With movements like Black Lives Matter and events of January 6, 2021, Michael “Bane” London ’25 had one question — what makes American’s gather like this to get their message across and how far back does it go? 

Jack Conley ’25, a history major is researching the hand-written letter, along with other ancient tablets, for his Summer Undergraduate Research Institute (SURI) project titled, “The Vindolanda Tablets: Understanding the Roman Frontier in Northern Britain.”

Thanks to support from the VMI Center for Undergraduate Research, four VMI cadets recently traveled to Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina to present their SURI research projects amongst their Southern Conference (SoCon) peers.

Caitria Catania ’24 has been studying Spanish for eight years, but after taking a Spanish literature class with Col. John Cerkey this past spring, her love of analyzing Spanish poets grew.

Brian Tavenner ’25, an electrical and computer engineering major at Virginia Military Institute, is designing and building a fiberglass rocket to reach the exact height of 1,023 feet using a F-engine motor in his five-week SURI project titled,“Target Altitude Project.”

The Chessie Nature Trail, which runs along the Maury River from Lexington to Buena Vista consists of seven miles of level path including several pedestrian bridges. Lawrence Porter ’24 is examining the serviceability of one of those bridges in his 10-week SURI project.

Caroline Lassalle ’25 has always had a strong desire to learn about exercise science and work in the medical field. The biology major spent five weeks last summer becoming a certified emergency medical technician (EMT) at Virginia Military Institute.

Leadership is one of the foundations of Virginia Military Institute. The concept is something Anthony Cruz Fernandez-Grimes ’25 is exploring for his summer research project.  

Brijesh Regeti ’24, a major, and Talli Tarring ’24, a major, worked together on their five-week project titled, “Data Analysis of United Way Donors” to research ways the organization can attract new donors.

Ellie Pickford '24 stood before a small glass tank, peering intently at the colorful Betta fish swimming within. Her summer research project was well underway, and she was determined to unlock the mysteries behind the interactions between nicotine and antidepressants.