Naval Postgraduate School Secretary of the Navy Guest Lecture SGL
Welcome to the Secretary of the Navy Guest Lecture series!
Guest speakers are an integral part of the student-learning experience at the Naval Postgraduate School. The Secretary of the Navy Guest Lecture (SGL) series exposes students to prominent speakers, recognized as distinguished leaders in their fields of expertise.
The goal of the SGL series is to complement the broad range of NPS curricula with compelling speakers who expand our thinking and challenge our assumptions to existing issues inspiring us to consider new possibilities and potential futures. SGLs are scheduled at regular intervals throughout the year, typically on Tuesdays at 1500 in King Hall. The Dean of Students has overall responsibility for the coordination and execution of the lecture series.
To the extent possible, nominations for speakers come from the NPS student body. The student-led President’s Board for Student Affairs plays a key leadership role in the process in order to facilitate dialogue on potential topics of interest and guests students want to invite. Nominations must meet certain criteria to promote higher levels of thinking and generate insights on current issues, emerging technologies and possible solutions to security challenges that enhance student success and the NPS mission.
Past speakers have included high-level U.S. and international government and military leaders, industry executives, futurists, recognized authors and thought leaders.
With the permission of each guest lecturer, NPS makes every effort to share the knowledge and benefit of speakers via livestream or post-event recorded videos.
Follow updates here about SGLs and on NPS social media:
Previous Presentations
Rear Admiral Lorin C. Selby, U.S. Navy, Chief of Naval Research
May 25, 2021 | noon (pacific) | Virtual Navy Guest Lecture (V-SGL)
Lecture Topic: Re-Imagining the Future Force
Rear Adm. Lorin C. Selby is the 26th Chief of Naval Research and commander of the Naval Research Enterprise, which includes the Office of Naval Research (ONR), Naval Research Laboratory, ONR-Global and PMR-51. Selby graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Science in nuclear engineering and earned his commission through the Navy’s Reserve Officers Training Corps program. He also holds a Master of Science in nuclear engineering and a Nuclear Engineer degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
His shipboard tours include USS Puffer (SSN 652), USS Pogy (SSN 647) and USS Connecticut (SSN 22) and command of USS Greeneville (SSN 772). Ashore, Selby’s staff assignments include deputy director of the Navy’s liaison office to the U.S. House of Representatives; Submarine Platforms and Strategic Programs branch head; and program manager for both the Submarine Imaging and Electronic Warfare Systems and Advanced Undersea Systems.
As a flag officer, Selby served as commander, Naval Surface Warfare Center, then as the Navy’s chief engineer and the Naval Sea Systems Command deputy commander for Ship Design, Integration and Naval Engineering before assuming his current role as Chief of Naval Research overseeing the annual investment of all basic, applied and advance technology development research for the Department of the Navy, a $2 billion portfolio.
Read story: https://nps.edu/-/future-force-naval-research-chief-discusses-discruptive-technologies-during-latest-v-sgl
Learn more about NPS research
Mr. Joseph Bryan
April 27, 2021 | 12:00 p.m. (pacific) | Virtual Navy Guest Lecture (V-SGL)
Lecture Topic: The Security Implications of Climate Change
Mr. Joseph Bryan is the Senior Advisor on Climate to the Secretary of Defense. Prior to his appointment, Joe Bryan was principal at a consulting practice focused on clean energy technology and its intersection with national security. Joe previously served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy where he was responsible for policies relating to the Department’s installation and operational energy programs. Earlier in his career, he led investigations for the Senate Armed Services Committee and served on the professional staffs of the Senate's Select Committee on Intelligence and Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Joe has consulted on energy policy in Namibia and South Africa and began his career working on electricity restructuring and state-level policies to encourage the growth of clean energy markets. He was formerly a Senior Fellow with the Atlantic Council's Global Energy Center. Mr. Bryan earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1991 from Fordham University and a Master of Arts in Urban Affairs and Public Policy, with a focus on energy and environmental policy from the University of Delaware.
