VMI Turnouts A VMI ALUMNI AGENCIES DIGITAL NEWSLETTER
April 2019
Gen. Peay ’62 Visits Alumni in North Carolina and Georgia Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III ’62, the Institute’s 14th superintendent, engaged alumni in their own backyards during spring break, March 18-22, 2019, speaking in Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina, and in Atlanta, Georgia. Throughout the trip, Peay and the Alumni Agencies team were able to engage more than 450 alumni through 17 interviews, more than 10 oneon-one meetings and an intimate donor luncheon. Numerous prospective cadets, parents and guidance counselors attended, giving the events rave reviews. The trip resulted in more than 3,000 social media engagements through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and was a complete success.
VMI Turnouts A VMI ALUMNI AGENCIES DIGITAL NEWSLETTER
April 2019
Chambers ’03: First Alumna on VMI Board of Visitors By Scott Belliveau ’83, Communications Officer, VMI Alumni Agencies
Good timing is an essential ingredient of success. For Lara Tyler Chambers ’03, the Institute’s decision to open its doors to women came at just the right moment in her life. As the daughter of an alumnus, VMI had always been a part of her life. “I grew up with VMI. It was a household name. My father’s brother rats stopped by my home routinely, and my family cheered on the Keydets from the bleachers.” Yet she had no expectations
of attending, because until her senior year in high school, VMI was a single gender college. During her senior year in high school, her long-held anxieties about college admission peaked. As she recalled, “I was preoccupied with the academic challenges, determining the best major and the overwhelming scale of collegiate life.” When she decided to study civil engineering, she was able to focus on determining which school offered
her the best program. After evaluating various programs in terms of structure, class size and access to professors, she concluded that VMI best suited her. “Its academics and structure, combined with my familiarity with and trust in the Institute, made it the best choice for me.” One of VMI’s first female cadets, Chambers succeeded in the classroom and within the Corps, eventually becoming a cadet captain – in fact the
VMI Turnouts A VMI ALUMNI AGENCIES DIGITAL NEWSLETTER
April 2019
first S-7 captain responsible for cadet life and Corps morale. It was an experience that underlined one lesson she had learned while growing up. “Put simply: Don’t be afraid to be a trailblazer. Being an older child, involved in athletics and from an entrepreneurial family, I always gravitated toward people doing something first and taking the associated risks with doing so.” She also learned another critical leadership lesson from her experience, one she carried forward throughout her business and that she said is “ingrained in my character.” Again, she put it simply, “Leadership is personal and that means getting your hands dirty.” Asked to explain what she meant, Chambers replied, “As the first S-7 captain, there wasn’t any past plan to be followed or data to be examined. We had to work as a team to develop a plan, execute it, monitor the results and then adapt based on those results. Reflecting on my career, I’ve encountered the same lesson over and over again, whether it’s dealing with a change order at my own business, or figuring out how to get this new class of rats over a certain ‘mountain.’ There’s never going to be an easy plan that applies to everyone. Leadership requires you to roll up your sleeves and figure it out with your team.” After graduation, Chambers returned to the Richmond area and almost immediately started applying her education and her leadership experience, establishing the Tyler Development Group LLC, an engineering and real estate development group. Under her leadership, the company has developed to manage all aspects of the land development cycle; including re-zoning, land acquisition, plan development and design, project construction and financial management. Although she often visited the Institute and had an interest in helping VMI, she had never seriously examined the possibility of serving the Institute in a formal fashion, such as member of
the board of one of the VMI Alumni Agencies. Then, in early 2015, George P. Ramsey III ’72, then-president of the Board of Visitors, called her and asked her to serve as the first alumna on the BOV. “I’ll never forget my response,” Chambers said. “‘Are you sure you have the right number?’” Chambers admits to having reservations about joining the Board of Visitors. At 34, she thought herself too young, “that the position was meant for someone older, seemingly wiser, more experienced in life.” She took time to evaluate both the responsibilities of being on the board and her ability to contribute meaningfully to its work. She then embarked on what she recalls as “exhaustive soul searching.” “I recalled my time as a cadet, contemplated my personal career, considered the impact to my family and sought wisdom from my father and my brother rats. Ultimately, I said yes. I decided that my family’s VMI legacy, my love for the school, the career path I chose, along with being lucky enough to attend VMI during a critical turning point in its history, would give me a perspective that not many people have and made me a perfect fit for the BOV.” Chambers admits that it also took some courage to accept the post. “I vividly remember when General Peay called to congratulate me. My immediate – genuine but embarrassing – response was, ‘I’m scared.’ Let’s just say General Peay put me at ease, and for that, he’s a five-star in my book.” Being on the Board of Visitors gives Chambers a different perspective of VMI that most alumni don’t have and a more detailed understanding of what it is that makes the Institute tick. One thing that struck her immediately was, “Since I graduated 15 years ago, all aspects of the Institute – from financial stability, physical improvements, academic advancement, to leadership studies – have undergone transformative change. It is dramatically humbling to
observe how this unbelievable change has occurred – through the tireless, selflessness and unwavering commitment of the VMI family. Their efforts and hearts are so large that it’s nearly unquantifiable.” Asked what positive things going on at VMI today, she responded, “First, it’s the faculty and staff. They’re utterly dedicated to making VMI better and improving the experience our cadets have. But, without question, the most positive, the most impressive aspect of VMI are the cadets. Every cadet I have talked to over the last four years has been impressive. Not only are they off-the-charts intelligent, they seem to know exactly where they want to go. And they know exactly how to get there. Moreover, cadets treat other people in a way that is beyond their years.” “As citizen-soldiers, the cadets I have encountered are redefining the standard. Most people their age wouldn’t take on the demanding requirements they face daily, but they seem to carry them willingly.” They see the value of a VMI education. Looking ahead at VMI’s future, Chambers said that VMI has a great opportunity: to show the world the value of the citizen-soldier. “As our globe becomes more connected, as physical and figurative borders shrink, people will demand more of their leaders and their societies. VMI has the tangible opportunity to align its rich history, capabilities, and resources to deliver what modern society is screaming for: capable, purposeful, and honorable men and women who are ready to succeed and, above all, to serve. In other words, they want, they need, citizen-soldiers.” While the responsibilities of being a member of the Board of Visitors are demanding, Chambers has no complaints. “I love VMI, and I could not be more proud of it and its graduates. VMI has given me so much, and I will be forever indebted to it. Being able to contribute to VMI’s future is truly its own reward.”
VMI Turnouts A VMI ALUMNI AGENCIES DIGITAL NEWSLETTER
April 2019
Streeter ’91 Depicts Battlefield Experience By Mary Price, VMI Communications & Marketing Growing up, all Col. Craig Streeter ’91 wanted to do was draw – and follow his Army officer father into a military career. Little did he know when he was a youngster happily settled at the kitchen table with paper and crayons that he not only would do both, but that he would succeed at both in spades. Streeter, who’s currently the head of Naval ROTC at VMI, is one of a handful of combat artists in the Marine Corps. Like courtroom artists, combat artists sketch scenes of what’s going on in front of them – only the images they create show the reality of the battlefield. Their work complements that of photographers, both civilian and service affiliated. “There’s room for both [illustrators and photographers],” noted Streeter. “What illustration can do and combat art can do, the artist has the freedom to take many experiences and distill them down into one powerful image that tells the story in ways that photography just can’t. That’s just one of many things that makes it powerful.” When he matriculated at VMI, Streeter didn’t even know the combat artist program existed. He drew plentifully while at the Institute, sketching barracks life for the amusement of his brother rats, but art was always a side pursuit. He graduated with a degree in history and commissioned into the Marine Corps, lured by a love of flying, and soon found himself on the usual career military path of frequent moves and regular promotions. Even while he was flying Cobras, though, Streeter was finding outlets for his artistic skills. “I would seek opportunities to use my art in ways that would benefit the unit,” said Streeter. Creating new squadron patches and designing logos for the Marine Corps birthday ball were among his side jobs. When he was stationed at the Marine Corps Air Station New River as a captain, he began drawing a regular
Col. Craig Streeter ’91 in his office studio, where he does much of his drawing and painting. VMI photo by Kelly Nye.
