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Author: Mike Finkelstein

VMI Pistol Club Places 7th in National Championship

The pistol club at Virginia Military Institute finished in 7th place at the National Collegiate Pistol Championship held mid-March in Anniston and Talladega, Alabama.

The VMI contingent consisted of eight shooters including Chris Olsen ’25, Chase Boucher ’27, Jamie Palacio ’27, and Kate Patrick ’27, who competed as a four-person team; and Bill Gray ’27, Sofia Flemming ’28, Andrei Hipol ’28, and Tiffany Rock ’28 who competed as individuals. The club held a national rank of 10th place going into the competition.

According to head coach Reese McCormick, there are normally three events in the competition: air pistol, sport pistol, and standard pistol. However, due to inclement weather the standard pistol competition was canceled.

“VMI placed 6th in sport pistol and 11th in air pistol with the combined scores putting us in 7th place. This is the highest ranking VMI has ever achieved, and only the second time VMI has held a national ranking in pistol,” he proudly reported.  

Boucher, who led the team in scoring and is currently ranked 37th nationally, confessed that his scores shooting as an individual were unexpected. “I improved my sport pistol record by nearly 70 points. As a team, I know we all did well.”

This was the third and final year for Olsen — who graduates in May — to compete with the team. He shared that it has been a privilege working with McCormick.

“We secured VMI’s first ever invitation to collegiate nationals in 2022, to being invited each year since. I am extremely proud that this year we managed to achieve a ranking of seventh overall with three top-50 individual placements. For myself, I’m happy to have achieved two top-50 rankings and holding VMI’s highest ever individual collegiate rankings for two consecutive years: 2023 and 2024.”

Eighteen colleges were represented at the championship, with 93 shooters competing. The Ohio State University was first place winner, followed by the U.S. Naval Academy in second, and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in third.

Assisting in coaching the club this year are Robert Coleman, Norman Claytor, and Jan Downs. 

Marianne HauseCommunications & Marketing
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE

VMI Chemistry Professor Looks at Cosmic Ice

Maj. Christopher N. Shingledecker, assistant professor of chemistry at Virginia Military Institute, recently learned that a research proposal he submitted to the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) has been accepted.

The proposal titled, “A New Modeling Toolkit for JWST Ice Observations,” describes the construction of theoretical models to support observations with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the largest telescope in space. Proposal applications to the STScI are highly competitive, and his was judged to be in the top 11% of more than 200 submitted in the theory category.  

The JWST, which is an infrared observatory, allows astronomers to observe objects blocked by dust and gas in the visible light spectrum. It was launched on Christmas Day 2021, and is orbiting approximately 1 million miles from Earth, where it circles L2, a so-called Lagrange point selected to keep the Earth between the telescope and the sun.

Shingledecker illustrated, “These are points around Earth that are particularly gravitationally stable. The Hubble Space Telescope is fairly close to Earth, orbiting at an average altitude of about 300 miles. It’s a space telescope, but metaphorically, it’s still in the Earth’s backyard. The JWST is four times further from the Earth than the moon. It’s very much a space telescope. So now you’re not just camping in the backyard, now you’re camping in Shenandoah National Park.” 

Shingledecker, who is the principal investigator (PI) of the project, is working with two other researchers, Andrew Burkhart, Ph.D., assistant professor of physics at Worcester State University in Massachusetts, and Serena Viti, Ph.D., professor of astronomy at Universiteit Leiden in the Netherlands. 

Their goal is to take an astrochemical model Viti developed with her students, called UCLCHEM, and incorporate into it some of the various astrochemical theories Shingledecker has developed.

“What we’re going to be looking at in particular is cosmic ice. JWST is one of the few observatories that allows us to see cosmic ice, but there’s a problem. Even though you can observe these ices better than ever before, getting information about their composition has been challenging because we don’t have good models to predict what those ices should be made of, so that’s what we will be working on. We want to make it easier to go from observations to conclusions for people who want to study cosmic ice,” explained Shingledecker. 

Shingledecker, who also serves as vice chair of the American Chemical Society astrochemistry subdivision, stated that the project should take two years to complete and will involve the work of several VMI cadets. The funding received will support the study of astrochemistry at VMI.    