From the President’s Executive Orders on Climate Change, the mandates and vision laid out by the President and Secretary of Defense, and the White House Leaders’ Climate Summit, Mr. Bryan will discuss the national security implications of climate change and perspectives on the path forward from the DoD Climate Working Group he leads.
Video Link: https://youtu.be/Q9nNsB_h77k
Learn more about the NPS Climate and Security Network: https://nps.edu/web/climate-and-security
NPS Energy Academic Group: https://nps.edu/web/eag
SGL Stories
2021
June 2 - Future Force: Naval Research Chief Discusses Disruptive Technologies During Latest V-SGL
April 30 - Pentagon’s Senior Climate Advisor Delivers Talk on Security, Climate Change in Latest SGL
April 29 - Missile Defense Agency Chief Discusses Technology, Education, Mission During Virtual SGL
March 15 - Nobel Prize Winning Physicist Discusses Quantum Reform of the Metric System
February 1 - Former USSTRATCOM and Pacific Fleet Commander Cecil Haney Talks Great Power Competition During Latest SGL
January 27 - NPS Welcomes Retired Vice Adm. Edward Moore Jr. Into Hall of Fame
2020
November 20 - Ambassador Harris Discusses U.S./ROK Alliance, Statesmanship During NPS Virtual Lecture
October 15 - Artificial Intelligence Leaders Discuss AI for National Security in NPS' Latest Guest Lecture
June 27 - Astronaut, Aquanaut Shares Unconventional Leadership Journey During NPS Virtual Lecture
June 24- Lessons in Leadership from Admiral Bill McRaven
May 21- Former CNO Mullen Talks Leadership, National Security Challenges in a Post-COVID-19 World
January 23- USSOCOM Commander Explores NPS with Emphasis on Innovation and Industry Partnerships
2019
OCT 20- Kennedy Space Center Director Shares NASA’s Future of Exploration During Latest SGL
OCT 3- Adobe CEO Narayen Talks Change During NPS Guest Lecture
MAR 6- Asia expert Yoshihara analyzes Chinese sea power during latest SGL
JAN 17- Strategist Peter Singer Offers a Glimpse Into the Future During Latest SGL
2018
AUG 27- Ross Perot Jr. Offers Unique Perspective During Latest SGL
FEB 2- SECNAV76 Shares His Vision for the Future of NPS
2017
NOV 18- Ambassador Reuben Brigety II Discusses Foreign Policy, Student Responsibilities During SGL
OCT 13- DOD’s Personnel and Readiness Chief Offers Latest SGL
MAR 16- Boeing Executive Offers Industry’s Perspective on Leadership During SGL
MAR 6- PACOM Chief Offers Inso-Asia-Pacific Update During Latest SGL
FEB 6- Former Ambassador to Afghanistan Offers Unique Perspective on China During Latest SGL
JAN 9- Former Secretary of Defense Dr. Robert Gates Offers First SGL of the Year
SGL Videos
For more NPS videos, please visit our official YouTube channel.