comic strip for the base newspaper. “The feedback I got from that was addictive,” Streeter commented. “People seemed to like it and enjoy it. It just made me want to do it more and more.” Later, while stationed at the Pentagon, Streeter found himself charged with the task of creating one-of-a-kind farewell gifts for retiring generals and admirals. He was a busy man. “It got to the point where my boss, who was a Marine colonel, would tell me to take time off,” Streeter recalled. “He’d say, ‘Don’t come in. The general needs his farewell gift.’” It was at this point that Streeter’s wife, Chris-Ann, found an article in Seapower, a magazine for those in the naval services, that would change her husband’s life. It was about combat artists Mike
Fay, then a chief warrant officer, and Chris Battles, then a staff sergeant, and their work as combat artists deployed alongside troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. Fascinated, Streeter remembers thinking immediately, “I’ve got to meet those people.” Soon, he and Fay were meeting for coffee, with Streeter immediately asking how he could become a combat artist. “Mike [Fay] couldn’t guarantee that would ever happen,” said Streeter. “It’s just not something that a major in the Marine Corps does. It’s a very small [military occupational specialty] that’s definitely not a primary MOS.” That initial meeting between Fay and Streeter took place in late 2006 or early 2007. For Streeter, all that happened next was that life moved on. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel and then colonel.
VMI Turnouts A VMI ALUMNI AGENCIES DIGITAL NEWSLETTER
April 2019
“I almost forgot about the dream of being a combat artist somehow,” Streeter related. “I thought the whole combat artist thing had just passed me by.” As a newly minted colonel, Streeter was stationed at Quantico, home of the National Museum of the Marine Corps – the organization that just happens to run the combat artist program. Once again, ChrisAnn Streeter stepped into action, asking her husband, “Have you talked to Mike [Fay]? Have you swung by the museum?” When he did so, Craig Streeter discovered that both Fay and Battles had left the Marine Corps, leaving the service with no combat artists. What happened next was Streeter asking those higher in the chain of command if he could become one. Each time, the senior officer said “yes” because he already knew Streeter as a person and a pilot. In the summer of 2014, the career Marine Corps officer’s dream came true as he received orders to go to Afghanistan as a combat artist that September. “I had a blast,” said Streeter. “One day I was with infantry and I’d go on patrols. The next day I’d be with the aviation elements and I’d be in the back of a Huey. … Being a colonel, I felt like I had the red carpet rolled out wherever I went. I couldn’t be happier.” All too soon, his time was up – but the art that Streeter was able to create made the pain of leaving more bearable. One graphite and water color painting of his, “Friendly Fires,” hung in the National Museum of the Marine Corps for over a year. “To have been able to work myself into the system, and to be rewarded by the fact that someone thought something I’d created was good enough to hang in the NMMC, for me was that was the best thing I could imagine for my art,” he commented. Asked about what lies on the horizon, Streeter expressed his desire to use his talents at the Institute. “I’m just hopeful that I can keep doing this not only for the Marine Corps but also for VMI,” said Streeter. “If someone offers me an opportunity to go into the field and do art alongside VMI cadets, I would jump at the opportunity.”
Kent ’20 Named SoCon Pitcher of the Week Cadet Zak Kent ’20 was named the Southern Conference Pitcher of the Week for the week of March 18, 2019. Kent tied a VMI record March 17 as the VMI baseball team defeated visiting Lehigh University 11-1 in non-conference play. The junior right-hander struck out 15 batters, tying the program record for strikeouts in a single game in the aluminum bat era (a mark set in 1998). The Mountain Hawks’ first batter of the game flew out; Kent’s next 11 recorded outs were via strikeout. He fanned eight-straight players before Lehigh grounded out to start the top of the fifth. For the day, Kent finished seven frames, giving up just one hit, one walk and one run while tossing 103 pitches to even his record at 2-2 on the year and improve his ERA to 4.11. He has 46 strikeouts in 30 2/3 innings to lead the conference in the category.
French ’20 Named MAAC Defensive Player of the Week Cadet Isabel French ’20 was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week March 27, 2019. French made 38 saves in three matches hosted by Wagner College March 23. She had a 54.3 percent save percentage and four steals. The Naperville, Illinois, native also made 14 stops in VMI’s 8-7 win against Villanova. The pre-season MAAC Goalie of the Year, French also earned the MAAC Defensive Player of the Week Award on two occasions this year, Feb. 27 and March 6.
VMI Turnouts A VMI ALUMNI AGENCIES DIGITAL NEWSLETTER
April 2019
Ghosh ’22, Quick ’19 Honored by Southern Conference
Furman’s Aaron Templeton and Cadet Solomon Ghosh ’22 have been named the Southern Conference men’s outdoor track and field athletes of the week, respectively, while Furman’s Gabbi Jennings and Cadet Tiffany Quick ’19 claimed the respective women’s awards, the conference office announced April 3, 2019. Selections were made by panels of the league’s track and field coaches. Furman’s Templeton competed at the Raleigh Relays in Raleigh, North Carolina, March 30, shattering the school record in the 10,000-meter invitational run to claim the win in 28:27.85. The senior from Knoxville, Tennessee, dropped 48 seconds off of the old school mark set in 2017. Templeton’s time is the best in the SoCon this season by more than 20 seconds and ranks third in the NCAA East Region and eighth on the NCAA Division I performance list. VMI’s Ghosh was also in action at the Raleigh Relays, making his collegiate outdoor debut. The 4th Class cadet from Blacksburg, Virginia, threw the discus 46.61 meters (152 feet, 11 inches), turning in a top-20 finish in the event. Ghosh’s mark ranks second in the league this season. Furman’s Jennings won the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Raleigh Relays on Saturday, turning in her collegiate-best time of 9:59.54 to take more than five seconds off the meet and facility
record. The senior from Slidell, Louisiana, is third on the NCAA Division I performance list and second in the East Region with her Saturday effort. The weekly award is the second of Jennings’ career and first since April 12, 2017. VMI’s Quick, a 1st Class cadet from Midlothian, Virginia, also competed at the Raleigh Relays, finishing seventh in the discus with a heave of 46.61 meters (152 feet, 11 inches). That mark, which ranks second in the SoCon this season, was a personal best by two meters and was an ECAC qualifier.
2019 Southern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week Men’s Track March 20: Noah Charles, ETSU March 27: Matt Scarr, ETSU April 3: Aaron Templeton, Furman Men’s Field March 20: Ben Johnson, ETSU March 27: Ben Johnson, ETSU April 3: Solomon Ghosh ’22, VMI Women’s Track March 2: Lindsey Stallworth, ETSU March 27: Kennedy Thomson, Chattanooga April 3: Gabbi Jennings, Furman Women’s Field March 21: Simone Williams, Western Carolina March 27: Amber Lust, Wofford April 3: Tiffany Quick ’19, VMI
Quick ’19
Ghosh ’22
VMI Turnouts A VMI ALUMNI AGENCIES DIGITAL NEWSLETTER
April 2019
Villanueva Speaks on Honor, Accountability By Maj. John Robertson, VMI Communications & Marketing Decorated Afghanistan War veteran and Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva spoke as part of the Center for Leadership and Ethics’ Courageous Leadership series March 12 in Gillis Theater. Villanueva is a graduate of West Point, and he played defensive and offensive positions for the Black Knights. Villanueva commissioned into the Army in 2010 alongside Army football teammate and Lexington native Chase Prasnicki, who died in Afghanistan in 2012. He deployed three times to Afghanistan, reaching the rank of captain before joining the NFL in 2014. He served with the 10th Mountain Division and the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. During his first tour in Afghanistan, he was awarded a Bronze Star Medal with V device for rescuing wounded soldiers under enemy fire. While not a regular public speaker, Villanueva made the rare address both because of his regard for VMI’s cadets and because Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin began his coaching career at the Institute in 1995. “When it comes to the military, I can never say no,” said Villanueva. “I was a cadet just like you guys nine years ago.” In addition to the military connection, Villanueva shared his personal ties to Lexington and the Institute. “This is an extremely honorable privilege for me to be here today. Coach Tomlin mandated me to be here, but it is also where one of my best friends is buried from the military academy. He was a teammate of mine and his father works here,” said Villanueva. “This is a very special place for me.” Villanueva presented his remarks in terms of personal accountability, with culture, ethics and leadership being key components. Illustrating that concept, he shared an experience at the Pir Mohammed School in Kandahar Province. After Afghan National Police forces fired on and disabled the motorcycle of a suspected insurgent, Villanueva was ordered to conduct a battle damage assessment in what he and his soldiers suspected was an ambush. The soldiers under his command were unwilling to conduct the assessment and suggested Villanueva tell his commanding officer that they checked out the scene without doing so. “I never thought I would encounter a situation like this where I had to choose between my men and my mission,” said Villanueva. Villanueva ultimately decided to tell his soldiers that he would conduct the battle damage assessment on his own, leading members of the Afghan National Police. “I said ‘I’m going to go down by myself. If anyone wants to come with me, they can come with me,’” said Villanueva. To his surprise, two of the soldiers who were unwilling to go moments before joined him. As soon as the three soldiers left their secure compound alongside three members of the Afghan National Police, the insurgents opened fire. Villanueva and his soldiers returned to the compound safely.
In this and other experiences, Villanueva noted that West Point’s honor code had served him well – along with other lessons inculcated by four years at the U.S. Military Academy. Villanueva also shared his thoughts on “attention economics,” the level of focus that individuals devote to various areas of their lives. He observed that a Spartan military lifestyle helps pare down trivial concerns and allows for greater attention towards attaining goals. “You eat the same meals every day of the week. ... You get the same haircut. You wear the same clothes,” said Villanueva. “You’re prioritizing your future. You’re prioritizing who you want to be, and you’re showing that on a daily basis.” Villanueva made national headlines in 2017 when he was the lone member of the Steelers to appear at the entrance tunnel as the national anthem was performed at Soldier Field in Chicago. The rest of the team did not take the field in order to avoid the controversy around players kneeling during the anthem. He revisited that episode to highlight the theme of personal accountability. “I was told that I would be watching the anthem with my teammates to my left and my right, but, when it came down to it, they were nowhere to be seen,” said Villanueva. He had received hundreds of text messages by the end of the game and was on the front page of newspapers across the country the next morning. “Everybody’s pressuring you to take a stand, to voice a message.” Villanueva made the decision to step back from the controversy, falling back on his training as an Army officer not to advocate a stance on political matters. “I did what I thought was right based on the culture I received,” said Villanueva. Before speaking, Villanueva toured post, spoke with members of the football team, and observed Supper Roll Call. Villanueva remained in Gillis Theater following his talk to autograph cadets’ covers, Steelers memorabilia and even a pocket Constitution.
Villanueva speaks as hundreds of cadets look on. VMI photo by Kelly Nye.
VMI Turnouts A VMI ALUMNI AGENCIES DIGITAL NEWSLETTER
April 2019
Dimitrova-Grajzl Wins Outstanding Faculty Award By Kelly Nye, VMI Communications & Marketing
Lt. Col. Valentina Dimitrova-Grajzl, Ph.D., associate professor of economics and business, was one of 13 recipients of the 2019 State Council of Higher Education for Virginia’s Outstanding Faculty Award. The award was presented at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond March 7. SCHEV has presented the award every year since 1987. It recognizes superior accomplishments in teaching, research and public service among faculty at Virginia’s public and private college and universities. Dimitrova-Grajzl is VMI’s seventh faculty member to receive it and is the Institute’s first female recipient. There were 86 nominations from across the state this year. “There are so many people at VMI [who] deserve this award,” said Dimitrova-Grajzl. “It’s really a very holistic approach that VMI faculty take to teaching, research and service.” Along with teaching a full course load in economics during the academic year, Dimitrova-Grajzl, who is from Bulgaria, has established a summer study abroad course in central
Europe. She is currently developing a new study abroad program that will take students to new and old members of the European Union and connect the history, economics and politics of the region. Locally, she is also active in connecting cadets with the community, co-founding the VMI service club Building BRIDGES. What began as the VMI Women Build with Habitat Initiative expanded into a program that engages cadets with service organizations throughout the community, including Project Horizon, the SPCA and the Rockbridge Area Relief Association. During her seven years at VMI, Dimitrova-Grajzl has published 16 articles. Her extensive research into economics and social science is informed by her childhood. She grew up in Bulgaria as it transitioned from communism to capitalism, and her research has included the impact of the historical origins of institutions in today’s post-socialist nations. Her experiences, research, and dedication to cadets are present in the classroom, from introductory economics courses such as Principles of Microeconomics to upper-level electives such as Institutions and Economic Development. Dimitrova-Grajzl was one of three VMI faculty members nominated by the Dean’s Office this fall. Part of her submission included letters of recommendation from VMI faculty and former students. “The biggest award for me was the letters of support from the alumni,” said Dimitrova-Grajzl. “It’s very rewarding to do what we do.” One of them, written by Casey Field ’17, described Dimitrova-Grajzl’s dedication to community service. “Dr. Dimitrova-Grajzl develops relationships with her students that extend far beyond the classroom,” said Field. “I deeply respect her as both a professor and mentor.” In Dimitrova-Grajzl’s personal statement she recognized her own teachers and the example they set. “I integrate my life experiences and my research findings in my classes,” said Dimitrova-Grajzl. “Ultimately, I want my students to feel the way I felt in my middle school math class or my Wittenberg classes – inspired to learn, safe to explore different ideas and learn different skills, enriched by my teachers’ knowledge and peers’ experiences.”
Lt. Col. Valentina Dimitrova-Grajzl, Ph.D., associate professor of economics and business, is one of 13 statewide winners of the 2019 SCHEV outstanding faculty award. VMI photo by Kelly Nye.
VMI Turnouts A VMI ALUMNI AGENCIES DIGITAL NEWSLETTER
April 2019
Concrete Learning: New Civil Engineering Lab Space Supports Learning by Doing By Mary Price, VMI Communications & Marketing Long a goal for the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, a newly renovated structures lab has opened this academic year in the Nichols Engineering Building annex. The lab, which was formerly occupied by the mechanical engineering department, will allow a much larger space for class projects, as well as individual cadet and faculty research. Obtaining more lab space has been a goal of the department for over a decade, said Col. Chuck Newhouse, Ph.D., professor of civil and environmental engineering. Last year, VMI wasn’t able to field a team in the American Society of Civil Engineers’ concrete canoe competition because there was no space for cadets to build a canoe, and the reinforced concrete class taught by Lt. Col. Matt Swenty, Ph.D., associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, was also unable to have a lab component due to space constraints. At more than four and a half times the size of the previous lab, the newly renovated space has solved both of those problems. Cadets working on the concrete canoe project, a staple of VMI’s civil and environmental engineering department for several decades, have already cast their canoe in preparation for this year’s competition, held March 28-30 at George Mason University. Also in the lab, the approximately 55 cadets enrolled in this spring’s reinforced concrete class are setting up rebar and getting ready to pour concrete. “Now we can do demonstrations hands-on,” said Swenty. “One of their homework assignments is to go down [to the lab] and get dirty.” One of those hands-on cadets appreciating the new lab space is Cadet Will Hostetler ’20, who is taking Swenty’s reinforced concrete class this semester. “It’s really nice because it gives you a hands-on experience,” said Hostetler of the lab. “[In the class] you can kind of imagine what you’re doing, but when you’re down here actually making [concrete] and seeing what you’re learning hands-on, it makes it resonate a lot better. It makes you a lot more interested in it when you can actually see what you’re doing.” Working in the lab “has taught me how to really think outside the box,” noted Andrew Polson ’20, who’s also taking the reinforced concrete class. “You can do a bunch of problems on the board and understand it from a 2-D point of view, but coming down here and doing it gives you more of an appreciation for what you’re actually doing,” he continued. Both Hostetler and Polson noted that the hands-on experience is especially valuable to them because they both plan to work in construction after graduating from VMI. In another part of the lab, the four main members of VMI’s
concrete canoe team – Cadets Zach McBride ’19, David “Bunny” Hansen ’20, David Rosario ’19 and Brian Halpin ’19 – are busy readying their yet-unnamed vessel to float on the waters of the Potomac River at George Mason University. “It’s a really great project – a way to get hands-on experience mixing concrete, building molds, etc.” said Hansen. “It’s a pretty cool concept,” added McBride, who plans to commission into the Army and serve in the Corps of Engineers. “You tell people you’re building a canoe out of concrete and the first thing they’ll say is, ‘Does it float?’” The concrete used for the canoe contains a lightweight aggregate in place of concrete’s typical crushed stone to vastly reduce the material’s weight. While the exact density of their concrete will not be known until it cures, McBride is optimistic about the cadet-designed material. “The canoe is going to float no matter what,” McBride observed. “The actual weight of the concrete – its density – is lighter than water.” It’s lessons such as that that the lab is meant to inculcate. “It’s a student project lab as much as [a structures lab],” said Newhouse. “We’ve been a large department for a long time, and we do large projects,” he commented. “This is a nice space for us. Most schools this size wouldn’t have this.”
From left, Cadets Zach McBride ’19, Andrew Polson ’20 and David Rosario ’19 discuss plans for the American Society of Civil Engineers’ concrete canoe competition, held at George Mason University March 28-30. VMI photo by Mary Price.
VMI Turnouts A VMI ALUMNI AGENCIES DIGITAL NEWSLETTER
April 2019
Cyber Fusion Offers Challenges, Opportunities By H. Lockwood McLaughlin, VMI Communications & Marketing On Feb. 22-23, 2019, VMI hosted the third annual Commonwealth Cyber Fusion and Virginia Cyber Cup Competition in the Center for Leadership and Ethics. During the two-day event, students and faculty members from 17 schools learned, collaborated and competed in myriad cybersecurity related activities while having the opportunity to interact with and learn from companies and employers related to the field. “What this is really trying to get us to do is look further into cybersecurity and how it’s going to affect the world,” summarized Cadet Zach Harris ’20. Most of the job-oriented activities took place Feb. 22. Activities throughout the day included job fairs, an employer panel discussion, and a student, faculty and co-host dinner. “It’s good to be back,” said Darius Parker ’99, who was there representing Northrup Grumman, where he has worked for 20 years. He talked with interested students and potential future employees of the company at the event. “It’s always good to be back and to help out. A lot of people helped me, so to be able to turn around and help somebody else I think is tremendous,” he said. “They’re qualified candidates right away, so it’s advanced interviewing when they go on in there, and that has improved each year,” said Maj. Doug Wainwright, coach of the VMI cyber club. “I expect the improvement to keep coming.” Friday evening, keynote speaker Chris Wysopal, co-founder and chief technology officer of Veracode, spoke to the attendees in the Gillis Theater. Wysopal was part of a high-profile hacker team in the ’90s called Lopht that helped shed light on cybersecurity vulnerabilities. “I wanted to talk about some of my roots from the hacker community,” said Wysopal, adding that they “used the hacker mindset and took it from something that you might think of as the bad guy and used our thinking to improve cybersecurity.” In association with the Virginia Cyber Range, a state-funded research and educational institute, U.S. Sen. Mark Warner played a role in making this year’s conference a reality. Although he could not attend due to the Senate being in session, his video address helped kick off the conference. “We need talented cybersecurity professionals now more than ever,” Warner said. “That’s why I’m encouraged to hear about the high quality of students attending this year’s Cyber Fusion. I hope this event will allow you to strengthen your skills and connect with experts in your fields and potentially folks that might be interested in hiring you.” The main event Saturday was the cyber competition itself. Teams from schools all over Virginia gathered in the Hall of Valor, where, over the course of several hours, they were presented with a set of cybersecurity challenges that would test their knowledge and problem-solving abilities. There were plenty of difficult problems set forth, and, while no team solved all of them in the allotted time,
some got close. A live feed that charted each team’s progress and standings was projected onto a large screen as the competition progressed. “Got up to fourth place,” said Cadet Peter Boyle ’19. “We were there for about a half-hour.” By the end of the allotted time, VMI’s team placed eighth amid the competitive pool of 17 teams, and the University of Virginia walked away with the top spot. “This year went a lot better,” said Boyle, noting that the team was able to build on the knowledge gained in last year’s cyber challenge. “The competition was one of my favorites due to its practical application of your skills and it’s all helping you learn.” “We are trying to solve problems that are in computer systems ... maybe a decade older than what we have right now but it’s still problems that are going to continue to grow and we need to learn to solve things like this, and look for them,” said Harris, who, with his VMI team, came close to breaking the WEP authentication challenge before they were cut short by the clock. WEP authentication is used in internet connected devices, including many modern internet routers. Outside of the competition itself, there was constant collaboration and interaction among students from each school. “It’s nice to see people coming in from all part of the state coming together, sharing ideas, and just getting to know each other,” said Boyle. “We’re going to be working together in some capacity and getting that foundation started now. It’s just going to help build and make improvements that much better.” With another successful conference wrapped up, Wainwright reflected on his team’s experience: “We’re getting better every year and I look forward to maybe getting to top three next year.”
Cadets Andrew Morin ’21 and Willem Sciandra ’21 compete with the VMI team during the Cyber Fusion Cup Competition Feb. 23 in Marshall Hall. VMI photo by H. Lockwood McLaughlin.