SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference named its All-Southern Conference Faculty and Staff Team on Thursday, with Col.Jeff Kendrick and Mrs. Michelle Murphy representing VMI. 

Kendrick and Murphy will be recognized at the VMI-Citadel basketball game on January 20. To purchase tickets, click here. 

While the selections were left up to each institution's discretion, the recipients all shared the common characteristics of demonstrated service to the institution and contributions to campus life and the local community. Faculty members selected have demonstrated strong contributions to teaching, research and/or service, while staff members are being recognized for bringing out the best in others and creating conditions for success.

"The Southern Conference is proud to publicly recognize the exceptional faculty and staff members at our institutions," SoCon Commissioner Michael Cross said. "Each of the selected honorees are leaders and mentors at their respective institutions and we celebrate their service and commitment. We thank them for fostering the special and unique environments found across the ten SoCon campuses and serving as pillars in their communities."

Col. Jeff Kendrick, VMI (faculty)
Col. Jeff Kendrick – earning his Doctorate from Kansas in 2012 - is a Professor of French at Virginia Military Institute where he enjoys teaching French language and culture classes. Since his arrival at VMI, Col. Kendrick has co-developed an entirely new French curriculum that emphasizes written, oral, and cross-cultural communication across a French major's cadetship. In addition to investing in the classroom, Col. Kendrick devotes significant time and energy developing cadets outside those four walls. He co-directs the VMI in Paris summer study abroad program in addition to serving as Project GO's Mandarin Chinese program (2022) and resident (2023) director in Taiwan and has worked with cadets on Summer Undergraduate Research Institute projects.

Col. Kendrick's primary research interests include polemic and violence in the French Wars of Religion, gender in sixteenth-century French devotional poetry, and the integration of classroom technology with language learning. He has published and presented on Marguerite de Navarre, Joachim DuBellay, polemic and politics in the French Wars of Religion, using sitcoms in the French classroom, student-centered learning and flipping the language classroom. He is currently working on a critical English translation of Marguerite de Navarre's Chansons spirituelles.

Michelle Murphy, VMI (staff)
Michelle Murphy was named the VMI Executive Assistant for Intercollegiate Athletics in November 2021. In addition to providing front-line administrative support for Athletics executive level staff and coaches, Michelle serves as a departmental coordinator for meetings, travel authorizations, reimbursements, and procurement. Mrs. Murphy is the payroll supervisor for Athletics hourly employees and provides additional human resources support to the Associate Athletic Director for Internal Operations. She is the departmental athletics awards administrator and serves as a Notary Public. Prior to joining Athletics, Michelle was a member of the VMI Registrar's Office as the Office Manager and Scheduling Coordinator for 15 years. She received the VMI Distinguished Service Award in May 2014, the Marshall New Market Battalion Appreciation Award in May 2012, and has achieved a Recognition of Service from VMI on three separate occasions. Mrs. Murphy supports the VMI mission through her professionalism and is often noted for her always positive approach. She takes pride in watching all cadets grow and succeed at VMI and can always be found cheering loudly in the stands for the Keydets.

To view the full SoCon release, click here.