By Elizabeth Krahe ’27
Tucked away from the busyness of traditional campus life lies the University of Dayton Military and Veteran Programs and Services student lounge, where physics professor Todd Smith holds weekly office hours. The space in Zeller Hall isn't lacking in activity — lively conversation drifts into the hallway before you even reach the door.
Inside, Smith sits at his usual table alongside his regular tutoring student for the semester, Army veteran and premedicine student Caleb Bell, and a rotating group of veterans and military dependents — a student who is a family member of an active duty, retired or deceased service member who is authorized to receive government benefits and support.
"Each day brings different people into the ebb and flow of the lounge, so you never quite know what the energy will be," said Air National Guard veteran and student Melissa Cronin, president of the Student Veterans' Association.
For many veterans, entering a traditional brick-and-mortar university after active duty can be intimidating. They are often older than their peers and adjusting to an environment lacking the structure they left behind.
"The military has a built-in, tight-knit camaraderie built on striving to be better," said U.S. Marine Corps veteran and transfer student Christian Mathes. "MVPS is a room where people share similar stories, and we have that initial understanding of where each other is coming from."
"There's an automatic bond," Cronin added. "When you enter college years after high school, you forget a lot of that foundational content."
That is where Smith steps in. He started tutoring through MVPS four years ago when a colleague retired, wanting a tangible way to express his appreciation for this demographic of students.
"I have no connection to veterans beyond gratitude for what they've done for our country," Smith said. "If breaking down physics or calculus content is a way I can show that, then that's what I want to do."
When the rigorous pace of precalculus proved challenging during Bell's first semester at UD, he sought out Smith's help.
"The Army was physically challenging. College is intellectually difficult, but Todd has a lot of patience and describes the concepts and examples in a way that makes it make sense," Bell said.
Cronin echoed that sentiment: "Todd built in me so much confidence in my first semester of physics content that I feel like I can tackle anything."
For Coast Guard veteran and director of MVPS Ron Johnson, this dynamic represents the core mission of the lounge.
"It's meant to be a place that fills that void of camaraderie after active service, and demystifies to our campus community what it means to be a veteran and a student," Johnson said.
To build on that mission, MVPS hosts once-a-semester "Faculty in the Foxhole" dinners. Veteran students and UD faculty gather over meals, ready-to-eat (yes, actual military-grade MREs!) — with favorites ranging from beef goulash to chili mac — to bridge cultural gaps.
"Those are really successful," Johnson said. "They are scheduled for an hour, but I've had to kick the group out before because it's gone too late!"
Smith has attended the dinners as well, finding that the interactions deepen his appreciation for the unique perspectives veteran students bring into his traditional classrooms.
"Different ideas flow through the study room," said Mathes. "We have a lot of deep conversations about the service, classes and life in general."
For Smith, the weekly commitment has become an indispensable part of his teaching routine.
"These people keep me real," Smith said. "I hope to keep this up for the rest of my teaching career."