Caroline Lassalle ’25 has always had a strong desire to learn about exercise science and work in the medical field. The biology major spent five weeks last summer becoming a certified emergency medical technician (EMT) at Virginia Military Institute.

Cadets are required to take swimming classes — a requirement that sets VMI apart from other colleges and universities, Col. James Coale, head of the Department of Human Performance & Wellness (HPW), said.

Philip Argauer ’23 conducted a year-long research project on cadet motivation with physical fitness and presented his findings in his senior thesis titled, “Increased Physical Fitness With Volt” during Honors Week, held March 20-28.  

The ribbon cutting and dedication of Virginia Military Institute’s Corps Physical Training Facility Phase III, the Aquatic Center took place Jan. 27. Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins ’85, superintendent celebrated the event with local dignitaries and special guests.

Hiking up a mountain can be a lot of fun, but add a heavy rucksack to a hiker’s back, and the hike can become a strenuous workout for the heart and lungs. Two cadets majoring in biology at Virginia Military Institute, are exploring the subject in their Summer Undergraduate Research Institute (SURI)

The Aquatic Center project, which is a little more than halfway done, continues steadily, with the project team working toward a November 2022 completion.

Family legacies at VMI are not uncommon, but most of them involve graduating from the Institute, passing down the family uniform, or even living in the same barracks room. The Baurs have a more direct legacy- A member of the family has taught a course on exercise physiology since 1989.

Maj. Dan Baur, assistant professor of physical education at Virginia Military Institute, will discuss the use of hydrogel technology by elite athletes on the public radio program With Good Reason March 20-26.

Thanks to the efforts of Col. James “Jimmy” Coale, professor of physical education, and his colleagues, rats enrolled in Physical Education 102, the required boxing course, are learning to box in a way that’s designed to minimize health risks while maximizing skill development.

The Anatomage Table, which is meant for the study of the human body and virtual dissection, is “kind of like a giant iPad,” explained Darren Ostrander ’20, one of the first cadets to use the table. Ostrander, along with five other cadets, is enrolled in PE 274 class, human anatomy.