In the News

Aidan Carman ’27 shares his grip test results with Colton Shirk ’27.

Can Music Improve Athletic Performance?

June 26, 2025

Music is known to help lower anxiety and stress, slow the heart rate, and create a calming effect, but can certain music enhance an athlete’s performance? Colton Shirk ’27, a biology major, sought to answer the question for his Summer Undergraduate Research Institute (SURI) project.

Whitney Tracy ’25

Blending Passion for Medicine and Soccer with Graduate Opportunity: Whitney Tracy ’25

June 18, 2025

Graduate school was always on Whitney Tracy’s ’25 list following undergrad. Although her dream of pursuing medical school has changed, her time at Virginia Military Institute has guided her on a different path.

Natural Bridge, photo by Kelly Nye.

Natural Bridge Visit a Highlight for Introductory Biology Classes

May 12, 2025

A short drive from VMI is the 215-foot-tall wonder, Natural Bridge. While so close, many cadets have never visited the site. Maj. Peter Neofotis, lecturer in the Department of Biology and native of Rockbridge County, saw an opportunity to weave in some of his biology lessons.

Maj. Alison Burke, Ph.D. Department of Biology Bacteriophages and Bivalves: Using Viruses to Combat Oyster-Borne Illness

Bacteriophages and Bivalves: Using Viruses to Combat Oyster-Borne Illness

April 5, 2025

For Maj. Alison Burke, research into naturally occurring viruses called bacteriophages may offer a promising solution to the growing threat of Vibrio parahaemolyticus (VP), a bacterial pathogen that causes seafood-borne illness.

Maj. Alison Burke, assistant professor in the Department of Biology at Virginia Military Institute, will discuss a cholera-like bacteria found in warm waters that lives and spreads in oysters, on the public radio program, “With Good Reason,” April 5-11.

Maj. Burke to be on "With Good Reason"

April 2, 2025

Maj. Alison Burke, assistant professor in the Department of Biology at Virginia Military Institute, will discuss a cholera-like bacteria found in warm waters that lives and spreads in oysters, on the public radio program, “With Good Reason,” April 5-11.

Soccer player Whitney Tracy talks about balancing academics, athletics, and cadet responsibilities.

Behind the Balance: Whitney Tracy ’25 — Women’s Keydet Soccer

November 4, 2024

Whitney Tracy '25 juggles her role as the starting goalkeeper, an S4 lieutenant managing logistics for the Corps, and her biology major — all while preparing for her next chapter after graduation.

Andrew Hart instructs Joshua Addis ’25 and Luke Cockerham ’26 on splint bottom weave caning during their botany class.

Botany Class Learns Practical Uses

October 24, 2024

Seven cadets in a general botany class explored practical plant uses by learning the art of chair caning. Led by Col. Anne Alerding, the hands-on session featured local artisan Andrew Hart, who taught students to weave chair seats using flat reed from rattan palms.

Maj. Molly Kent featured on With Good Reason, Sept. 7-14

Kent Featured on “With Good Reason”

September 7, 2024

Maj. Molly Kent, assistant professor in the Department of Biology, will discuss the level of stress in rats based on their home and lifestyle, and what these lessons have taught her about human stress, on the public radio program, “With Good Reason,” Sept. 7-14.

VMI cadets pose for a photo during their study abroad program overlooking Dingle Bay, Ireland.

Cadets Experience the Magic of Ireland

August 1, 2024

“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.

Katherine Orndorff ’24 presents her research in Gillis Theater.

Biologists Share Research on Parasites

May 29, 2024

The Department of Biology at Virginia Military Institute hosted a joint meeting of the Helminthological Society of Washington and the Southeastern Society of Parasitologists in April. Over 100 biologists met in Marshall Hall.