All-Southern Conference Faculty and Staff Recognized

Mattie Quesenberry Smith, Ph.D., VMI Department of English, Rhetoric, and Humanistic Studies instructor and recently appointed poet laureate for the Commonwealth of Virginia, and Col. Shannon Eskam, assistant superintendent for strategic enrollment management/director of financial aid, were recognized during the Feb. 8, 2025, home basketball game against The Citadel Bulldogs in Cameron Hall. They have been named members of the All-Southern Conference Faculty and Staff Team for the 2024–25 academic year.

With two representatives chosen from each of the Southern Conference’s 10 member schools, the All-Southern Conference Faculty and Staff Team recognizes individuals who have demonstrated service to their schools and made contributions to campus life and the local community. Michael Cross, Southern Conference league commissioner, stated, “The Southern Conference loves shining a spotlight on the remarkable faculty and staff at our member institutions. Each of the honorees is a leader and mentor at their respective school, and we applaud their service and dedication. We are grateful for the way they cultivate the distinctive and exceptional environments found across the 10 SoCon campuses, serve as cornerstones in their communities, and exceed what is expected in their role.”

Smith joined VMI in 2013. She teaches writing and rhetoric I and II throughout the academic year and summer sessions. She holds a doctorate in education, curriculum, and instruction with a concentration in integrative STEM education from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Smith uses the I-STEM Ed. model in her classes to develop cross-disciplinary writing in which cadets explore issues related to their majors and career interests. Smith encourages her students to submit works to literary journals.

Mattie Quesenberry Smith, Ph.D., VMI Department of English, Rhetoric, and Humanistic Studies instructor, was recently appointed poet laureate for the Commonwealth of Virginia.—Photo courtesy VMI Communications & Marketing.

As a recipient of a 2023–24 Cyber-Grant awarded by VMI’s Cyber Defense Laboratory, Smith, with Cadet Stephen A. Ralis ’25, wrote a literature review of research regarding cyber tools used to support critical reflective writing within technology and engineering design-based, problem-solving activities. Smith and Ralis presented their review at the Writing Education Across Borders Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, last September.

As founding member and executive vice president of the Rockbridge-Shenandoah Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association, Smith facilitates local community outreach and education through community development activities dedicated to emerging leaders in STEM and cyber-related fields at VMI and surrounding colleges. She has mentored cadets and other college students, volunteering to present micro-bits microprocessor coding challenges in five local elementary schools. Her collaboration with colleagues in VMI’s Department of Computer and Information Sciences has expanded programs shared by AFCEA and VMI, including mentorships with industry and agency professionals dedicated to national cybersecurity and local technological innovation.

Eskam began her career at VMI in 2022. She oversees the Office of Admissions, the Office of Financial Aid and cadet marketing and helps coordinate post-wide retention efforts. She is responsible for developing, implementing, and overseeing the execution of the multi-year comprehensive strategic enrollment management plan, and ensuring compliance with Title IV and other relevant state and federal laws and regulations. Serving as a liaison to VMI athletics, she will uphold National Collegiate Athletics Association and Southern Conference rules.

She came to Lexington from Casper, Wyoming, where she served as the director of financial aid, deputy Title IX coordinator, enrollment services supervisor, and veterans affairs certifying official at Casper College. Prior to Casper College, she worked at Gillette College in Gillette, Wyoming, as the assistant director of financial aid services.

Eskam earned her doctoral degree in higher education administration and a bachelor’s degree in communication with an emphasis in marketing from the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming. She holds a master’s degree in organizational management from Chadron State College in Chadron, Nebraska.

She and her husband reside in Lexington with their two school-aged children and three dogs.