“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.

Bruce Hay ’25, a mechanical engineering major with a concentration in aerospace engineering, completed his 10-week Summer Undergraduate Research Institute (SURI) project by designing an off-road laser measurement mapping system to forewarn drivers of trail conditions.

Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Lawrence Havird ’90 assumed duties as Virginia Military Institute’s new commandant Aug. 5.

Lt. Col. Shannon Eskam, director of financial aid at Virginia Military Institute, has been promoted to assistant superintendent for strategic enrollment management/director of financial aid. In her new position, Eskam oversees the Office of Admissions, the Office of Financial Aid, Cadet Marketing,

VMI's football and soccer teams will be playing on newly sodded fields this year. Alumni Memorial Field at Foster Stadium and Patchin Field were both sodded over the summer with Tahoma 31 Bermuda grass, known for its exceptional tolerance to cool temperatures, as well as wear and tear.

This year’s Rat Mass comes from 36 states, as well as the District of Columbia and Guam, six foreign countries, with 62% from Virginia and 38% from out of state. Eighty-six are female, and 168 are recruited NCAA athletes.

Sherry Wallace has been named the new director of communications and marketing at Virginia Military Institute, effective Aug. 26. She is a proud veteran of the U.S. Army and holds a Master of Public Administration from Missouri State University and a bachelor's degree from Hendrix College.

Retired U.S. Navy Adm. James Stavridis, the H.B. Johnson Jr., Class of 1926, Distinguished Speaker, will address the Corps of Cadets and faculty at the academic convocation at Virginia Military Institute on Wednesday, Sept. 4, at 10:30 a.m. in Cameron Hall on Main Street.

Over the summer, improvements and upgrades have been made to the Post Exchange (PX). Menu items from two new Parkhurst Dining brands are available: Cinco, which offers a Tex-Mex menu, and Grill 1839, which offers classic grill items.

The VMI Community Theatre will hold auditions for its fall show, “The Real Inspector Hound,” Monday, Sept. 9; Tuesday, Sept. 10; Wednesday, Sept. 11; and Thursday, Sept. 12 at 7:45 p.m. in Gillis Theater located in Marshall Hall on post.

Guest speakers are Michael E. Woods, professor of history and director of The Papers of Andrew Jackson at the University of Tennessee, and Reeve Huston, associate professor of history at Duke University.

Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins ’85, superintendent of Virginia Military Institute, appointed the rank of honorary brigadier general upon CAVU, the chaplain’s office facility dog, in a ceremony Sept. 3 in New Barracks.

Retired U.S. Navy Adm. James Stavridis, the H.B. Johnson Jr., Class of 1926, Distinguished Speaker, addressed the entire Corps of Cadets, members of the academic board, faculty and staff during convocation, the ceremonial start of VMI's 185th year.

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.

Virginia Military Institute invites the greater Lexington and Rockbridge community to participate in a debate on immigration Sept. 26 from 7 to 9 p.m. in VMI’s Marshall Hall. The question being debated is “Should undocumented immigrants to the U.S. be accommodated or deported?”

Nearly 800 Virginia Military Institute cadets honored those who perished in the 9/11 terrorist attacks by energetically ascending and descending the steps in barracks from 1st stoop to 4th stoop 37 times, replicating the 110 stories the first responders at the World Trade Center climbed.

Virginia Military Institute’s Center for Leadership and Ethics (CLE) will host a Steamboat Institute Campus Liberty Tour Debate, Thursday, Oct. 3 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Gillis Theater, Marshall Hall.  

These chairs are found all over the United States in stadiums, arenas, and government buildings. They are meant to represent those service members who are unable to fill them because of their sacrifices. They also serve as a tribute to the men and women who serve the country every day.

Experience the sights, sounds, and tastes of fall in 1850s Lexington, Saturday, Oct. 5, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Jackson House Museum’s Apple Day celebration.

VMI retained its high placing among the nation’s best colleges, according to the 2025 Best Colleges rankings released Sept. 24 by U.S. News and World Report.

