Members of the VMI Board of Visitors,
trustees of the VMI Foundation, faculty
and staff,
ladies and gentlemen of the Corps of
Cadets, friends and supporters
of the Virginia Military Institute,
welcome back to
VMI and welcome to this morning's
convocation
marking the opening of VMI's 2020
academic year.
We're pleased to be with all of you
today,  some in person on post
and some virtually across our nation.
On 23 March, we acknowledged the world
was facing a widespread pandemic and we
had to make adjustments.
Sadly, we closed the Institute and
postponed our traditional annual awards
ceremony
scheduled for 14 May,  but today we gather
to reflect on the great achievements
many of you made in the last academic year.
In May, during what would have been
finals week, we celebrated the Class of
2020's success
with a virtual presentation of awards to
the graduating first classmen.
It now gives me great pleasure to finish
the awards assembly
at the end of our convocation today.
Today's academic convocation commences a new year,
VMI's 181st year.
A convocation is a day to celebrate with
eager anticipation,
a fresh academic start, and certainly we
are excited to have the entire Corps of
Cadets join us,
especially the new cadets who will
become the Class of 2024
early next year, and the largest class to
matriculate in VMI's history,
and we welcome the newly arrived staff
and faculty to the VMI family.
This past academic year presented many
challenges to all of us and particularly
to our faculty.  In addition to their
normal duties, the faculty pivoted
quickly to remote teaching in March and spent
countless hours this summer preparing for the new
academic year with vigor
and creativity. They taught online during
summer school,
attended teaching workshops, conducted
research, mentored cadets, presented in their areas
of expertise  at conferences, published in journals, and
actively engaged in service activities,
particularly in our local community.
We appreciate their dedication to our
cadets and to the mission of VMI.
This morning we acknowledge and
celebrate the central mission
of the Institute: to prepare all of our
graduates for the mantle of leadership
to defend our nation,
lead the best institutions of business,
medicine, law,
politics and history, education, and many
others,
and affect appropriate change in our
communities,
ready to serve as citizen-soldiers in
time of national peril
and provide principled leadership to our
families.
I have said it before, and it continues
to remain true:
while the means by which we seek to
accomplish this mission
have changed over the course of the
Institute's history,
VMI's mission remains the same.
The central mission
is our guiding post, but we recognize
that we do make adjustments with time.
On the surface, VMI strikes some people
as a place that
is traditional and unchanging— Gothic
buildings, cadets in uniforms,
parades, in a daily routine that appears
well, routine, but below the surface, as we all
know, that image of the Institute is misleading.
Large and small alterations take place
every year at VMI
as it strives to meet the changing
educational needs of our cadets and the
varied needs of an evolving society.
On 29 July, I wrote the VMI
community a "way forward" letter affirming
our principles and reinforcing that we
want to erase any hint
of racism at VMI, in our communities, and
in our country.
I spent months listening to the concerns
of alumni, cadets, faculty, and many others
not related to VMI  from across the country.
I listened closely to your thoughts on how
we should move forward,
and while I will continue to listen
intently today, it is time to implement
an action plan. Each of us in the VMI
community is part of this team
and has an important role to play. We're
striving to make VMI a better place, not
only today, but also for generations to come.
The overarching goal of this plan is four-fold:
first, to retain the foundation of values
and principles set on the Institute's
early years, while shifting the emphasis and
celebrations to the second century
of VMI's remarkable history.
Second, to enhance recruiting, especially
among marginalized youth and meet the
needs for a diverse faculty and staff.
Third, to provide greater academic and
leadership education for our cadets and thus
contribute to a civil and respectful environment, and
fourth, to provide greater access to
alumni network
for all of our graduates. This proposed
plan includes a series of five pillars
to guide our community.
These pillars operationalize in parallel
and in time to build a better future, with actions
executed prior to one's cadetship,
during a cadet's cadetship and continuing
upon graduation.
The pillars, each with discrete actions,
concentrate on education,
the VMI Corps systems which are the
centerpiece of our
unique education, with accountability
a key requirement, promoting
commissioning in the armed services,
addressing symbology, and alumni
assistance.
The plan is comprehensive in nature and
will take us positively
to the future. We will build upon our
storied past and do our part
to continue to build a strong Institute.
The world is a complicated and
challenging place,
and rarely can we compartmentalize our
energies. All of us know our state, nation, and
world are facing
another pressing issue, the challenge of
living through a pandemic, and I'm pleased that
we were able to safely make it back to post
and open for this semester, even if some
of the policies, the schedules,
and safe protocols make life
considerably different for all of us.
I reiterate to everyone—faculty, staff,
and Corps of Cadets—that we are all in
this together,
and many are facing this situation for
the first time
in our lives. For you see, the pandemic
has impacted every aspect
of cadet life, requiring wisdom,
innovation, adjustment, flexibility, and maturity
in our thoughts and actions. VMI will
continue to follow the very best
practices from experts in public health
while doing our very best to maintain
a robust military, academic, and athletic
environment. We must remain civil
in our interactions with each other,
demonstrate grace and patience,
and be considerate of others in
everything that we do.
For the Corps of Cadets and our staff
faculty and classified team,
this is truly a time to demonstrate the
very best of caring leadership, follow basic health
and safety guidelines that will be inconvenient
but will help protect all of us,
particularly the most vulnerable
in our community, wear our masks, social
distance whenever possible, avoid large
public gatherings, and adhere to the very
best of hygiene practices.
I know this will infringe on some of our plans
and traditional activities, but we must
be considerate of others,
working together with our faculty, staff,
and coaches
who are striving to keep a clean and
safe environment. I know we will be
successful.
We must have everyone's help now and
participation to overcome this serious obstacle and to
keep our Institute safely open
this year—wouldn't that be a proud
legacy for this Corps and for each of you?
It will not be easy. Civility and
consideration of others
are two simple thematics which we all
should adhere.
Academics will continue this year, even
though you may be in classes that are
remote, hybrid, in person, and/or a combination
of these. We recognize that everyone,
instructors and cadets,
desire personal interaction in the
classroom as much as possible.
However, there is likely to be an ebb and
flow
as we transition some classes between
online
and in person settings, depending on the
health conditions,
and as we mitigate risk.
Some of you may also experience
isolation or quarantine,
but we have a plan in place that will
allow you to continue your education virtually.
Keep your cool in these challenging
times and control the rumor mill that
further harms the situation. We have terrific
counselors to assist with problems associated with
anxiety and depression and other concerns
related to this pandemic,
and similarly our staff, physical plant,
auxiliary support services,
medical, and others on the Institute team
have planned prepared, and worked diligently during
the Corp's absence,
and I'm confident we are ready to
weather this storm.
Likewise, we know that there will be
significant challenges associated with military training
and athletics. You have heard this recent announcement.
We have had to postpone or adjust many
of our fall scheduled
NCAA  athletics. This will be a heavy,
heavy burden, but as we conduct an active
18 sports team program in reduced time
going forward. The Rat Line has also had
to make adjustments for safety,
much like we did for Matriculation Week
this year—meeting their cadre, training, sleeping,
and dining arrangements in constrained areas.
Our ROTC programs must now double up
to capture the training lost during the
second semester
of last academic year and prepare many
for commissioning in summer 2021.
I know all of you will exhibit great
maturity as we traverse this journey and landscape
together.
VMI has faced many challenges throughout
its long history since 1839.
We are no stranger to adversity, and we
embrace these conflicts with steadfast resolve,
and I know that will be very successful
and will add another chapter to the
Institute's glorious history.
As we move forward in this academic year,
it is important that we recognize many of
your splendid accomplishments that we
could not recognize
last May with the cancellation for your
classes
of the institute awards ceremony. We
recognize your hard work,
your commitment to excellence throughout
your cadetship, and particularly the
previous academic year. The Institute's very proud
of what you have accomplished,
and I extend my personal congratulations
and those of the Institute
to each of you. I also thank the VMI
Foundation for their generous support of
so many programs
at VMI, including the awards ceremony today.
The Foundation is an integral part of
the VMI community and helps us mobilize
many of our programs
and provide resources we otherwise would
not have. I now turn over the conduct of our
awards ceremony
to the deputy superintendent for
academics and dean of our faculty,
General Moreschi. General Moreschi?
