Brian Tavenner ’25, an electrical and computer engineering major at Virginia Military Institute, is designing and building a fiberglass rocket to reach the exact height of 1,023 feet using a F-engine motor in his five-week SURI project titled,“Target Altitude Project.”

The Chessie Nature Trail, which runs along the Maury River from Lexington to Buena Vista consists of seven miles of level path including several pedestrian bridges. Lawrence Porter ’24 is examining the serviceability of one of those bridges in his 10-week SURI project.

Caroline Lassalle ’25 has always had a strong desire to learn about exercise science and work in the medical field. The biology major spent five weeks last summer becoming a certified emergency medical technician (EMT) at Virginia Military Institute.

Leadership is one of the foundations of Virginia Military Institute. The concept is something Anthony Cruz Fernandez-Grimes ’25 is exploring for his summer research project.  

Brijesh Regeti ’24, a major, and Talli Tarring ’24, a major, worked together on their five-week project titled, “Data Analysis of United Way Donors” to research ways the organization can attract new donors.

Ellie Pickford '24 stood before a small glass tank, peering intently at the colorful Betta fish swimming within. Her summer research project was well underway, and she was determined to unlock the mysteries behind the interactions between nicotine and antidepressants. 

Riley Malone ’25, a history major at Virginia Military Institute is examining the government policy on service members, and how their First Amendment rights have changed from 1900 to the present in his 10-week SURI project titled, “True Faith and Allegiance: The First Amendment in the Military.”   

This summer, Caragh Osborne ‘24 is conducting a study focused on anxiety symptom scores among athletes and non-athletes, examining the impact of family influence on the decision to attend college and its potential correlation with anxiety levels.  

Entering Virginia Military Institute, Chris Kushner ’24 signed up for a Biology 111 class with Col. Anne Alerding. Little did he know that when he was asked to join a research project, it would be something he would continue throughout his time at VMI. 

Kaylee Brennan ’23, an English major at Virginia Military Institute, did independent field work to create a guide for cadets who plan on attending law school after they graduate. It's to be used as a resource for cadets on how to prepare and apply to law school.