Kanokpon “Gun” Mettasat ’27 spent 15 days last June living as a monk at Wat Khlong Khru Buddhist temple in Tha Sai, not far from his home in Bangkok.

Cadets from all the schools spent a large portion of their time networking with their peers through physical training, team-building exercises, meals, and sharing their respective schools’ history, tradition, organizational structure, systems of leadership and daily life as a cadet.

The Adams Center, a specialized element of Virginia Military Institute dedicated to Cold War military history, recently received a significant donation of 600 books from the library of Malcolm Muir Jr., founding director of the center and former professor of history at VMI.

It was standing room only in Gillis Theater as John Bolton and Vivek Ramaswamy met as part of Steamboat Institute’s Campus Liberty Tour to debate the resolution: The U.S. should use its diplomatic and military power around the globe to ensure America’s national security.

This talk will conclude the 15th annual Leadership and Ethics Conference, themed "Leading into the Future." U.S. Army Capt. Florent "Flo"Groberg's address is part of the prestigious H.B. Johnson Jr., Class of 1926, Distinguished Lecture Series.

The VMI Community Theatre will present, “The Real Inspector Hound." The one-act play, written by Tom Stoppard, is a parody of the stereotypical parlor mystery in the style of Agatha Christie’s, “The Mousetrap,” and is a play within a play.

Andrew Luna has been named director of the Office of Assessment and Institutional Research (AIR) at Virginia Military Institute, and will hold the rank of colonel in the Virginia Militia.

Maj. Megan Roosevelt, assistant professor in the Department of International Studies and Political Science at Virginia Military Institute, will discuss what drives anti-immigrant attitudes in the United States and Europe on the public radio program, “With Good Reason,” Oct. 19-26.

Virginia Military Institute welcomes Brian McKnight, Ph.D., professor of history and a founding director of the Center for Appalachian Studies at the University of Virginia, who will give a lecture on the Civil War titled, “Guerrilla Warfare and Base Criminality in the Civil War Borderland.”

A new research study comparing the exercise habits between four populations: VMI cadets, VMI alumni, W&L students, and W&L alumni, both in the short- and long-term, is being conducted by Maj. Katherine Baur, assistant professor in the Department of Human Performance and Wellness at VMI.

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.

Eight Virginia Military Institute Army ROTC cadets — members of Ranger Challenge, the “varsity sport” of the Army ROTC program — made history when they traveled to the Welsh mountains of the UK to participate in Exercise Cambrian Patrol, the British Army’s premier patrolling event in early October.

This year’s theme was “Leading into the Future,” an extension of the CLE’s academic year theme of “Paradigm Shifts,” and focused on diverse themes of leadership and ethics in modern society, and preparing future college graduates to lead through rapidly changing environments.

VMI, in collaboration with Virginia Tech, has developed a project called, “CryptoQuest,” which uses cartoon animations and virtual and augmented reality to teach high school and college level students cryptography, post-quantum cryptography, and cybersecurity in a more engaging and interactive way.

As the holiday season approaches, festivities are being planned not only on the VMI post, but also at the New Market Battlefield State Historical Park and the Jackson House Museum.

VMI presented a new strategic plan, “Forging 21st Century Leaders,” as it celebrated the 185th anniversary of its founding, firmly securing in its place as the premier small college in the nation, unequaled in producing educated, honorable, and adaptable citizen-soldiers and leaders.

Amber Smith, former U.S. Army Kiowa helicopter pilot, and author of two books, was named VMI's Leader in Residence, which is an important part of the Center for Leadership and Ethics’ efforts to educate, engage, and inspire cadets, faculty, and staff to develop as leaders.

Maj. Christopher N. Shingledecker, assistant professor of chemistry at Virginia Military Institute, is a member of a research team responsible for discovering three new molecules in space.

The bracing air and tease of snow did not distinguish the blaze of excitement and exuberant mood for the Class of 2026 at Virginia Military Institute Nov. 21 and 22. It was during those two days that the class celebrated Ring Figure, one of the most anticipated events for cadets.