2021
May 25 - Rear Admiral Lorin C. Selby, U.S. Navy, Chief of Naval Research
April 27- Mr. Joseph Bryan, Senior Advisor on Climate to the Secretary of Defense
April 13- Vice Admiral Jon A. Hill, Director, Missile Defense Agency
February 16- Dr. William D. Phillips, Nobel Laureate and Legendary Quantum Physicist
January 26- Admiral Cecil D. Haney, U.S. Navy (retired), Former Commander (USSTRATCOM)
2020
November 17- Ambassador Harry Harris, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea
October 13- Lt. Gen. John N.T. "Jack" Shanahan, Inaugural Director, Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, Office of the Department of Defense
October 13- Nand Mulchandani, Acting Director of the U.S. Department of Defense Joint Artificial Intelligence Center
August 25- Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, geologist and a former NASA astronaut
July 21- Retired General Keith B. Alexander, USA, Director of the National Security Agency (DIRNSA) and Chief of the Central Security Service (CHCSS) and was the first Commander to lead the United States Cyber Command
July 21- Retired Vice Admiral Jan E. Tighe, USN, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare and 66th Director of Naval Intelligence
June 23- Admiral William H. McRaven, USN, U.S. Special Operations Command
May 19- Retired Admiral Michael G. Mullen, USN, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
January 23- Gen. Richard Clarke, USA, Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)
2019
August 20- Honorable Mr. James Geurts, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research Development and Acquisition (ASN (RD&A))
July 23- Gen. Stephen Lyons, USA, Commander, US Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM)
July 9- Adm. James Winnefeld, USN (retired), Former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
April 9- Vice Adm. Paul Sullivan, USN (retired), Former Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA)
March 5- Adm. John Richardson, USN, Chief of Naval Operations
February 26- Dr. Toshi Yoshihara, Professor
January 9- Mr. Peter Singer, Strategist for the New America Foundation and Contributing Editor for Popular Science Magazine
2018
October 30- Mr. Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google
October 1- Mr. Shantanu Narayen, CEO of Adobe
August 15- Mr. Ross Perot Jr, Chairman of the Perot Group
March 5- Dr. Vinton Cerf, Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist for Google
February 1- Honorable Mr. Richard Spencer, SECDEF
January 23- Adm. Michael Mullen, USN (retired), Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
2017
December 20- Adm. Michael S. Rogers, USN, Commander, US Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM)/ Director of the National Security Agency
December 1- Gen. Robert Neller, USMC, 37th Commandant of the Marine Corps
November 21- Ambassador Reuben Brigety, Dean, Elliott School of Int'l Affairs, George Washington University
October 10- Rear Adm. Tony Kurta, USN (retired), Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (USD (P&R))
August 10- Honorable Mr. Leon Panetta, Former SECDEF, Former Director of the CIA, Former White House Chief of Staff
July 25- Adm. Philip S. Davidson, Commander, US Fleet Forces Command (USFF)
July 11- Capt. Jeff Bacon, USN (retired), Illustrator, Broadside and Greenside cartoons
May 18- Gen. John E. Hyten, USAF, Commander, US Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM)
May 2- Vice Adm. William Brown, USN, Director for Logistics (J4), Joint Staff
April 18- Lt. Gen. Robert Walsh, USMC, Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Development Command; Commander, Marine Corps Forces Strategic Command, and the Deputy Commandant for Combat Development and Integration
March 7- Ms. Leanne Caret, Executive Vice President, The Boeing Company
March 2- Adm. Harry Harris Jr., USN, Commander, US Pacific Command (USPACOM)
February 14- Vice Adm. Patricia Tracey, USN (retired), Former Chief of Naval Education and Training (CNET)
January 24- Dr. David Chu, President and CEO of the Institute for Defense Analyses
January 17- Mr. Karl Eikenberry, Former Ambassador to Afghanistan
January 5- Honorable Dr. Robert Gates, Former SECDEF
2016