Thank you, General Peay. As your name is called,
please come forward, enter the stage on
my left, and return to your seat using
the stairs on my right.
The 100th Infantry Division Lieutenant
General Withers A. Burress
Scholarship Fund awards are
presented to rising
1st and 2nd Class cadets on the
basis of scholarship,
leadership, and military proficiency in
honor of the men
of the 100th infantry division and their
commander, Lieutenant General
Withers A. Burress, VMI Class of 1914.
There are two awards for rising 1st
Class cadets.
The first award goes to Cadet Nathaniel
James Bowers,
a biology major from Dayton, Virginia.
The second recipient is Cadet Dylan Gray
Stoltzfus, a mechanical engineering major
from Kernersville, North Carolina.
There are also two recipients in the
rising 2nd Class.
The first award is presented to Cadet
Brian John Anderson,
an international studies major from
Wilbraham, Massachusetts.
The second award goes to Cadet Michael
Mario Hoffmann,
a double major in history and
international studies from Yorktown, Virginia.
The Major General Stephen Sewell Jr.  '60
Award
is a scholarship given to a third- or
fourth-year ROTC recipient
in high standing with both VMI and the
Army ROTC department.
This year's recipient is Cadet Jose
Israel Nunez Jr.,
an international studies major from
Roanoke, Virginia.
The Francis H. Smith Award is presented
to a cadet of the rising 1st Class
who has exhibited outstanding academic
achievement,
extracurricular participation, leadership ability,
and demonstrated potential for a professional career.
This year's recipient is Vincenzo J.
Ferrari,
a physics major from Harvey's Lake, Pennsylvania.
Cadet Ferrari will remain on the stage
for the next award.
The Chesty Puller Award First Marine
Division
is given to the commissioning 1st and
2nd Class Marine option cadets
who exhibit the highest qualities of
leadership. The 1st Class recipient is Cadet Ferrari.
The 2nd Class recipient is Cadet
Robert Curma,
a history major from Somers, New York.
The Alan D'Andelot Belin Memorial Prize
is given to a member of the 4th Class
who has earned the respect of his or her brother rats
and the Corps of Cadets by performance
within the rat system.
This award goes to Cadet Cameron Michael
Cavanaugh,
a modern languages and cultures major
from Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania.
The John Ryd  Bush award is presented to
a member of the 4th Class
deemed most worthy because of valiant
character and military proficiency.
This year's award goes to Cadet Samuel
Harrison Wolfe,
a biology major from Charlotte, North Carolina.
The faculty scholarships for merit
recognize outstanding academic
performance by rising 1st Class and
2nd Class cadets.
These awards are funded solely through
contributions by retired and current
members of the VMI faculty.
The first recipient is Cadet Hunter Hass
Barnes, a history major from Highland, Michigan.
Cadet Barnes is a conscientious,
enthusiastic student of history.
He stands in the top ranks among history
majors in the Class of 2021.
He is currently engaged in the early
stages of a demanding departmental
honors project.
The second recipient is Cadet Daniel
Edward Carlson, a mechanical engineering
major from Bolivia, North Carolina.
Cadet Carlson is ranked first in the
mechanical engineering class of 2021
as a 2nd classman, having earned that
designation also in his 4th and 3rd
class year.
He has excelled academically while
serving as a regimental S3 sergeant and
actively participating in the triathlon club.
The final recipient is Cadet Troy Devyn
Smith,
a computer science major from Waxhaw,
North Carolina.
Cadet Smith has an exemplary record of
academic accomplishments.
An Institute Honors cadet distinguished
for his creativity, motivation, dedication,
hard work, ethics, and leadership,
he will represent VMI as a nominee for
the Rhodes scholarship in 2021.
And Cadet Smith will remain on stage for
the next award.
The Charles H. Dayhuff  Jr.  '31 first
captain award is given each year to the
rising first captain
in the Corps of Cadets. The 2020
recipient is Cadet Smith.
The Jeff Shaara scholar in residence
award for the best research topic
proposal working with the interpretive
staff at the New Market Battlefield State
Historical Park is presented to Cadet
Alan Denis Arnesen, a physics major from
Woodstock, Virginia.
The United Daughters of the Confederacy
Sir Moses Ezekiel award is given to a
cadet who has contributed to the
cultural life of the Institute.
