Each May, numerous awards recognizing the accomplishments of cadets, faculty, and staff across multiple fields and disciplines are presented at VMI’s Institute Awards ceremony. These awards are provided by the Institute, by civic groups, and by the Institute’s ROTC units.
Congratulations to the 2025 recipients:
| AWARD | RECIPIENT |
| Intercollegiate Sports Awards | Jacob Owen Prince ’26 |
| Intercollegiate Sports Awards | Luke Alexander Rusterucci ’25 |
| Intercollegiate Sports Awards | Courtney Nicole Novotny ’25 |
| Institute Writing Program Thesis Awards: Engineering & Science | Courtney Nicole Novotny ’25 |
| Institute Writing Program Thesis Awards: Engineering & Science | Maj. Molly Kent |
| Institute Writing Program Thesis Awards: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences | Gabriel Patrick Williams ’25 |
| Institute Writing Program Thesis Awards: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences | Maj. Megan Roosevelt |
| Lieutenant General Edward Mallory Almond 1915 Award | Joshua Jackson Evans ’25 |
| General Withers A. Burress Marksmanship Awards (Men’s Rifle Team) | Ryan Charles Harlow ’25 |
| General Withers A. Burress Marksmanship Awards (Women’s Rifle Team) | Darian Elizabeth Tweedell ’27 |
| 100th Infantry Division Lieutenant General Withers A. Burress Scholarship Fund Awards (Rising 1st) | Dylan Louis Apo ’26 |
| 100th Infantry Division Lieutenant General Withers A. Burress Scholarship Fund Awards (Rising 1st) | James Oliver Aldinger ’26 |
| 100th Infantry Division Lieutenant General Withers A. Burress Scholarship Fund Awards (Rising 2nd) | Victor Angel Austin McBride ’27 |
| 100th Infantry Division Lieutenant General Withers A. Burress Scholarship Fund Awards (Rising 2nd) | Rafe Michael Clendenin ’27 |
| Major General Stephen Sewell, Jr. 1960 Award | Meagan Marie Riding ’27 |
| Colonel Thomas St. John Arnold Award | Nathan Andrew Franchebois ’25 |
| The Lieutenant John H. Lattin 1966 Award | Jonah Michael Jurack ’25 |
| International Studies Award | Jonah Michael Jurack ’25 |
| Lieutenant Mark R. Wilson, Sr. Midshipman Award | Anna Yemelianova ’25 |
| The Chief of Naval Operations Distinguished Midshipman Graduate Award | Anna Yemelianova ’25 |
| General Lemuel C. Shepherd Jr. Sixth Marine Division Awards | Jack Chrisman Fletcher ’25 |
| General Lemuel C. Shepherd Jr, Sixth Marine Division Awards | Trey Robert McGee ’25 |
| Chesty Puller Award, First Marine Division | Trey Robert McGee ’25 |
| Chesty Puller Scholarship, First Marine Division | Amiel George D. Diaz ’26 |
| Chesty Puller Scholarship, First Marine Division | Steven Charles Parkinson Jr. ’27 |
| Naval Submarine League: Admiral Frederick B. Warder Award | Louis Brandt Wiltenmuth ’25 |
| Superintendent William H. Milton, Jr. Class of 1920 Award | Louis Brandt Wiltenmuth ’25 |
| Brigadier General Alonzo J. Walter 1949B Award | Elana Cadhla Gutierrez ’25 |
| General Douglas MacArthur Cadet Award | Melina Karise Bulger ’25 |
| Earl L. Valentine Jr. Award | Patrick John Simmons ’25 |
| Alan D’Andelot Belin Memorial Prize | Anthony Wayne Allen Jr. ’28 |
| John Ryd Bush Award | Titus Mitchell Royl ’28 |
| Commander Harry Millard Mason Military Proficiency Award | Connor Dawson Cherry ’25 |
| Charles H. Dayhuff Jr. 1931 First Captain Award | Devin Christopher Auzenne ’26 |
| Class of 1964 New Market Legacy Award | Cameron Joseph Dabu ’25 |
| Marshall Citizen-Soldier Award | John Edward Covert ’25 |
| Faculty Scholarships for Merit | Aiden James Psczulkoski ’27 |
| Faculty Scholarships for Merit | Alyssa Madylaine Cacace ’26 |
| Faculty Scholarships for Merit | Macallister Jennings Clark ’26 |
| Faculty Scholarships for Merit | Alexander Joseph Riley ’27 |
| Francis H. Smith Award | Sarah Elizabeth Woosley ’26 |
