New Corps Staff

Master Sgt. Joseph “Jo” Moore, U.S. Army (retired), is the Deputy Director for Operations. Originally from Fayette County, Alabama, Moore has been assigned to a multitude of units and locations across the globe including Germany, Turkey, Iraq, Qatar, Italy, and Russia. In the United States, Moore has been stationed at Fort Belvoir and Fort Bragg.

During his career as a signalman, Moore has been assigned as a team leader, section sergeant, and platoon sergeant. As a psychological operations sergeant, he served as a task force team leader, operations non-commissioned officer and S-3 operations sergeant major. He has completed three combat tours in Iraq and his decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, a Meritorious Service Medal, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence Meritorious Unit citation. He earned his senior parachutist wings in 2011.

Moore finished his career as an operations non-commissioned officer while assigned to the Defense Attaché offices in the U.S. embassies in Moscow and Rome. He retired from the Army in 2019.

Moore lives in Blacksburg with his wife and two youngest sons; his oldest son serves as a linguist with the U.S. Marine Corps.

Col. Robert Lyman, U.S. Army (retired), is the Associate Director of Major Gifts. A graduate of the Corps and former member of Alpha Company, Lyman commissioned into the U.S. Army and served as a scout pilot.

His operational assignments included tours with the 82nd Airborne Division, 2nd Infantry Division, and the 1st Infantry Division as a military transition team chief and deputy commander in Afghanistan. During his 30-year career, Lyman has had various aviation, command, and joint assignments culminating as the Defense Coordinating Officer at Fort Shafter in Hawaii where he served as the single point of contact for requesting, validating, and coordinating Department of Defense support for FEMA during disasters occurring in the Pacific region.

His badges and awards include the Senior Army Aviator Badge, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal with one silver oak leaf cluster, Army Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Joint Meritorious Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Mobilization Medal with “M” and “2” devices, Afghanistan Campaign with one star and the NATO Medal.

His military education includes completion of the Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Command and General Staff College, Combined Arms Services Staff College, Aviation Officer Advanced Course, and the Armor Officer Basic Course.

Lyman is a recent widower. He has four children and two grandchildren.

Clare Provoncha is a communications associate for the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets. She is tasked with video production, editing, and writing on behalf of the Corps. A political science major, she will graduate in May 2023.

As a cadet, Provoncha was a proud member of the VTCC Pipes and Drums, and in Air Force ROTC, she was the first female commander of Air Force Flyers, an organization that helps cadets earn aeronautically rated slots in the U.S. Air Force. She has completed a congressional internship with U.S. Rep. Robert Wittman and has traveled abroad with the Corps' Global Scholars program.

Upon her graduation and commissioning this spring, Provoncha will begin Combat Systems Officer Training in Pensacola, FL.

Liam Murphy is the Alumni Advancement Associate Managerial Assistant for the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets. He is tasked with assisting in the setup and coordination of events for the advancement team. A mining engineering major, he will graduate in December 2022.

As a cadet, Murphy commanded Alpha Company during the fall 2021 semester and served as the Naval Battalion commander during the spring semester in 2022. He is a member of the International Society of Explosives Engineers and Society of Mining Engineers.

Upon graduation, Murphy will commission as a student Naval aviator and report to Pensacola, FL for flight training.