PROVIDING THE EXAMPLE

A tried and true method in developing skills is to simply mirror those who excel in the desired capabilities one wishes to emulate. At the Naval Postgraduate School, in addition to an advanced graduate education in diverse fields of study, there are equally critical capabilities that all students must advance during their studies here ... leadership, critical thinking and rapid decision-making in the heat of conflict.

Through the long-standing Secretary of the Navy Guest Lecture program, managed through the institution’s Office of the Dean of Students, a steady stream of some of our nation’s most prominent history makers and leaders are invited to campus to share their own experiences in leadership, making decisions under duress, and thought innovation.

A hallmark of the SGL program is the quality of presenters who address our students in the intimate setting of King Auditorium. Senior leaders across the spectrum of defense participated this past year — such as Commander of the U.S. Southern Command Air Force Gen. Douglas Fraser, Commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command Adm. William McRaven, and Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mark Ferguson — the latter two of those are also NPS graduates.

The SGL program, however, reaches beyond the active duty services to bring advanced thought leaders onto campus. Individuals such as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas’ Security Affairs Dr. Paul Stockton, and Under Secretary of the Navy Robert Work have also presented — coincidentally, Stockton spent 15 years on campus as a member of the NPS faculty, and Work is himself an NPS alumnus.

But one of the most compelling factors of the SGL program is that it places prominent figures from some of the most well-known events in modern American history in front of our students. This past year, former Commanding Officer of the USS Cole, retired Cmdr. Kirk Lippold, recounted the tragic events of the ship’s terrorist attack in the Gulf of Aden. And Capt. Frank Castellano, former Commanding Officer of the USS Bainbridge, offered his own heroic sea story when his vessel played a key role in rescuing Maersk Alabama Capt. Richard Phillips from Somali pirates in 2009.

There are countless ways the educational experience creates characteristics in its students, one of the most effective happens every few weeks on a Tuesday afternoon in King Auditorium.

More Information ...

Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mark Ferguson outline the Department of Defense’s shifting focus on the Western Pacific and its impact on the U.S. Navy. view story

Former Associate Provost, Dean Dr. Paul Stockton, currently serving as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas’ Security Affairs, returns for SGL. view story

Under Secretary of the Navy and NPS alumnus, Robert O. Work, outlines the future of the Navy, Marine Corps team to university students, faculty. view episode

Former Commanding Officer of the USS Cole, retired Cmdr. Kirk Lippold, details a first-hand account of the terrorist attack on his ship in the Gulf of Aden. view story