Marianne HauseCommunications & Marketing
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE

VMI History Department Welcomes Federal Judges

The Department of History (DOH) at Virginia Military Institute welcomed two federal judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Albert Diaz, J.D. and A. Marvin Quattlebaum Jr., J.D. visited several sections of the U.S. Constitutional History class (HI-300) March 17 and spoke with cadets regarding their work, the shape of the federal judiciary, the function of the Fourth Circuit, and their individual career paths.  

The visit culminated in a panel discussion in Moody Hall moderated by Maj. Bryant Etheridge, assistant professor in the DOH. According to Etheridge, the panel addressed a range of issues.

“The judges spoke on the importance of the rule of law, how courts and judges remain apolitical and respectful in a time of increased political division, and why and how judges’ responsibilities are very different from politics and the duties of politicians. Judge Diaz is a Marine and was a military lawyer and judge, while Judge Quattlebaum spent most of his career in private practice in South Carolina. They each shared how their backgrounds guide their current work. Finally, they talked about the role of ordinary citizens in restoring faith and trust in courts and the rule of law,” stated Etheridge.  

According to Lt. Col. Mark Boonshoft, associate professor in the DOH and holder of Conrad M. Hall ’65 Chair in American Constitutional History, each semester cadets enrolled HI-300 take a field trip to Richmond to watch oral arguments at the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. “This visit arose from conversations begun with the judges during one of those trips,” he said.  

The judges’ visit to VMI was sponsored by the Department of History and the American Constitutional History program, and underwritten by the Conrad M. Hall ’65 Chair in American Constitutional History fund. 

Marianne HauseCommunications & Marketing
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE

Commissioning Cadets Experience Ancient Greece

Eight 1st Class commissioning cadets at Virginia Military Institute, along with their faculty leadership team, Col. Houston Johnson V, professor and head of the Department of History; Maj. Zachary Deibel, assistant professor of history; and Col. David Gray, executive director of the Center for Leadership and Ethics (CLE), toured the island country of Greece during spring furlough as part of the Olmsted Foundation’s Undergraduate Program (OFUP).

The fully funded trip was co-sponsored by VMI’s Department of History, the John A. Adams ’71 Center for Military History & Strategic Analysis, and the CLE. Assistance was provided by the Office of Global Education. Cadets were chosen through a rigorous application process based on their GPA, ROTC ranking, a written essay, and personal interview. 

According to Johnson, the OFUP’s central mission is to offer commissioning cadets the opportunity to immerse themselves in a foreign culture to help prepare them for deployment abroad during their military service. “We focus on the history of American engagement with our destination while ensuring that participants experience the best of the history and culture of that country or region. This year, cadets conducted a series of pre-trip readings that focused on the classical era of Greece and the birth of Greek Democracy, the 19th century Greek Revolution, Greece’s role in the early Cold War and the origins of the containment policy, and contemporary challenges in the form of the Greek economic crisis and recent influx of refugees,” he said.

The group traveled to many towns in Greece including Delphi, where they toured the ruins of the Temple of Apollo, which dates back to the 4th century B.C., the ancient theatre situated within the temple, and the stadium used to host the Pythian and PanHellenic games. The following day they visited Thermopylae, which derives its name from its hot sulphur springs. There they visited a memorial to the King Leonidas, a Spartan king who led a battle against the invading Persian army at the narrow pass of Thermopylae, and engaged in a discussion about the ancient battle.

From there, the party went to Meteora, a rock formation that rises from the plains of Thessaly, which houses the most important monastic communities of Greece. They visited one of the monasteries where they learned the history of Christianity in Greece and the Greek Orthodox church.

On their last day in Greece, the group traveled to Vergina to visit the tomb of King Philip II of Macedonia, father of Alexander the Great, then on to Thessaloniki, where they explored the Ottoman city walls and viewed the famous White Tower. They also learned about the Greek health care system and discussed Greece’s experience during the 2011 economic crisis.

Rachel Roberson ’25, a psychology major from Stevensville, Maryland, thought the trip was an incredible opportunity to explore the historical and cultural foundations of modern leadership and strategy. “Visiting ancient places like Corinth, Olympia, Delphi, and Meteora helped me better understand how geography, tradition, and history influence decision-making. These insights will stay with me as I continue my military career,” she said. 