This year's recipient is Cadet Lauren
Victoria Wolf,
a double major in modern languages and
cultures and international studies
from Stanley, Virginia.
Now the awards for faculty and staff.
The Nathaniel W. Pendleton '22
distinguished coaching award for 2020 is
presented to head football coach
Scott A. Wachenheim. In 2019,
Coach Wachenheim guided VMI football to
its most overall
wins since 2003 and most conference
wins in 40 years.
The Keydets also reclaimed the Silver
Shako trophy from the Citadel for the
first time in 13 meetings.
The 2019 squad established new school
single-season marks for total offense
and passing yards.
Wachenheim was voted 2019 Southern
Conference coach of the year
and was a finalist for FCS national
coach of the year.
the vmi distinguished service awards are
presented each year to vmi employees for
exemplary service to the institute
and performance of duties the first
distinguished service award is presented
to mr charles marco floyd
mr floyd is an extraordinary vmi
employee who is dedicated to supporting
the institute's needs
from working miracles within the
engineering division to generously
assisting the vmi band
preston library and the physical plant
through the
his enthusiastic and motivating
involvement with faculty staff and
cadets across post
mr floyd has continually demonstrated
excellence in service to the institute
that goes far beyond his duties and we
present that
in abstentia the second distinguished
service award is presented to miss
leanne
farquhar as the dean's office
administrative coordinator miss forker
has distinguished herself through the
consistently excellent execution of her
duties
she is a problem solver whose initiative
and standard of excellence
have vastly improved operations large
and small within the academic program
as cadets faculty and staff alike
acknowledge she is the consummate
professional
willing to extend a helping hand to
anyone in any area for the good of the
institute
the final recipient of the distinguished
service award is ms lauren
s hanger serving in a number of roles
since joining the i.t department
in 1998 ms henger now holds the position
of desktop support manager
she made important contributions to
numerous institute committees
accepting any task with enthusiasm and
readiness to serve
her remarkable ability to multitask and
her consistent professional manner
makes her a valuable member of the
information technology department
and an asset to the institute
the d ray carpenter award is given
annually for the best research proposal
submitted to the vmi research committee
this year's recipient is major jason w
schroeffer
professor of modern languages and
cultures for his project titled a
grammar of arabic
the jackson hope prize for excellence in
academic advancement recognizes a member
of the faculty or academic program staff
whose efforts bring renown to the
institute and its programs
the 2020 prize is presented to colonel
james t
geary colonel geary transformed vmi's
department of psychology from
a primarily bachelor of arts program to
a stem based discipline conferring the
bachelor of science degree
he oversaw a significant revision of the
psychology curriculum
adding numerous courses hiring new
faculty and expanding laboratory
resources
colonel gierae's focus on developing
excellent classroom instructors
has earned his department numerous
teaching awards under his leadership
psychology cadets receive a rigorous
education with a strong focus
on undergraduate research
the jackson hope prizes for excellence
in published scholarly work
recognizes two members of the of the
faculty each year
for one the outstanding publication in
science and engineering
and two the outstanding publication in
humanities and social sciences
this year's prize in humanities and
social sciences is presented to colonel
mcmillan houston johnson v
professor of history in taking flight
the foundations of american commercial
aviation 1918-1938
colonel johnson chronicles the interplay
of technological innovation
federal policy and public interest at
the birth of the american air
industry while producing a fine
scholarly work colonel johnson has found
multiple ways to incorporate the subject
matter
into his classes and directed studies
projects
it is an excellent example of how
faculty scholarly expertise supports our
primary concern
with teaching and mentoring
undergraduate cadets
in the science and engineering category
the prize goes to colonel
dimple kumar chalice hajjar professor of
applied mathematics
some qualitative behavior of solutions
of general class of difference equations
appeared in mathematics a top
peer-reviewed math journal
his google scholar citations listing
puts
him in the top ten percent of control
theorists in the world
while his work is abstract the theory
has wide applications
to fields as electrical networks
economics
and genetics colonel chala hajar's work
will work with cadet emily gothard class
of 21 on a related institute honors
project next year
the vmi distinguished teaching award
recognizes a member of the faculty
for outstanding teaching and academic
mentorship
this year's recipient is colonel bradley
l coleman
95 professor of history
colonel coleman's list of
accomplishments humbles the reader