Michael Marshall, chief of police at Virginia Military Institute, was recently awarded the Professional Executive Leadership School (PELS) Graduate Leadership Award, recognizing his personal commitment to expanding leadership abilities and demonstrating support and encouragement for others.

When the Nobel Prize winners were announced recently in Stockholm, Sweden, a cheer went up nearly 7,000 miles away from faculty members at Virginia Military Institute as the world recognized the importance of technology embraced by professors and cadets in classes on post.

Virginia Military Institute has been awarded a one-year grant in the category of Capacity-Building of up to $150,000 from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).

VMI’s cyber defense laboratory recently traveled to the Virginia Army National Guard’s 91st Cyber Brigade Readiness Center at Fort Belvoir in Fairfax County, to participate in Cyber Drill Weekend, immersing them to cybersecurity in real life scenarios.

Mattie Quesenberry Smith, Ph.D., instructor in the Department of English, Rhetoric, and Humanistic Studies at Virginia Military Institute, was recently appointed the commonwealth’s new poet laureate by Governor Glenn Youngkin.

Beginning in April, the Office of Career Services (CS) will offer a professional closet for cadets needing clothes for job interviews, networking events, and other career-related events. Cadets will be able to borrow a complete ensemble free of charge each semester.

VMI will host its ROTC Joint Commissioning Ceremony on Dec. 18 at 5 p.m. and Commencement on Dec. 19 at 11 a.m. in Memorial Hall. Speakers include Col. Joe Hansen, a decorated Army veteran, and Maj. Gen. James 'Pat' Work of the 82nd Airborne Division. Both events are open to the public.

Col. Dimplekumar Chalishajar, professor in the Department of Applied Mathematics recently celebrated his 121st peer reviewed research publication, surpassing his achievement of 100, just twelve months ago.

Seventy cadets from Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine ROTC programs competed in a series of challenging tasks attempting to earn a German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge (GAFPB).

Gov. Glenn Youngkin paid a holiday visit to Virginia Military Institute on the last day of fall semester classes, Thursday, Dec. 12.

Col. James C. Squire, the Jamison-Payne professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Virginia Military Institute, has been named one of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and Dominion Energy’s 2025 Outstanding Faculty.

The College Debates and Discourse Program at Virginia Military Institute continued its development throughout the fall semester, beginning with a partnership with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and the national College Debates and Discourse Alliance.

The Building BRIDGES Club, in collaboration with the Office of Diversity, Opportunity and Inclusion, and Preston Library at Virginia Military Institute, hosted a holiday card making event Dec. 9 in the post exchange.

Cadets in the Building BRIDGES Club, in collaboration with Remembering Rockbridge Veterans (RRV), laid wreaths on the headstones of veterans buried in Evergreen Cemetery, a historical Black cemetery in Lexington, as part of the Wreaths Across America program.

A seasonally cool morning warmed into a day full of happiness and celebration in a crowded Memorial Hall at Virginia Military Institute, as families and friends gathered to witness 38 cadets cross the stage to receive their diplomas during the commencement ceremony Dec. 19.

The Presidential Inaugural Committee has selected the VMI Corps of Cadets out of a record number of applicants to march in the Jan. 20 inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States.

Auditions to be held for the VMI Community Theatre's spring production, Murder on the Nile from Jan. 20-23, 7:45 p.m. at Gillis Theater in Marshall Hall. No experience needed — cadets and community welcome to participate. Rehearsals start Jan. 27.

Retired U.S. Marine Corps Col. Travis Homiak ’95, former commanding officer of the Naval ROTC unit at Virginia Military Institute, has been named VMI’s new chief of staff, assuming the position most recently held by Col. John Young.

In an era when most employees remain at a job for less than five years, Chris Clark, who is retiring from Virginia Military Institute after 52 years, and under the leadership of six superintendents, is a rare gem.