May 10- Lt. Gen. Steven L. Kwast, USAF, Commander, Air Education and Training Command
October 18- Dr. Arati Prabhakar, Director, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
April 19- Capt. Paul Rinn, USN (retired), Former Commanding Officer, USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58)
February 16- Mr. Mark Ward, Career Minister in Department of State/ Current Director of the Syrian Transition Assistance and Response Team (START)
February 9- Honorable Mr. Richard Danzig, Former SECNAV
2015
October 15- Rear Adm. James J. Shannon, USN, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for International Programs (DASN(IP))
October 6- Rear Adm. Samuel Cox, USN (retired), Former Director, National Maritime Intelligence-Integration Office (NMIO)
August 11- Vice Adm. Michael C. Vitale, USN (retired), Former Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC)
July 14- Gen. Stanley McChrystal, USA (retired), Former Commanding Officer, Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC)
May 12- Mr. Mark Dankberg, Founder, Chairman and CEO of ViaSat
April 3- Adm. Michelle Howard, USN, 38th Vice Chief of Naval Operations
February 4- Adm. Michael S. Rogers, USN, Commander, US Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM)/ Director of the National Security Agency
2014
October 6- Lt. Gen. John A. Toolan, USMC, Commanding General, US Marine Corps Forces, Pacific (MARFORPAC)
August 12- Lt. Gen. David K. Heebner, USA (retired), Former Assistant Vice Chief of Staff
April 4- Mr. Stephen Dubner, Economist/Author
April 4- Dr. Steven Levitt, Economist/Author
April 3- Adm. Harry Harris Jr., USN, Commander, US Pacific Fleet (COMPACFLT)
March 19- Gen. John F. Kelly, USMC, Commander, US Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM)
February 12- Adm. Mark E. Ferguson III, USN, 37th Vice Chief of Naval Operations
2013
November 20- Vice Adm. Bill Moran, USN, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations
June 4- Rear Adm. Terence E. “Terry” McKnight, USN (retired), Former Commanding Officer, Combined Task Force 151 (CTF 151)
February 9- Capt. Paul Rinn, USN (retired), Vice President, Whitney, Brown & Bradley (WBB) consulting firm
January 15- Capt. David Marquet, USN (retired), Author / Speaker
2012
November 27- Mr. Rajiv Chandrasekaran, National Editor of the Washington Post
November 13- Lt. Col. James G. Zumwalt, USMC (retired), Public Speaker, Author
October 16- Capt. Frank Castellano, USN, Former Commanding Officer, USS Bainbridge (DDG 96)
September 25- Mr. Paul Stockton, Assistant Secretary of Defense
June 7- Adm. William McRaven, USN, Commander, US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)
May 22- Mr. Manfred Lange, Chief of Staff, SHAPE
May 15- Dr. Fenton Carey, Technical Specialist at ATPCO, Washington DC
May 10- Honorable Mr. Robert O. Work, 31st Under Secretary of the Navy
May 8- Gen. Edward A. Rice Jr., USAF, Commander, Air Education and Training Command
April 17- Mr. Kevin Freeman, CFA, CEO Freeman Global Investment Counsel
April 3- Cmdr. Kirk Lippold, USN (retired), Professional Speaker/Commanding Officer, USS Cole (DDG 67) during Yemen attack
March 8- Dr. Michael Griffin, Professor/Consultant, Former NASA Administrator
February 28- Mr. Yaron Brook, President and Executive Director of the Ayn Rand Institute
February 24- Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Georgia Senator - Republican
February 16- Adm. Mark E. Ferguson, III, USN, 37th Vice Chief of Naval Operations
2011
August 29- Honorable Mr. Ray Mabus, SECNAV
August 23- Honorable Mr. Leon Panetta, SECDEF
August 16- Dr. David Kilcullen, Counterinsurgency
August 9- Honorable Mr. Zachary Lemnios, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (ASD(R&E))
July 26- Capt. Wayne Porter, USN, Special Strategic Assistant to Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) Adm. Mike Mullen
July 12- Rear Adm. Greg Smith, USN, Former US Central Command (CENTCOM) Public Affairs Officer
May 31- Mr. Phil Dyer, Co-Founder of the VICTORY Success System for Military Veterans. Entrepreneur
March 29- Ms. Gould, Independent Research Scholar/Author
March 29- Mr. Fitzgerald, Independent Research Scholar/Author
March 8- Ms. Mary Ann Davidson, Chief of Security, Oracle Corp.
