Capt. Nolan Lipscomb ’19, has been named assistant director of the Office of Global Education (OGE) at Virginia Military Institute, assuming the position held for nearly 25 years by Lt. Col. Patricia Hardin.

Col. Jeff Kendrick, professor of French in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures, has been named director of the Office of Global Education. Since his arrival at VMI in 2013, Kendrick has served in a variety of roles, including special assistant to the dean for permit and calendar.

Antonio Ahanj ’24 attributes much of his growth and success to the unique environment fostered at VMI, where supportive relationships and a culture of mentorship have played a crucial role for him. 

“Céad míle fáilte” is Gaelic for “a hundred thousand welcomes,” and captures the spirit of the warm hospitality a group of 11 Virginia Military Institute cadets and their two professors recently experienced while on an educational journey in Dingle, Ireland.

Nearly two dozen traveled to Spain this summer for a study abroad program, with varying majors and minors represented, from economics and business, modern languages, history, computer science, engineering, and more. The five-week program allowed cadets to take classes at the Universidad de Alcalá.

Kaiden Minter ’26, an international studies major, is spending spring semester studying with the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Belgrade in Serbia.

Louis Wiltenmuth ’25, a mechanical engineering major, wanted to get ahead in classes this past summer, while also gaining some cultural experience. What started as a study abroad experience in Rome, turned into him becoming the cadet in charge of the program.   

A field trip to the NATO Defense College and test driving a prototype electric three-wheel vehicle? All in a week’s work for cadets participating in the VMI Engineering Summer Study Abroad program in Rome.

Todd Lee Goen, new director and senior international officer in the office of global education (formerly known as international programs) at Virginia Military Institute, recently won the coveted Lily von Klemperer Award bestowed by NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

One of the primary goals of this program is to give engineering cadets, who don’t often get the chance to study abroad due to their pre-requisite driven curriculum, the opportunity to develop cultural competency skills and learn to live and work in a multi-cultural, multi-national society.