Audrey Davis ’25, an international studies major from Austin, Texas, agreed. “Not only was this an incredible culturally immersive experience, but it also provided us with historical precedence of excellent military leaders such as Philip and Alexander the Great. We were able to see the most important historical sites across Greece, and also explore the cities at night to truly absorb the culture. I will remember this trip forever as a highlight of my time at VMI, and I will always be grateful to have had this opportunity.”

Plans for next year’s trip begin immediately.

Marianne HauseCommunications & Marketing
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE

Poet Laureate Holds Poetry Contest for Vets

The Commonwealth of Virginia’s poet laureate, Mattie Quesenberry Smith, Ph.D., instructor in the Department of English, Rhetoric and Humanistic Studies at Virginia Military Institute, along with Poetry Society of Virginia (PSV) announce a poetry contest for veterans called, “Veterans’ Perseverance & Resilience: A Project Supporting Veterans through Poetry.”

The contest is a part of Smith’s project serving veterans and in memory of Edward W. Lull, a former executive director and president of PSV and 20-year Navy veteran who passed away last year.  

All veterans of the U.S. military are eligible to submit up to three poems which address veterans’ experiences with perseverance and resilience during active duty and/or throughout their re-entry into civilian life. Each poem can be written in any form, but cannot exceed 45 lines in length. Poems using profane, racist, or sexist language will be disqualified.  

Poems will be judged for first, second, third, and honorable mention prizes. Finalists’ poems as well as a wider selection of other entries will be published in an anthology titled, “Perseverance and Resilience: Celebrating Veterans’ Poetry.” Entries should be submitted online here. The deadline is Saturday, July 5, 2025.   

Maj. Burke to be on “With Good Reason”

Maj. Alison Burke, assistant professor in the Department of Biology at Virginia Military Institute, will discuss a cholera-like bacteria found in warm waters that lives and spreads in oysters, on the public radio program, “With Good Reason,” April 5-11. She will share her research looking into how to possibly decontaminate the oysters before they end up in our meals.

In addition to Burke, the upcoming show, “Shellfish Unfiltered,” will feature David Johnson, Chris Patrick, and Richard Snyder, all from William & Mary, as well as Bruce Cahoon from the University of Virginia’s College at Wise. The episode will share research into why mussel species are becoming more endangered, and how Virginia’s bay scallops have been brought back from the brink of extinction. The show will also dive into how purple crabs are decimating salt marshes along the east coast. 

“With Good Reason” is sponsored by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. Local broadcast times, as well as audio files of full programs and companion news features, are on the “With Good Reason” website.

Cameron Hall To Require VMI ID For Entry

Virginia Military Institute would like to inform the public that due to safety and security enhancements, a VMI-issued ID card is now required for entry to Cameron Hall, effective immediately. 

This new protocol will not affect access to the ticketing office.

For those who previously utilized Cameron Hall for walking purposes, it is requested that all faculty and staff now use the upper-level indoor track located in the Corps Physical Training Facility (CPTF).

VMI ID cards will provide access through the upper-level pedestrian bridge during hours of operation. 

The public will no longer be able to access Cameron Hall or the CPTF. The outdoor track in Foster Stadium is still open for the public when not in use by the Corps of Cadets.

VMI English Professor Wins Poetry Contests

Col. Steven Knepper, professor and Bruce C. Gottwald Jr. ’81 Chair for Academic Excellence in the Department of English, Rhetoric, and Humanistic Studies at Virginia Military Institute, recently won first place in three endowed categories of the Poetry Society of Virginia’s (PSV) annual contest: the Sarah Lockwood Memorial for sonnets; the Bess Gresham Memorial for poems on friendship; and the Carleton Drewry Memorial for poems about farm life or working the earth. 

It has been a goal of Knepper’s for the past few years to place in the Sarah Lockwood Memorial, so he was particularly pleased that his sonnet, “Interstate 81 Near Harrisonburg,” won first place. Though the poem was inspired by the mundane activity of interstate travel and being stuck in traffic, Knepper was able to weave splendor into the mundane. In the closing lines of the sonnet, a cloud of starlings “slice a fin / through the sky sea, swirl back, emerge / above the smoking, stalled debris.” The poem invited the reader to pause and appreciate wonder and beauty amid unpleasant circumstances.

