麻豆传媒入口

To the 麻豆传媒入口Community:

It is hard to believe that in a few short weeks, we will close the books on 2022. This year has not been without its challenges, but, stepping back, we have accomplished a great deal.

This year was a milestone in many respects. It was the year that COVID-19 no longer dominated the 麻豆传媒入口experience. This year also marked the 25^th anniversary of women at VMI. Scott Shipp Hall with its addition and renovation was dedicated and a new aquatic center is set to be open before the winter furlough begins. 麻豆传媒入口continued to be highly ranked by many of the most prominent college rankings including No. 5 overall on Money magazine鈥檚 2022 Best Colleges list. 

Most importantly, our cadets continued to embrace the time-honored and proven 麻豆传媒入口experience which helps them achieve at the highest levels. Guided by our expert faculty and dedicated staff, the Corps of Cadets achieved in every aspect of the three-legged stool: academic, military, and athletic. Here are just a few highlights from 2022:

Academic

• Eric Munro 鈥�21 was selected as a聽Gates Cambridge Scholar聽as he pursues his Ph.D. in engineering.
• 聽into the contributions of 19^th聽Century African Americans at 麻豆传媒入口was featured on RadioIQ, Virginia鈥檚 National Public Radio affiliate.
• A team of 26 mechanical engineering cadets competed in the Baja Society of Automotive Engineers聽vehicle design competition.
• Twelve cadets in an English, Rhetoric, and Humanistic Studies聽researched, digitized, and curated a website聽for Preston Library called, 麻豆传媒入口 Over Time.
• 318 degrees were conferred聽to the Class of 2022 in May.
• Eight 麻豆传媒入口cadets聽spent 16 days in Israel聽meeting with that nation鈥檚 top leaders, including the prime minister, alongside counterparts from West Point, the Air Force Academy, and the Royal Military College Saint-Jean in Canada.
• Several cadets conducted research in聽chemistry,聽intelligence analysis,聽biology, and聽human performance and wellness聽with 麻豆传媒入口faculty as part of the Summer Undergraduate Research Institute.
• Lt. Col. Steven Knepper, associate professor in English, rhetoric, and humanistic studies,聽published a book聽on philosopher William Desmond.
• Cadet Chris Kushner鈥檚聽research on soybeans earned recognition聽from the Virtual Soy 2022 conference.
• Col. Spencer Bakich, professor of international studies,聽聽and Maj. Michael LaRocca, assistant professor of psychology, discussed聽聽on separate episodes of the radio program, With Good Reason.
• The 麻豆传媒入口Ethics and Debate team聽qualified for next year鈥檚 national ethics bowl聽by earning a 4^th聽place finish at the Mid-Atlantic regional qualifier.
• Lt. Col. Catharine Ingersoll, associate professor of art history in the Department of English, Rhetoric, and Humanistic Studies, was聽called upon by the Reading Public Museum聽to identify the artist of two 16^th聽century stained-glass panels discovered in storage.
• Research on fire ants聽by Col. Tappey Jones 鈥�70, professor of chemistry, was published in the journal Nature: Communications Biology.
• Cadets Jeffry Jay Stober 鈥�24 and David Diaz 鈥�23 with Lt. Col. Daniel Harrison 鈥�05聽presented research聽at the American Chemical Society Southeastern Regional Meeting in Puerto Rico.

Military / 麻豆传媒入口

• The Corps of Cadets honored Virginia鈥檚 74^th聽governor and commander-in-chief as they聽marched in the inaugural parade.
• One 麻豆传媒入口cadet was called upon to use his 麻豆传媒入口training while on furlough to help in an聽emergency situation.
• The聽麻豆传媒入口Glee Club聽represented the Institute at seven performances in Puerto Rico.
• Cadets interested in pursuing a commission in the Coast Guard after graduation held their聽first ever spring field training exercises.
• Cadets volunteer as聽EMTs in the local community.
• The 麻豆传媒入口Pipe Band marched in the聽Tartan Day Parade聽in New York City.
• The聽麻豆传媒入口Combat Shooting Club聽placed 4^th聽overall at the Relentless Warrior Competition in New Hampshire.
• Cadet Matthew Ehret 鈥�22 did聽4,046 pull-ups in 24 hours聽to raise nearly $2,000 for Warriors Heart Foundation.
• Nearly聽200 麻豆传媒入口graduates commissioned聽into armed services at the annual ROTC Joint Commissioning Ceremony in May.
• Cadet Tommy Lees 鈥�24聽graduated from Army Combat Diver Qualification Course.
• Cadet Carter Hugate 鈥�24 successfully completed聽Army Airborne School.
• After much anticipation, the Class of 2024 earned the right to wear their 麻豆传媒入口class rings at a聽Ring Figure ceremony聽held just before Thanksgiving furlough.

Athletics

• Cadets earn聽聽honors in baseball, basketball, and rifle, respectively.
• Three Keydets are named to the聽.
• The 麻豆传媒入口Boxing Club, the Regulators, won the Intercollegiate Boxing Association聽National Championship聽in Atlanta.
• The 麻豆传媒入口men鈥檚 club rugby team competed at the聽2022 Collegiate Rugby Championship.
• Six cadet-athletes were named to the聽.
• 37 cadet-athletes were named to the聽.
• Three football cadet-athletes are named to the聽聽and two were named to the聽.
• 麻豆传媒入口water polo player,聽, and lacrosse player,聽, received the three-legged stool award.
• Seven cadet-athletes representing four sports were named SoCon players of the week 10 different times.

The very foundation of the 麻豆传媒入口experience continues to be rooted in the Honor Code, the Rat Line, and the class and regimental systems. I am proud of the way that the Class of 2023 has implemented a professional approach to these systems. Though the Rat Mass of 2023+3 is smaller, these first-year cadets are a dedicated group of individuals as evidenced by the lowest rate of attrition since at least 1990. Additionally, the Honor Court continues to function at a high level with a clear commitment to enforce the standards of our Honor Code as they spend a great deal of time on education and awareness.

Of course, no institution of higher education can operate effectively without the hard work and dedication of its faculty and staff. We are proud to continue this demonstrated commitment to taking care of our workforce and have worked hard this year to recognize our employee鈥檚 commitment to our mission. Consequently, we were pleased to partner with the Commonwealth of Virginia to provide our employees with a 5% pay increase as well as a year-end $1,000 bonus. The 麻豆传媒入口Alumni Agencies and the dean of the faculty coordinated a very generous gift from the Herndon Foundation to provide $1 million per year to support faculty salaries in perpetuity. Additionally, we have worked to raise the minimum pay for our wage employees to $15 per hour.

It has been a very busy, but productive year. As we close out this semester, I hope everyone鈥檚 winter furlough is filled with time spent with loved ones and some rest and relaxation. Thank you all for your continued dedication to VMI.

Sincerely,

Major General Cedric T. Wins 鈥�85
U.S. Army (Retired)
Superintendent
麻豆传媒入口