February 24- Gen. Stéphane Abrial, French Air Force, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation
February 15- Mr. Peter Singer, Fellow and Director 21st Century Defense Initiative Brookings Institute
February 1- Capt. Alan G. Poindexter, USN, NPS Dean of Students
January 18- Provost Leonard Ferrari, NPS Provost
January 11- Mr. Anthony Shaffer, External Communications Director, Center for Advanced Defense Studies
2010
November 30- Mr. Craig Duehring, Former Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs
October 26- Mr. Thomas Barnett, Senior Managing Director, Enterra Solutions LLC
September 7- Dr. Ron Ross, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) senior computer scientist and information security researcher
August 24- Dr. Radford Langston, Principal, Langston Associates
August 17- Mr. Richard Clarke, Former National Coordinator and Special Assistant to the President for Counterterrorism, Security, Global Affairs, and Cyber Warfare
August 3- Capt. Paul Rinn, USN (retired), Former Commanding Officer, USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58)
July 20- Mr. Phil Midland, President, IHS International, LC
May 18- Dr. Brenda Shaffer, Professor, School of Political Science and Department of Asian Studies at the University of Haifa
May 13- Gen. George W. Casey Jr., USA, 36th Chief of Staff of US Army
April 20- Dr. Amory Lovins, Chairman/Chief Scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute
March 30- Gen. James T. Conway, USMC, 34th Commandant of the Marine Corps
February 18- Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), South Carolina Senator - Republican
February 18- Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Georgia Senator - Republican
February 1- Adm. James G. Stavridis, USN, Commander, US Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM)
2009
November 17- Gen. John P. Jumper, USAF (retired), Former Chief of Staff of the US Air Force
November 10- Mr. Phil Dyer, Co-Founder of the VICTORY Success System for Military Veterans. Entrepreneur
November 3- Mr. Michael Gordon, Military Correspondent, New York Times
October 27- Ambassador Ryan Crocker, US Ambassador to Iraq
October 13- Dr. Richard Muller, Professor of Physics, UC Berkeley
September 29- Maj. Gen. Gregg F. Martin, USA, Commandant of the US Army War College
July 21- Dr. Thomas Fingar, Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Analysis
May 12- Mr. Greg Mortenson, American Humanitarian, professional speaker, writer and former mountaineer
April 21- Brig. Gen. Richard M. Lake, USMC, Deputy Director of National Clandestine Service for Community Human Intelligence, CIA
March 10- Mr. David Wennergren, Assistant Deputy Chief Management Officer (DoD)
February 10- Lt. Gen. Thomas F. Metz, USA, Director, Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIDO)
January 13- Maj. Gen. Thomas A. Benes, USMC, Former Director, Expeditionary Warfare Division (OPNAV N85)
2008
November 25- Dr. Walter Jones, Executive Director, Office of Naval Research
October 28- Rear Adm. James M. Hart, USN, Commander, Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA)
October 14- Rear Adm. W. G. “Jerry” Ellis, USN, NPS Professor and Undersea Warfare Chair
September 29- Adm. James G. Stavridis, USN, Commander, US Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM)
September 4- Adm. Eric T. Olson, USN, Eighth Commander of US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)
September 3- Gen. James Mattis, USMC, Commander, US Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM)
August 26- Mr. W. David Schwaderer, Author
August 19- Mr. Alexander Karsner, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
July 22- Lt. Gen. Eugene D. Santarelli, USAF (retired), Former Vice Commander, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam AF Base, Hawaii
July 15- Mr. Steve Blank, Entrepreneur and Academician in high tech industry
June 3- Col. Thomas Hammes, USMC (retired), A specialist in counter-insurgency warfare
May 27- Senator Dr. Gary Hart (D-CO), Former Colorado Senator – Democrat ('75-'87)
May 20- Dr. Charles McQueary, Director, Operational Test & Evaluation, with SECDEF at the DoD
May 13- Gen. Bruce Carlson, USAF, Director, National Reconnaissance Office
April 29- Mr. Leonard Demi, President of the Defense Committee of the Albanian Parliament
April 1- Vice Adm. H. Denby Starling, II, USN, Commander, Naval Network Warfare Command (NETWARCOM)
March 11- Mr. Mario Mancuso, Former Under Secretary of Commerce of the United States
February 19- Col. Terry Ebbert, USMC (retired), Director of Homeland Security for New Orleans
February 12- Adm. Bobby R. Inman, USN (retired), Former Deputy Director of the CIA
February 5- Brig. Gen. Michael M. Brogan, USMC, Commanding General, Training Command, MCB Quantico