especially considering that everything
he does has the cadet
uppermost in his mind in class and in a
multitude of directed studies
he remains perpetually positive patient
encouraging
and available as director of the adams
center
he designs every event with a cadet
dimension in mind and takes cadet
assistance
under his wing as mentor his respect for
all cadets and support for their
education
knows no bounds
the thomas jefferson teaching award is
given each year to an outstanding junior
faculty member
who quote is deemed especially talented
at
inspiring students in the development of
their intellect and character close
quote
this year's award is presented in
abstentia to major yockin
s arndt assistant professor of history
major art is exceptionally accomplished
in each of
our four domains beloved by his students
he demonstrates passion and creativity
in the classroom
that impresses even veteran faculty
members
while playing an increasingly prominent
role in departmental
and institute affairs he is also
developing an international scholarly
reputation in african history
his outstanding cadet mentorship
includes directed studies in topics
close to his scholarly interest
and leadership of the annual olmstead
study abroad program
the henry king bergwin jr boy colonel of
the confederacy
chair in military history is awarded an
abstentia to colonel timothy c
dowling a professor of history described
by his department head
as quote a uniquely conscientious
teacher close quote
colonel dowling has made important
contributions to the department of
history's curriculum
particularly the core curriculum world
history sequence
as a scholar colonel dowling has
contributed most especially to the
history of world war one
but with many contributions across a
broad spectrum
of military topics he currently serves
as associate editor
of the esteemed journal of military
history
the jackson hope distinguished chair in
natural sciences is awarded to
lieutenant colonel
john a david associate professor of
applied mathematics
in addition to his excellent classroom
teaching and scholarship
lieutenant colonel david has mentored
cadets in more than 55
undergraduate research and internship
projects since joining the vmi faculty
in 2011.
many of those were supported by the
acclaimed summer applied and industrial
mathematics
program which he founded in 2012.
lieutenant colonel david was the
recipient of the state council for
higher education in virginia's
rising star award for junior faculty in
2015
the john c allen 1962 distinguished
professorship in chemistry is awarded to
colonel stanton
q smith professor of chemistry
colonel smith has been at the virginia
military institute since 1999
having risen through the ranks from
assistant professor to full professor
and head of the chemistry department he
is known as a rigorous teacher and
leader in curriculum development
with a particular interest in general
education science
his modest demeanor has made him a
popular mentor in undergraduate research
projects
he currently serves as chair of the
curriculum and instruction committee
of the academic board
the colonel beverly m reid 1941
institute professorship
in arts and sciences is awarded an
abstentia
to colonel scott t friend professor of
psychology
since joining the faculty in 2007
colonel fryen has been a leading player
in the academic renaissance of the
psychology department
playing an important role in redesigning
the department's program
from a babs to a bachelor of science
only program
he is a recipient of the vmi
distinguished teaching award and served
as advisor to the class of 2014.
since 2019 he has served as director of
vmi's
center for undergraduate research
the general edwin cox 20 institute
professorship in history and economics
is awarded to colonel jeffrey s smith
professor of economics and business
colonel smith has been engaged broadly
across the institute since joining the
department of economics and business
a versatile and excellent teacher he has
pursued a robust research agenda
publishing six peer-reviewed articles
two book chapters and a business finance
textbook
during the eight years he has been on
the bmi faculty
he has served with distinction on
numerous institute committees
including as chair of the faculty
development committee
he was adviser to the class of 2019.
general p ladies and gentlemen the
institute's award winners for 2020
another round of applause please
i know you joined me in taking great
pride in these examples of an abiding
dedication to excellence
represented here today in these award
winners they certainly inspire us all by
their performance
as we conclude we take time to recognize
our new faculty
and staff members unfortunately we are
not able to be together at this time
the list of new faculty and staff
members that follows represents those
who have joined the institute since last
academic year
we're excited for them to be here we
look forward to the many significant
contributions
that these new faculty and staff will
contribute to them to the institute
moving forward
and excited for a time in the not too
distant future where we can all be
together in person
again the institute congratulates each
of you these proceedings are adjourned
thank you
