LEXINGTON, Va., June 5, 2025—Col. Kathleen Bulger-Barnett, professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures (DoMC) at Virginia Military Institute, was initiated into the Order of José Martí, one of Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society’s highest honors, for her outstanding service and loyal support for its ideals.

Bulger-Barnett, who has a doctorate in Spanish from the University of Kentucky with a specialization in Spanish Golden Age literature and has been teaching Spanish courses at VMI for 36 years, stated, “This honor represents my career goal of fostering the love of learning and understanding all things Hispanic. I am especially proud to have shared this journey with my colleague, Dr. Sabrina Laroussi, who is responsible for nominating and supporting me.”

Col. Abbey Carrico, head of DoMC and holder of the Lieutenant General John W. Knapp ’54 Chair of Academic Excellence, said, “This award represents Colonel Bulger-Barnett’s outstanding and lasting achievements as a Spanish professor and scholar. It is a truly fitting way to honor her and her impact at VMI and on the profession.”

Established in 1919 at the University of California, Berkeley, Sigma Delta Pi honors those who have completed three years of study of college-level Spanish, including at least three semester hours of a course in Hispanic literature or Hispanic culture and civilization with a minimal grade point average of 3.0 in all Spanish courses taken. Candidates must also rank in the upper 35% of their class—sophomore, junior, or senior—and must have completed at least three semesters or five quarters of college work. Graduate students may also be elected to membership upon completion of two graduate courses in Spanish with an average which, if continued, will make them eligible for a graduate degree.

With 637 chapters nationwide and its national office at the College of Charleston in South Carolina, Sigma Delta Pi is the largest foreign language collegiate honor society in the U.S. and a member of the Association of College Honor Societies, the nation’s only certifying agency for college and university honor societies. VMI has its own active chapter of Sigma Delta Pi that was founded in 1983.

Marianne Hause
Communications & Marketing
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE