LEXINGTON, Va. Feb. 23, 2026 — Two Virginia Military Institute Honors cadets, John Paul Adams ’27, an English major, and Aleck Tiller ’27, an international studies major, presented at the Southern Humanities Conference (SHC) in Annapolis, Maryland, Feb. 6. Founded in 1947, the SHC provides a welcoming and robust space for research presentations that cross disciplines and inspire imaginative discussion. This year’s theme was “Tides and Time, Ebbs and Flows.” The cadets were notably the only undergraduate presenters at the conference. Others were professors, graduate students, and independent scholars.

Adams presented his 2025 Summer Undergraduate Research Institute project titled, “Scriptural Monster: A Study of Tolkien’s Jonah,” in which he connects J.R.R. Tolkien’s translation of the Old Testament book of Jonah for the Jerusalem Bible — a Roman Catholic translation of the Bible — to the theme of mercy in Tolkien’s classic, “The Lord of the Rings.” Adams shared what he likes about the Book of Jonah is that it fits well with Tolkien’s ethos. “It’s a very mythical book of the Bible, and it’s got a lot of fairy tale elements that Tolkien used in his fiction.” Adams added that his experience at SHC was marvelous. “It was exciting to be able to present in front of professionals, and engage in great conversation with them.”

Tiller’s presentation entitled, “BrAInpower or ConstrAInt? The Importance of Human-Made Art in an AI World.” His research took up the question of why people respond to a work of art more positively when they know it is created by a human, as opposed to artificial intelligence (AI). He drew on research in psychology as well as the philosophies of G.W.F. Hegel and Susanne Langer. Tiller agreed with Adams that SHC was a wonderful opportunity for them to share their research with other scholars.

“Since we were the only undergraduates, our presentations caught the attention of many professors and academics. This was the first time either of us have presented research, but it certainly won’t be the last. VMI molds a cadet to do things that they never imagined."

The cadets were accompanied by Col. Robert McDonald, associate dean for academic affairs and director of the honors program, and professor of English and fine arts; Col. Steven Knepper, professor of English and holder of the Bruce C. Gottwald Jr. ’81 Chair for Academic Excellence; and Maj. Henry A. Wise III ’05, assistant professor of English. The three delivered a panel presentation called, “The Art of Past-Haunted Places: Photography, Fiction, and Poetry,” which focused on the role that place plays in their respective creative endeavors. Knepper noted, “Place is more than a backdrop. It actively shapes people and carries both vestiges of the past and a sense of possibility.” McDonald presented photographs from his recently published book, “Studio Notes: My Time With Cy Twombly.” Wise read excerpts from his novel, “Holy City,” and discussed the relationship between the fictional county described in the book and the factual region of Southside, Virginia. Knepper read poems about his family’s Pennsylvania dairy farm. The trio also talked about VMI’s Department of English, Rhetoric, and Humanistic Studies, and how it encourages both interdisciplinary and creative work.

The cadets’ travel was supported with a grant from the VMI Center for Undergraduate Research.

Marianne Hause
Communications & Marketing
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE