Progress

Milestone Reunion Classes Present Checks to Institute

Annually, classes celebrating a “milestone reunion”—10th, 25th, and 50th—also participate in reunion campaigns that provide the Institute the resources it needs to ensure the continuing excellence of the VMI education.

The Class of 1970 presented the preliminary proceeds of its 50th Reunion campaign to the Institute during halftime at the football game Sept. 4. With an emphasis on raising funds for the Foundation Fund and the Keydet Club Scholarship Fund—as well as the Class of 1970 Merit Scholarship and the Class of 1970 Athletic Scholarship—this effort realized $13,007,070.70 in gifts and pledges from 186 brother rats. Thomas Zarges ’70 and Ralph Costen ’70, the campaign’s co-chairmen, presented the check to the Institute and the VMI Alumni Agencies.

On Sept. 25, the leaders of the campaigns of the Class of 1995 and the Class of 2011 presented the initial proceeds of their respective efforts to VMI. The Class of 1995—represented by Kurt A. Polk and Lloyd Taliaferro—made gifts and commitments totaling $1,929,595.95. The leaders of the Class of 2011’s campaign, Julian J. Bowers and Chad A. Lawson, gave VMI a check representing their brother rats’ pledges and donations of $110,020.11. Representatives from the Institute and the Alumni Agencies accepted the check.

The Class of 1996 presented a check for $1,639,696.96 to the Institute and the VMI Alumni Agencies Oct. 30 at their 25th Reunion. Tom Danielsen ’96, Nick Latsios ’96, and Jon Dano ’96, the reunion co-chairs, presented the check. The Class of 1996 placed special emphasis on fundraising for the Capt. Jamie Edge 1996 VMI Spirit Scholarship.

1970: 50th Reunion 1995: 25th Reunion

1996: 25th Reunion 2011: 10th Reunion

Topasna: VMI Astronomer and Peay Chair

By Molly Rolon, Editorial Specialist

VMI’s observatory, located a few miles east of post, in McKethan Park, is one of the Institute’s great resources. From the observatory, cadets can measure things no one has measured before, said Col. Greg Topasna, Ph.D., astronomy professor.—VMI Photo by Kelly Nye.

Col. Greg Topasna, Ph.D., teaches VMI’s astronomy classes and holds one of five Peay Chairs at the Institute. He’s the keeper and maintainer of the Institute’s observatory in McKethan Park and the custodian of an extraterrestrial and terrestrial material collection on post.

“I sometimes joke that it’s the ‘Department of Physics and Greg,’” Topasna smiled, talking about his status as the lone astronomy professor in VMI’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. He began teaching at VMI in 2000 and became the Institute’s astronomer in 2006. In this role, he teaches astronomy classes and advises astronomy minors. Two of his favorite courses are astrobiology—where students ponder life in other parts of the universe—and cosmology, where they consider theories about how the universe was made and “how we got here.”

Visitors to Topasna’s office can see several programs running on his computer screens. He’s immersed in complex topics, like measuring the distance between stars and the earth and determining if there is matter—like dust—in between. An enthusiastic teacher, Topasna easily switches to explanations in more straightforward language for nonastronomers. He likes to share how to see stars without any special equipment. He’s a fan of a free program—stellarium.org—which anyone can download to see a realistic, 3D sky. The program, he said, is updated regularly by astronomers around the world.

No visit to Topasna is complete without a short detour to Mallory Hall’s basement, where he’ll let visitors hold bits of the universe in their hands—a piece of Mars, depleted uranium, bits of meteorites, and more. The collection is destined for more exposure in a display case on Mallory Hall’s third floor. Cadets in the Astronomy Club are working on ways to showcase the specimens and draw in passersby. Rather than labeling what could be mistaken for ordinary rocks, Topasna has the cadets looking into using an iPad and other technology, which can show video or photos relating to each piece in the exhibit. For instance, the collection includes a portion of the Chelyabinsk meteor, which landed in Russia in 2013. With technology, someone could watch video footage of the meteor falling, giving more context to the tiny fragment on display.

Topasna enables cadet learning through hands-on research and projects. He involves cadets in research, often beginning with a night or two at the observatory.

If conditions are perfect, Topasna and his students can use the observatory about 10 days per month—during the new moon, plus a few days on either side of the new moon.

“The weather during that one and a half weeks has to be clear. You have these windows of opportunity to go, and you make the most of it,” he said. The first part of the night is spent getting the system set up. There’s nothing worse than spending the night gathering data, he said, and then having to sleepily work backward to set up measuring standards at 4 or 5 a.m.

free from rodents, Topasna noted. “Ever since two black snakes moved in, I’ve been very happy.” One of his wish list items—aside from another astronomer—is a place on post for cadets to look at the sky. He’d like a cement pad and a dome and could use a telescope he has on hand to put the set-up somewhere on post, like the roof of Mallory Hall. The observatory is a valuable resource for VMI, but weather, light conditions, jam-packed cadet schedules, and distance make it inaccessible for many cadets most of the time. A telescope on post, though not able to measure data in the same way the observatory does, would conveniently allow cadets to view the night sky almost any evening. Topasna’s chair, the Commodore Matthew Fontaine Maury Chair for Academic Excellence, is funded by the General J.H. Binford Peay III 1962 Endowment. When a professor holds a chair or professorship at VMI, the private funds pay the professor’s entire Topasna is the Commodore Matthew Fontaine Maury Chair for Academic Excellence. His chair is funded by salary and add a financial bonus to the General J.H. Binford Peay III 1962 Endowment for Academic Excellence.—Photo by Molly Rolon, VMI the salary. The Institute is then able Alumni Agencies. to use the commonwealth-provided funds, which would have been used

VMI’s observatory helps the Institute astronomer help his students. for the chair-holder’s salary, to increase pay for fellow VMI faculty. Often, when they finish a long night looking at the heavens, he points Topasna appreciates many aspects of being named a Peay Chair. He’s out to the students that they’ve truly done something new. They’ll be happy that his colleagues get a small boost in salary, and of course he looking through their findings, and he’ll say to the cadet, “No one’s appreciates his own raise in salary. He also feels that the “Peay Chair” ever done that before. You’re the first person to measure that. You’ve title under his signature adds a bit more weight to any communications done something no one else has done before.” he makes—particularly in support of students.

Aside from weather conditions and making sure instruments are set If he advocates for a student applying for a grant, a program, or to capture data correctly, light pollution is slowly becoming a concern. graduate school, his letter doesn’t come just from Col. Greg Topasna, Nighttime illumination from superstore developments north of Lex- Ph.D. It comes from the holder of a Peay Chair. ington is almost four miles from the observatory by road but closer “It’s a little more gravitas,” he said. “I can help my students through as the crow flies—and as light travels. The lights are gradually adding that title.” to the area’s light pollution. Topasna is hopeful that the observatory He also sees the value of being able to help his students more and can continue to gather data for another decade or two—or longer, that his state-supported salary is used to better VMI as a whole. A depending on area growth. professor who loves what he does, Topasna is dedicated to his job and

At the observatory, VMI’s only astronomy professor is also the guy his students—and would do it every day, with or without recognition. who takes charge of fixing anything and everything. He’s built equip- “I’m going to go to work, do my job, and enjoy what I do,” he said. ment, like a polarimeter, and has developed a keen sense of how each “That’s why I became a professor.” piece of equipment should sound. A few years ago, he heard a different The General J.H. Binford Peay III 1962 Endowment for Academic noise when he opened the top of the observatory. Excellence began in 2017. The Peay Endowment has four funds.

“In the middle part [of] the summer, I was out there, got in, turned Two funds—the Peay Chairs, with five VMI professors, and the Peay the telescope, and turned the dome. It makes a familiar noise that Merit Scholars, with three current cadets—are actively moving VMI I’m used to and then when it stopped, I kept hearing this [noise],” he forward. The other funds are the Peay Fellows, which assists alumni in said. He looked up and “there was the giant black snake just kind of obtaining graduate degrees, and the Peay Academic Excellence Fund, making its way along the track.” which gives VMI the ability to take advantage of unrestricted funds to

The snake has proven to be a good team player, keeping the observatory distribute funds to the areas of highest need within the endowment.

Sustaining Excellence: Coaches Compensation Fund

By Scott Belliveau '83, Communications Officer

Today, no discussion about sports lasts long without the introduction of analytics. Every sport—baseball, football, basketball, soccer, and even golf—has its ever-expanding set of statistics and measurements, many of which are downright esoteric. Rankings abound, too, and each is founded on—yes—more statistics. If you want another set of bewildering numbers to enter the conversation, mention gambling.

It is often hard to devote the time to learn what they mean and see if the claims made based on them have any validity. This is not to say that all these numbers and rankings are useless. Some indeed tell an interesting tale or, at least, bring attention to one. One such ranking concerns VMI football. This year, in terms of the compensation of the football team’s assistant coaches, VMI ranks fourth in the Southern Conference,

up from ninth just a couple of years ago. That relatively simple change in a ranking has behind it an interesting story of generosity, leadership, and success.

A few years ago, VMI thoroughly examined its intercollegiate sports program with an eye toward improving it across the board. The task seemed daunting because in many categories, when ranked against other teams in the Southern Conference, VMI ranked last.

One of these categories was the compensation of coaches. Stephen E. Hupp Sr. ’84, former VMI Foundation president, remembers what brought home to him the effect this ranking had in real terms. “After the 2019 season, when VMI football had posted a 5-7 record, Scott Wachenhiem, our head coach, told a meeting that he had had 36 assistant coaches in six years—and that he had never fired any of them. In other words, they all had gone on to better opportunities.” Hupp also recalls being told that this problem was not confined to football but common to every team.

According to Hupp, alumni are “leaders and problem solvers.” He realized that while VMI could offer alumni a solution as to how to increase the scholarship support for cadet-athletes—e.g., give to the Keydet Club Scholarship Fund or endow a scholarship for, say, lacrosse—it could not offer them a solution to the compensation problem. So, Hupp came up with a solution. “I suggested the VMI Foundation create two endowments, one devoted to football and another devoted for any team,” he recalled. “The Foundation leadership and the Keydet Club agreed.” Asked why a separate fund for football was necessary, he replied, “A lot goes into building and maintaining a winning program in any sport, but none are as demanding as football. It requires facilities, equipment, and personnel—both on the field and on the sidelines—on a relatively large scale.” The football team’s rising fortunes were another factor. “The coaches were an extremely

important element to the team’s improvement, and that made it imperative to keep them at VMI.”

In the first six months after the endowment was established, alumni came forward with $50,000 in additional gifts. “Admittedly,” said Andrew C. Deal ’12, Keydet Club chief operating officer, “that was not a lot, but the interest definitely was there among alumni and friends.”

It is often said success begets success, and so it was with this endowment. This past spring, VMI football began its pandemic-delayed 2020 campaign. It was a thrilling time in which the team displayed VMI’s “never say die” spirit and, as it chalked up several victories, rose steadily in national polls. The season was capped magnificently when VMI won the Southern Conference’s football championship outright for the first time since 1974.

Not long after the season, many in the VMI family started asking how they could help the team sustain its success. And the VMI Alumni Agencies had the answer. “Many people can take a share of the credit for the championship,” said Hupp. “Undeniably, however, the driving force was Scott Wachenhiem and his assistant coaches. Coach Wach provided the vision and strategy, and his assistants put it into action in practice and in competition.” The key to future success, as Deal puts it, was “keeping this winning team together, and the key to that was increasing the compensation to the assistant coaches.”

As the interest in the fund increased, an alumnus offered a challenge match. “Alumni are known for responding to challenges, and now we could give them one: Their donations would be matched dollar for dollar.” The team’s success and the challenge grant served “to move the needle significantly,” as Deal explains, and by late November 2021, almost $2 million had been given or pledged to the fund.

According to Wachenhiem, the fund’s initial effect was threefold. “First, it helped reward

these hard-working, dedicated assistants for winning the Southern Conference championship by providing them a pay increase above and beyond what the usual funding sources would allow.”

Second, it allowed an assistant coach to move from part-time to full-time, giving VMI a total of 10 full-time coaches. That brought VMI up to the same level as other Southern Conference teams.

Finally, it stabilized the staff, from which the program derives many benefits. “Football is no different than any business,” Wachenheim stated. “People who know each other and have worked together create a more effective, more efficient organization.”

One benefit is in recruiting, said Wachenhiem. “Recruiting is relationship driven, and it takes time. If a coach who has been cultivating a player leaves the team for which he is recruiting, that young man might hesitate to maintain a relationship with that team.”

Another is in terms of player development. “Our job is to help the young men on this team to develop as leaders, as mentors, and as players. If a staff stays the same, the more the systems stay the same. That allows us to increase every

“So, if anyone is keen on accelerating the progress of any of our teams, do what VMI alumni are trained to do: Lead.”

player’s performance level. First, we teach the basics—how to do something, be it be an offensive lineman, a running back, or a punter. That establishes a baseline. Then, we teach them what to do in different situations. That improves their performance. The next step is to teach them why we do it the way we do. That gives them a fuller understanding of the game and their roles in it, and that allows them to realize their maximum performance.”

There also is an intangible effect, said Wachenhiem. “I thank Steve Hupp for getting this started and all those who have given it such a good start. It has been meaningful to our entire staff and me to know that alumni think highly enough of us to reward our efforts. Rewarding people motivates them to work harder, and all of us are.”

Jim Miller, VMI’s interim athletic director, praised those who had helped develop the fund and have given to it. “I deeply appreciate the alumni who got behind this effort because it helps Coach Wachenhiem reward and retain the coaches who transformed VMI football into a successful program that is getting widespread attention and bringing great credit to the Institute as a whole and attracting new coaches to the program in the future.”

It also, Miller says, helps the Institute meet one of its top athletic challenges. “If we want to increase the competitiveness of our teams and boost their chances to compete for championships, we need to substantially increase their operating budgets. As a public college, VMI doesn’t have the freedom to allocate money as it sees fit. Its relatively small student population means it doesn’t have the revenues that larger public and private institutions can count on. The only way it can do so, therefore, is through the generosity of its alumni and friends.

“VMI has long had a great reputation for harnessing the loyalty, energy, and enthusiasm of its alumni when it comes to fundraising. The current success of the coaches’ compensation fund attests to that. But this success needs to be replicated throughout the sports program.”

Hupp agrees with this sentiment. “There is no one who wants to see our teams win more than me. I want all of them to be competing for and winning conference championships. And we can get there if the VMI family gets behind our coaches, staff, and cadet-athletes.

“The framework is there, and it works. So, if anyone is keen on accelerating the progress of any of our teams, do what VMI alumni are trained to do: Lead.”

For the first time, three cadets are benefitting from alumni support as Peay Merit Scholars this academic year.

Named for the Institute’s 14th superintendent, Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III ’62, the Peay Merit Scholarships are designed to reward excellence across all three domains of the VMI experience—academics, athletics, and the military—by providing selected cadets with a full-ride scholarship covering tuition, fees, room, and board. The scholarships can be renewed for up to four years.

“The long-term goal of the Peay Merit Scholars program is to raise enough funds to provide five scholarships in each class or 20 in the Corps,” said Brig. Gen. Robert “Bob” Moreschi, Ph.D., dean of the faculty and deputy superintendent for academics. “Strategically, we want to provide our admissions and academic teams the ability to compete for talented, well-rounded students who may also be interested in attending federal service academies or top universities.”

The Peay Merit Scholarships began with a small group of passionate alumni led by the late Donald “Donnie” Wilkinson ’61, a former member of both the VMI Board of Visitors and the VMI Foundation Board of Trustees. As the founding chairman of the General J.H. Binford Peay III 1962 Endowment for Academic Excellence, Wilkinson envisioned a program that would strengthen VMI’s academics while honoring Peay, who excelled across all three areas as a cadet before going on to a 35-year career in the U.S. Army and serving for 17 years as VMI’s superintendent. The Peay Endowment Cabinet, which oversees the fund’s administration, is now headed by Gen. John P. Jumper ’66, retired Air Force chief of staff.

“We share Donnie Wilkinson’s vision of a powerful academic program that not only attracts quality candidates but provides the tools to actively compete for the highest quality talent, able to thrive in the VMI system,” said Jumper. “Providing for a robust student base parallels other provisions of the Peay Endowment to recruit and reward top faculty, and to advance opportunities for VMI cadets and graduates to pursue careers in academic fields.”

The inaugural Peay Merit Scholars consist of two 2nd Class cadets, both majoring in electrical

Private Support Makes Peay Scholarships Possible

By Mary Price, Associate Editor

and computer engineering, and one 4th Class cadet, an international studies major. Cadets of any major are eligible for the Peay Merit Scholarships.

Cadet Dominick J. Lalena ’23 from Stafford, Virginia, plans to commission into the Army and would like to serve with the Cyber Corps. He’s a member of the S2 staff, a position he takes seriously since he was unsure about his own major—one with very high attrition—when he was a rat. Lalena has worked hard and been successful and wants to help other cadets be successful academically. With that goal in mind, he’s developed a mentorship program for electrical and computer engineering rats with activities such as study sessions, tutor sessions, book reading sessions, and other activities.

Lalena is “absolutely honored” to be one of VMI’s first Peay Merit Scholars and is grateful for the scholarship.

“For me, it’s the biggest thing that’s ever happened in my entire life besides, you know, coming to VMI in the first place,” he stated. “And so I also subsequently forwarded that email [with the scholarship news] to all my teachers, thanking all of them for helping me get to this point, and that just kind of goes back to I’m just incredibly thankful for this. I still have the email pinned in my inbox. I look at it every day as a reminder of this is where hard work gets you. And to continue to work hard. Yeah, that was awesome.”

It’s been a long journey for someone who’d had some struggles in high school and didn’t consider himself a strong student when he matriculated. Now, he wears academic stars and has a high cumulative GPA.

He’s always been sure about VMI, though. It was the only school he applied to.

“VMI was really the only place I wanted to go to,” he commented. “I knew that there was no other place that would really fit me and my desires. I had a very specific set of goals and a vision of who I wanted to be as an adult. And I knew that VMI would be the only place I could achieve that fully in the extent that I wanted to.”

Lalena views alumni as “pillars of excellence” and is excited to join their ranks. “These are people who are valuable members of society, who contribute, who put service above self, who

are selfless individuals who are always caring for others, and [are] always working hard,” he stated. “You know, you can get that from another place, but no place will prepare you for that like VMI will.”

Cadet Binh Q. Tran ’23 from Ashburn, Virginia, grew up in Vietnam and moved to the U.S. in 2015. He’s a member of the Cadet Investment Club and jiu-jitsu club and part of the S2 staff, which supports cadets needing help with academics. Tran is also an assistant investigator for the Cadet Equity Association.

Tran came to VMI because he wanted to commission in the Air Force and because of VMI’s small class size, alumni network, and the physical, mental, and academic challenges VMI offers. He was “extremely happy” when he learned he would receive a Peay Merit Scholarship and immediately called his parents.

“It’s the best thing that I have that I received for the past few years, so I was really happy and really glad that I got the scholarship,” said Tran, who is the first person in his family to go to college in the United States. “I’m extremely thankful to all the alumni who are making this happen and I feel like this is one of the reasons why VMI is one of the best schools in the U.S.”

For Tran, giving back is imperative, and thus he’s happy to be a member of the S2 staff. As a recent English language learner, Tran knows the importance of receiving assistance.

“I’m really glad that I’m able to help [cadets] out and make sure they can improve their performance in terms of academics,” he noted.

Cadet Patrick J. Simmons ’25 from Quantico, Virginia, is an international studies major. A member of the Naval ROTC, he plans to commission into the Marine Corps. He came to VMI because of the challenge and because he felt like the Institute was one of the best places to learn about becoming a Marine. He considered the Naval Academy as well but saw a greater brotherhood and pride among VMI alumni. He is thankful for his scholarship and that people care enough about him and his goals and want to help him.

“I wouldn’t have been able to come here if they didn’t give me that money,” Simmons stated. “I just feel very, very blessed.”

As he begins his cadetship, Simmons strives to emulate the model of excellence set by generations of the Institute’s alumni.

“I want to be a great person, as in the VMI way, like the three-legged stool, so academics, military training, and sportsmanship,” he said. “And I think that’s like the best way to be the most wellbalanced person you could be because you’ve got to try hard in everything you do.”

In addition to providing cadet scholarships, the Peay Endowment supports two other initiatives designed to increase academic excellence. The Peay Academic Excellence Chairs provide private funds to support some faculty positions, thus freeing state funds to be reallocated among all Institute faculty members.

Thanks partially to this approach, faculty salaries have risen by an average of 34% in the last five years, and on average, 16% of each faculty member’s salary now comes from private funds. This rise in salaries is necessary to support the hiring and retention of top-notch faculty members.

In addition, the Peay Fellows program supports graduate studies for qualified alumni, with the expectation that they will come back and teach at the Institute afterward.

Cadet Binh Q. Tran ’23, one of three Peay Scholars in Academic Year 2021-22, stands with Maj. Gen. Cedric Wins ’85 (left), superintendent, and Brig. Gen. Robert Moreschi, Ph.D., dean of the faculty. The other two Peay Scholars are Cadets Dominick J. Lalena ’23 and Patrick J. Simmons ’25.—VMI Photo by Kelly Nye.