Binh Tran ’23 is working to help parents of children with hearing impairments, and presented his research in his senior thesis. The goal of this multi-student project is to develop an app to help parents of hearing impaired children perceive the same sense of hearing that their children hear.

Claire Curtis focused her Honors Week discussion on two fairly common learning differences: ADHD, which is characterized by hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsiveness; and dyslexia, a disorder personal to Curtis, and characterized by issues in reading, writing, and understanding written language.

Nick Schaefer ’23, an international studies major, minoring in national security, focused his research project on finding a pattern of behavior that leads to the use of private military companies.

Colin Butler '23 started his research where most research starts — at the drawing board. He conducted a year-long research project on concrete support beams. He presented his findings in his senior thesis titled, “High Strength Fiber Reinforce Concrete and its Application in Composite Beams.”

Cadet Chris Cocoris ‘23 remembers growing up listening to stories about his great-uncle George Cocoris. They were passed down to his father since his great-uncle had passed before Cocoris was born. George joined the Greek resistance to oppose the Axis occupation in 1941 Greece, Cocoris said.   

“You cannot manage what you cannot see,” said Cadet Dominick Lalena '23, to illustrate the necessity of visibility in cybersecurity. “Every time you go online, you enter the cyber realm. For security purposes, an organization should be able to see who enters their cyber space.”

Christopher Hulburt ’22 researched contributions of 19th Century African-Americans at VMI in senior thesis “Unearthed Contributors: African-Americans at Virginia Military Institute, 1839-1851.”

Most modern highways and roads are primarily funded through taxes paid at the gas pump, but with the increasing popularity of electric and hybrid vehicles, how will roads be funded in the future? Drew P. Melusen ’22 proposed alternative solutions in his senior thesis.

This year's Honors Week showcased research and scholarship across all disciplines by 34 cadets who presented their research to the wider VMI community. The annual event also saw a large number of cadets inducted into academic honor societies.

In his senior thesis “Unearthed Contributors: African-Americans at Virginia Military Institute, 1839-1851,” Christopher M. Hulbert ’22 argues that enslaved African-Americans and free people of color in Rockbridge County were equally influential as Smith and Preston.