As the start of a new academic year and Matriculation draw nearer, meet the Class of 2026 leadership announced this past spring.

The Virginia Military Institute Board of Visitors appointed retired U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. David Furness ’87 as the Institute’s 16th superintendent, the chief executive officer of the Institute. 

Matriculation Day was held Saturday, Aug. 16, beginning the Rat Line for the new academic year. Even the weather—which had been unpredictable throughout the week—predictably offered a humid day of oppressive temperatures. This year marks the 186th year of the Institute.

Carly Fiorina, businesswoman and politician, will address the Corps of Cadets and faculty at the academic convocation at Virginia Military Institute on Wednesday, Sept. 3, at 10:30 a.m. in Cameron Hall on Main Street. The event is free and open to the public.

The VMI Community Theatre will hold auditions for its fall show, “Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency,” Monday, Sept. 8; Tuesday, Sept. 9; Wednesday, Sept. 10; and Thursday, Sept. 11 at 7:45 p.m. in Gillis Theater.

Virginia Military Institute’s Civil Discourse Initiative and its local college partners invite the greater Lexington, Buena Vista, and Rockbridge County community to participate in a facilitated conversation on economic and community development Sept. 9 at 6:30 p.m. in VMI’s Marshall Hall.

The Virginia Military Institute Museum will host a talk and book signing by Mayling Simpson, Ph.D., author of “Lives Guided by Honor: How VMI Shaped the Class of 1968,” on Friday, Sept. 12, at 3:15 p.m.

Interested in growing fruits and vegetables in your backyard or on your windowsill? The Jackson House Museum will conduct a hands-on Kitchen Garden Workshop Sunday, Sept. 14 at 2 p.m. led by Rockbridge Area Master Gardeners. 

Virginia Military Institute welcomes guest speaker, retired U.S. Army Special Forces Master Sgt. Christopher C. Spence — part of the first wave of American forces on the ground in Afghanistan following the 9/11 terrorist attacks 24 years ago.

Virginia Military Institute will commemorate Constitution Day Wednesday, Sept. 17 at 8 p.m. in Marshall Hall’s Gillis Theater on post. Guest speaker will be Dr. Andrew J. O’Shaughnessy, author of several books.

Virginia Military Institute will host a Virginia 250 Commission (VA250) Constitution Day event, “To Support & Defend,” honoring the 250th anniversaries of the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, and Navy on Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 11 a.m. in Cameron Hall on Main Street.

Carly Fiorina, businesswoman and politician, addressed the entire Corps of Cadets, members of the academic board, faculty, staff and guests as VMI opened its 186th academic year with a convocation ceremony Sept. 3 in Cameron Hall.

“Holy City,” a novel written by Maj. Henry A. Wise III ’05, assistant professor in the Department of English, Rhetoric, and Humanistic Studies (ERHS) at Virginia Military Institute, was recently published in France

Lt. Col. Kevin Braun, associate professor in the Department of at Virginia Military Institute, and 1st Class cadet Charles McLaughlin ’26 presented their research at the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) fall conference held at the Washington Convention Center in D.C. in August.

Nearly 500 cadets honored those who perished in the 9/11 terrorist attacks by ascending and descending the steps in barracks 37 times, replicating the 110 stories the first responders at the World Trade Center climbed during the rescue attempt that fateful day in 2001.

Cadets enrolled in the economics and business analytics class taught by Col. Barry Cobb, professor in the Department of Economics and Business, heard an award winning presentation by two juniors from Roanoke County’s Hidden Valley High School (HVHS).

U.S. Army Special Forces Master Sgt. Christopher C. Spence—part of the first wave of American forces on the ground in Afghanistan following the 9/11 terrorist attacks 24 years ago—spoke at Virginia Military Institute Sept. 10 as the first speaker of the Center for Leadership and Ethics’ (CLE) 2025-2

VMI's Center for Leadership and Ethics (CLE) will host a Steamboat Institute Campus Liberty Tour Debate, Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. in Gillis Theater, Marshall Hall. The debate resolution is: Be it resolved; the U.S. is experiencing a constitutional crisis.

Travel back to 1850s Lexington during the Jackson House Museum’s Apple Day, Saturday, Sept. 27, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. For over 40 years, this much-loved event has welcomed families, friends, and history lovers for a day filled with interactive activities, traditional crafts, and old-fashioned fun

Virginia Military Institute hosted a Virginia 250 Commission (VA250) Constitution Day event, “To Support & Defend,” honoring the 250th anniversaries of the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, and Navy, Sept. 17 in Cameron Hall.

VMI maintained its reputation as one of the nation’s best colleges, according to the 2026 Best Colleges rankings released Sept. 23 by U.S. News and World Report.

A scholarly article addressing soybean research spanning seven years was published in the September 2025 issue of Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment, a joint publication of American Society of Agronomy and Crop Science Society of America.

Is the United States experiencing a constitutional crisis? That was the resolution debated at Virginia Military Institute Sept. 30. The debate was part of the fall Steamboat Institute Campus Liberty Tour, and was co-hosted by VMI’s Center for Leadership and Ethics.

Lt. Gen. David Furness ’87 returned to Virginia Military Institute this fall as its 16th superintendent, diving into a busy first week of meetings, ceremonies, and cadet interactions while sharing a message of perseverance, integrity, and faith in the VMI journey.

Retired U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Travis Mills of the 82nd Airborne Division will speak at Virginia Military Institute. Mills was critically injured by an improvised explosive device while on patrol in Afghanistan during on his third tour of duty in 2012, losing portions of both legs and both arms.

The club has been awarded a $10,000 grant designed to spark and expand service initiatives led by youth on campuses, empowering students to lead meaningful change in their communities.