Fargo, N.D. – Admiral Stuart Munsch, a North Dakota native and four-star U.S. Navy officer with four decades of military service, will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from NDSU during its spring commencement ceremony.
Munsch will be recognized at the 10 a.m. ceremony on Saturday, May 17, at the Fargodome. The honorary degree is one of the university’s highest recognitions, awarded for exceptional service, leadership, and contributions to society.
A native of Oakes, Munsch currently serves as Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, where he oversees naval operations across more than 100 countries and spanning nearly half the Atlantic Ocean. He also serves as Commander of Allied Joint Forces Command, Naples, where he is responsible for NATO’s defense of the southern half of Europe.
Munsch graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1985 with a degree in electrical engineering. He served as brigade commander of his class and earned All-American honors as a national champion pistol shooter. He is the only midshipman in Naval Academy history to receive the awards for being both the top leader and most outstanding athlete in a class. Additionally, he was selected for a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship and earned both a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in philosophy, politics and economics from Oxford University.
Munsch is also the longest-serving active-duty U.S. Naval Academy graduate. Over his 40-year career, he has held a range of leadership roles at sea and ashore, including commanding a submarine, a special submarine squadron and the largest submarine group in the Navy. He has served as a White House Fellow, twice as a military assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense and director of Joint Force Development on the Joint Staff.
Munsch also is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a U.S. Supreme Court Statecraft Fellow, and an MIT Seminar XXI Fellow. His military honors include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, and the Legion of Merit.
Munsch’s commitment to public service and dedication to national security reflect NDSU’s land-grant mission to serve the public good.
The honorary degree will be presented in front of hundreds of graduates, families and members of the NDSU community during the university’s spring commencement ceremonies. A second commencement ceremony also is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Fargodome.
As a student-focused, land-grant, research university, we serve our citizens.
SOURCE: NDSU News Release
