Gov. Glenn Younkin announced today the appointment of two new members to the Virginia Military Institute Board of Visitors. Lt. Col. (retired) Jonathan Hartsock ’00 of Lexington, Virginia, and Stephen Reardon ’84 of Richmond, Virginia.

Robert G. Parkinson, Ph.D., award winning historian of the American Revolution and author of “Heart of American Darkness: Bewilderment and Horror on the Early Frontier,” captivated his audience as he shared the narrative and adventures of the real-life characters in his book.

Organized by the Center for Leadership and Ethics, the invitation-only event is for colleges that are National Security Agency (NSA) / Department of Homeland Security (DHS)-designated National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense.

Benjamin Anthony, CEO of the MirYam Institute, spoke at Virginia Military Institute as part of the Courageous Leadership speaker series, sharing paradigm shifts from his life, including his experience with antisemitic violence in his youth.

U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. John “Dan” Caine ’90 has been nominated to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, continuing the path of service since graduating from the Institute, which he spoke to cadets about at the Class of 2026 Ring Figure Ceremony in November.

Virginia Military Institute welcomes alumnus Peter W. Moore ’88, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Political Science at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, who will speak on the U.S.-Jordan security relationship on Thursday, March 6 at 8 p.m. in the Nichols Engineering Building.

Richard “Richie” O’Connell III ’22 was ready, willing, and able to represent the entire Virginia Military Institute Corps of Cadets when his once-in-a-lifetime opportunity came Jan. 20 in Washington, D.C. at the 60th presidential inauguration.

Ace Atkins, who started his writing career as a crime beat reporter, read a few excerpts to the audience from his popular Quinn Colson series, which consists of 11 novels. He addressed cadets, staff, and the community with conversation and readings from his fictional literary works.

Col. Glenn Sullivan, associate professor, and Maj. Michael LaRocca, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, are concerned with those statistics, and have received a $150,000 grant from the Virginia Department of Veterans Services to conduct research on veteran suicide prevention.

Mattie Queensberry Smith, Ph.D., instructor in the Department of English, Rhetoric, and Humanistic Studies and Col. Shannon Eskam, assistant superintendent for strategic enrollment management/director of financial aid, were recognized during the Feb. 8 home basketball game against The Citadel.