent Hierman | 2026 |
| Zarella, Lucas | 2027 | International Studies and Political Science | Hybrid Governance and Institutional Trust: The Erosion of State Legitimacy and Emerging Non-State Actors in Brazil and Mexico | Maj. Megan Roosevelt | 2026 |
| Hay, Bruce | 2025 | Mechanical Engineering | Terrain Measurement System | Maj. Craig Altmann | 2024 |
| Markie, Diego | 2025 | Mechanical Engineering | Design of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Aluminum Double Wishbone SAE Suspension System | Maj. Craig Altmann | 2024 |
| Clark, Macallister | 2026 | Mechanical Engineering | Design of a Bulk Material Conveyer System for ADAR Technologies | Col. Gerald Sullivan | 2025 |
| Collier, John | 2026 | Mechanical Engineering | Studying Body Stiffness for Vehicle Design Using Scanner Laser Vibrometer for Modal Analysis | Col. Joseph Blandino | 2025 |
| Dagmy, Jonathan | 2026 | Mechanical Engineering | Studying Body Stiffness for Vehicle Design using a Finite Element Model for Modal Analysis | Col. Joseph Blandino | 2025 |
| Hage, Gabriel | 2026 | Mechanical Engineering | Terrain Measurement System | Maj. Craig Altman | 2025 |
| Pelt, Jackson | 2026 | Mechanical Engineering | The Use of Regolith to Help Keep Lunar Craft Avionics Warm During the Lunar Night | Col. Joseph Blandino | 2025 |
| Thompson, Emma | 2026 | Mechanical Engineering | A Study of Pressure Support Produced by High Nasal Cannula Therapy | Col. John Wilkins | 2025 |
| Tran, Woodward | 2026 | Mechanical Engineering | Numerical Investigation of the Impact of Sinusoidal Chimney Design on the Performance of a Solar Chimney Power Plant | Dr. Kamrul Hasan | 2025 |
| Colin, Michael | 2027 | Mechanical Engineering | Design and Dynamic Analysis of a Counter-Orbiting Zone-Effect Anti-Satellite Weapon | Col. Joseph R. Blandino | 2026 |
| Naifeh, Matthew | 2027 | Mechanical Engineering | Numerical Investigation of the Impact of Bulbous Bow on the Performance of a Ship | Dr. Kamrul Hasan | 2026 |
| Weerapong, Naattanan | 2027 | Mechanical Engineering | Modernizing Igloo White: Preliminary Design and Stability Anaylsis of a Low-Cost UAV for Thailand-Cambodia Border Surveillance | Col. Joseph R. Blandino | 2026 |
| Denton, Zachary | 2027 | Psychology | The Leader in the Mirror: Validating a Measure of Leadership Self-Awareness | Maj. Janelle Gornick | 2025 |
| Chervenka, Riley | 2027 | Psychology | Objective-Projective Divergence and Intimacy Impairment: A Test of Finn’s Cell B Hypothesis | Col. Glenn Sullivan | 2026 |
| Patrick, Katelin | 2027 | Psychology | Exploring the Impact of Moral Injury and Psychological Capital on PTSD Among Veterans | Lt. Col. Michael LaRocca | 2026 |
| Brown, Parker | 2026 | Psychology | The Relationship Between Pathological Parenting and Hypomania: An Analysis of Emotional Repression | Col. Glenn R. Sullivan | 2024 |
| Roberson, Rachel | 2025 | Psychology | Examining Implications of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Ambiguity in a Medical Scenario | Lt. Col. Jillian Stuart | 2024 |
| Baker, Diamond | 2026 | Psychology | “Tough it out, Hide our Suffering”:Generational Differences in Perception of Mental Health Issues Across Generations in the African American Community | Maj. Aubrey Whitehead | 2025 |
| Brown, Parker | 2026 | Psychology | Comparing Implicit and Explicit Measures of Neuroticism | Col. Glenn Sullivan | 2025 |
| Friedrich, Benjamin | 2026 | Physics and Astronomy | Beyond Classical Aerodynamics: The Importance of UAPs and the Theoretical Physics Through Negative Mass and Electrogravitics | Col. Stacey Vargas | 2025 |
| DeCicco, Gianna | 2027 | Physics and Astronomy | UAP’s and Hellfire Missiles | Col. Stacey Vargas | 2026 |
| Vargas, Nicholas | 2029 | Physics and Astronomy | Calibration of HKS Wire Chamber Detectors for Jefferson Lab | Dr. Bishnu Pandey | 2026 |
| Wang, Andy | 2027 | Physics and Astronomy | Development and Characterization of an Automated Z-Scan System for Future Nonlinear Optical Measurements | Col. Merce Brooke | 2026 |