| The New Market Scholar-in-Residence Award | Jamie Angelina Rodriguez ’28 |
| The Colonel Daniel T. Ingram 1921 – Castle Heights Military Academy Award | Suzanne Jeanne Peck Leaptrot ’25 |
| Award for Excellence in Physics | Nathan Angelo Vanness ’25 |
| Commodore Matthew Fontaine Maury Award | Kevin Joseph Dougherty ’25 |
| Alfred H. Knowles Award | James Andrew Boynewicz ’25 |
| The Floyd D. Gottwald Jr 1943 Award in Chemistry | Caleb Owen Staples ’25 |
| Civil Engineering Award | Kenna Jaye McAllister ’25 |
| Brigadier General Jeffrey G. Smith Jr. 1979 Cyber Medal | Kephner Clinton Etienne ’25 |
| Stewart W. Anderson 1908 Memorial Award | Cole S. Bowyer ’25 |
| The John W. and Jane M. Roberts Award | Traylor Alexander Duval ’25 |
| Lieutenant Randolph T. Townsend Award | Zachary Thomas Poche’ ’25 |
| Thomas S. Baur 1975 Award for Excellence in Exercise Science | Caroline Marie Lassalle ’25 |
| Bruce C. Gottwald Jr. 1981 Award | Simon Delano Roberts Moore III ’25 |
| Adolpho Ponzanelli Award | Charles Lowell Downs III ’25 |
| Adolpho Ponzanelli Award | Joshua Daniel Palmer ’25 |
| Charles R. Martin 1955 Award | Rachel Joy Roberson ’25 |
| The Wilbur S. Hinman Jr., 1926 Research AwardLife Sciences | Rachel Joy Roberson ’25 |
| The Wilbur S. Hinman Jr., 1926 Research AwardLife Sciences | Lt. Col. Jillian L. Stuart |
| The Wilbur S. Hinman Jr., 1926 Research Award Arts & Humanities | Jack Irish Conley ’25 |
| The Wilbur S. Hinman Jr., 1926 Research AwardArts & Humanities | Maj. Christopher M. Blunda |
| The Wilbur S. Hinman Jr., 1926 Research Award Natural Sciences | Hai-Hsin Huang ’25 |
| The Wilbur S. Hinman Jr., 1926 Research Award Natural Sciences | Lt. Col. Meagan C. Herald |
| The Wilbur S. Hinman Jr., 1926 Research Award Engineering | Cate Fay Dowden ’25 |
| The Wilbur S. Hinman Jr., 1926 Research Award Engineering | Capt. Robert L. McMasters |
| Sir Moses Ezekiel Award | Gretal Yvette Shank ’25 |
| Colonel Herbert Nash Dillard 1934 Award | Gretal Yvette Shank ’25 |
| Asa S. Dearing Award | Gretal Yvette Shank ’25 |
| The Nathaniel W. Pendleton 1922 Distinguished Coaching Award | Gary S. Thacker Jr. |
| The VMI Distinguished Service Award | Mary Laura Kludy |
| The VMI Distinguished Service Award | Jay M. Shafer |
| The VMI Distinguished Service Award | Capt. Heather J. Williams |
| The Dr. D. Rae Carpenter Award | Col. Paul R. Moosman Jr. |
| The Thomas Jefferson Teaching Award | Dr. Sherif E. Abdelhamid |
| The VMI Distinguished Teaching Award | Col. Timothy C. Dowling |
| The Jackson-Hope VMIRL Matthew Fontaine Maury Prize for Excellence in Research | Col. R. Geoffrey Jensen |
| The Jackson-Hope Prize for Excellence in Published Scholarly Work, Humanities & Social Sciences | Col. Spencer D. Bakich |
| The Jackson-Hope Prize for Excellence in Published Scholarly Work, Science & Engineering | Maj. Christopher N. Shingledecker |
| The Jackson-Hope Prize for Excellence in Academic Advancement | Col. Kathleen D. Bulger-Barnett |
| Benjamin H. Powell Jr., 1936 Institute Professorship in Engineering | Col. Joseph R. Blandino |
| General Edwin Cox 1920 Institute Professorship in History and Economics | Col. Jeffrey S. Smith |
| Charles S. Luck, Jr., 1920 Institute Professorship in Engineering | Col. Charles D. Newhouse |
| John C. Allen 1962 Distinguished Professorship in Chemistry | Col. Stanton Q. Smith |
| Henry King Burgwyn Jr., Boy Colonel of the Confederacy, Chair of Military History | Col. Timothy C. Dowling |
| Colonel Beverly M. Read 1941 Institute Professorship in Arts and Sciences | Col. Scott T. Frein |
| Jackson-Hope Distinguished Chair in Natural Sciences | Col. John A. David |
Explanations of each award are available in the May 2025 Institute Awards Program and photos are available on the VMI Flickr account.