Mattie Quesenberry Smith, Ph.D., poet laureate for the Commonwealth of Virginia and a colleague of Knepper’s at VMI, is not surprised he received the PSV awards. “He is an engaging storyteller who uses relatable, formal structures to house vivid, real-life experiences powered by emotion yet shaped by reason. His tightly woven narratives are inseparable from their concrete imagery and action-packed diction. Readers delight in the formal sonic richness of Steve’s poems as much as they delight in his narratives,” she said.     

All three of Knepper’s winning poems will be published in the contest anthology, and he will read them at the award ceremony in Richmond June 1.

Knepper maintains an online poetry journal called New Verse Review: A Journal of Lyric and Narrative Poetry, which American poet and literary critic, Dana Gioia, recently called “an important new critical forum for American poetry.” In addition to the journal website, there is also has a weekly newsletter that runs reviews, essays, and interviews. 

The PSV is a dedicated nonprofit organization advancing poetry across the Commonwealth of Virginia and beyond. Its mission is to cultivate the writing and enjoyment of poetry through a wide range of literary programs, events, and resources.

Marianne HauseCommunications & Marketing
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE

Alumnus Returns to VMI: New Asst. Director of Global Education

Capt. Nolan Lipscomb ’19, has been named assistant director of the Office of Global Education (OGE) at Virginia Military Institute, assuming the position held for nearly 25 years by Lt. Col. Patricia Hardin.

Lipscomb graduated from VMI with a degree in modern languages and cultures, with a concentration in French. During his time as a cadet, he tutored French, was a member of the boxing club team, and was a corporal as a 3rd Class cadet. He spent the 2017 spring semester and a portion of the 2018 summer studying in Paris, France, and reflects on his time overseas as an aspect of the adversarial system that characterizes VMI’s approach to education. “Studying abroad is where I truly found my passion for language learning and cultural exchange. I am glad I took that leap of faith, left the safety of my home country, and struggled but grew with the French language through the study abroad program. I am now a big advocate for international education,” said Lipscomb. 

Col. Jeff Kendrick, director of OGE, remarked that Lipscomb’s enthusiasm for education abroad and knowledge of how the process works from the cadet perspective, enhances his contributions to the office. “In his capacity as assistant director, Captain Lipscomb will serve a critical role, coordinating and expanding opportunities, both here and abroad, so cadets have the international leadership and educational experiences necessary to become global leaders. Many of our alumni regard their time abroad as key to their success post-graduation, whether in the military or civilian life.”

Lipscomb shared that he is thrilled to be back at VMI. “Walking around post, memories of my time as a cadet come flooding back. While at the time life seemed unbearable, hard, and unfair, I now see what a blessing it was to be a part of something so unique and powerful. I’m more than excited to give back to the place that gave me so much.”   

VMI emphasizes global outreach in many ways: study tours, cultural exchanges with foreign military academies and civilian universities, international internships, and study abroad programs.

Over 10% of the Corps of Cadets take advantage of global education every year. VMI offers semester study abroad programs with approved third-party providers, exchange programs at military academies, and direct enrollments at universities abroad, as well as summer study abroad opportunities both through VMI faculty-led summer programs and through approved third-party providers.

Cadets are permitted to study abroad after their first year at VMI, and may study abroad one regular semester — spring or fall — and as many summers as they like.  

The Institute has several scholarship funds to aid cadets who want to go abroad. The OGE assists cadets with applications for national scholarships, including the Gilman, Gilman-McCain, Critical Language Scholarship, Olmsted, Fulbright, and Boren Scholarships and all aspects of planning study abroad programs.

Marianne HauseCommunications & Marketing
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE

VMI Ethics Team Wins SMC Bowl

For the second consecutive time, the Virginia Military Institute Ethics Team won the Senior Military College Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl, a one-day virtual event hosted by the University of North Georgia (UNG) Feb. 15. The team defeated five other military colleges including The Citadel, Norwich University, Texas A&M University, UNG, and Virginia Tech.

VMI’s team was sponsored by the Center for Leadership and Ethics (CLE) and mentored by Col. Pat Looney, deputy director of the CLE. They were coached by Reshef Agam-Segal, Ph.D., professor in the Department of English, Rhetoric, and Humanistic Studies, and Cmdr. Julie Shank, deputy commandant for operations, plans, and training.

Members of the team include cadet in charge, Riley Malone ’25, Suzanne Leaptrot ’25, Ryan Manning ’26, and Kaiden Minter ’26.

In addition to receiving the first place trophy, the VMI team was presented with a monetary award.