SURI: Bryan Eckman ’29 

The Summer Undergraduate Research Institute (SURI) is a program offered by the VMI Center for Undergraduate Research (VCUR), which provides cadets a unique opportunity to delve into high-level research that relates to their degree path. It consists of cadet-led research under the direction of a faculty advisor. In this series, learn more about cadet research, their process, and how their advisors played a role. 

Name: Bryan Eckman  

Department: International Studies and Political Science 

Research Project/Topic: Urban Bias in Afghanistan post 1994 through a focus on the Opium Trade. 

Advisor: Col. Brent Hierman 

In a few sentences, describe your SURI project in lay terms. 

My SURI project is a comparative study on four different timelines in Afghanistan since the Taliban first came to power in 1994. The timelines are shaped around the opium poppy cultivation bans imposed by the Taliban in 2000 and 2022. I am looking at these timelines through the lens of urban bias. Urban bias is where governments who are biased themselves impose public policies that favor urban regions and sectors and hurt rural regions and sectors. 

What made you choose this topic? 

I talked to multiple professors in the Department of International Studies and Political Science and told them that I wanted to conduct research on the drug trade and its effects on a country. They directed me to Col. Hierman because of his extensive knowledge and research on countries in Asia. Col. Hierman encouraged me to conduct research on the opium trade in Afghanistan. 

What kind of personal connection do you have to this topic? 

My personal connection to this research topic is that I wanted to continue to learn a lot about drug cultivation and trade. I have learned a lot about the opium trade in Afghanistan. Lord willing, this project will allow me to get a job with a three-letter agency in the future. I would love to work for a three-letter agency such as the Drug Enforcement Administration.  

How much time will you devote/have you devoted to conducting research this summer? 

I have devoted an average of 40 hours per week on my research. It has not always been a strict 0800-1600 schedule. I found it difficult to sit at the same table and work on this project for hours and hours at a time. Often times, I ended up working on my SURI project late at night in Preston Library. I also worked some on the weekends. 

Why do you think the SURI program is beneficial at VMI? 

The SURI program allows cadets to explore any field that they are interested in while 

strengthening their research skills and getting to know their professors on a deeper level. Cadets 

get paid and have to take less credits throughout the regular academic semesters.  

What do you hope to gain from SURI? 

I have already gained so much knowledge and experience by working on this research project. I hope this project being on my resume will help me in my academic and professional careers, if that is the Lord’s will.