Retired U.S. Navy Adm. James Stavridis, the H.B. Johnson Jr., Class of 1926, Distinguished Speaker, will address the Corps of Cadets and faculty at the academic convocation at Virginia Military Institute on Wednesday, Sept. 4, at 10:30 a.m. in Cameron Hall on Main Street.

Sherry Wallace has been named the new director of communications and marketing at Virginia Military Institute, effective Aug. 26. She is a proud veteran of the U.S. Army and holds a Master of Public Administration from Missouri State University and a bachelor's degree from Hendrix College.

This year’s Rat Mass comes from 36 states, as well as the District of Columbia and Guam, six foreign countries, with 62% from Virginia and 38% from out of state. Eighty-six are female, and 168 are recruited NCAA athletes.

VMI's football and soccer teams will be playing on newly sodded fields this year. Alumni Memorial Field at Foster Stadium and Patchin Field were both sodded over the summer with Tahoma 31 Bermuda grass, known for its exceptional tolerance to cool temperatures, as well as wear and tear.

Lt. Col. Shannon Eskam, director of financial aid at Virginia Military Institute, has been promoted to assistant superintendent for strategic enrollment management/director of financial aid. In her new position, Eskam oversees the Office of Admissions, the Office of Financial Aid, Cadet Marketing,

Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Lawrence Havird ’90 assumed duties as Virginia Military Institute’s new commandant Aug. 5.

Bruce Hay ’25, a mechanical engineering major with a concentration in aerospace engineering, completed his 10-week Summer Undergraduate Research Institute (SURI) project by designing an off-road laser measurement mapping system to forewarn drivers of trail conditions.

“Céad míle fáilte” is Gaelic for “a hundred thousand welcomes,” and captures the spirit of the warm hospitality a group of 11 Virginia Military Institute cadets and their two professors recently experienced while on an educational journey in Dingle, Ireland.

VMI recently shared their marketing strategies with other colleges at the SparkThink@JAM three-day conference in Dallas, Texas. In their presentation, the admission's team encouraged their audience to be authentic when representing their institution.

Virginia Military Institute cadets will march to the beat of a different director of music this fall, as percussionist, Lt. Col. Matthew Halligan, has been hired to replace Col. John Brodie, who recently retired after 36 years.