Writing & Communication Center to Expand

The Writing & Communication Center at the United States Naval Academy’s Class of 1963 Center for Academic Excellence, Endowed by J. Ronald Terwilliger ’63 and Classmates (CAE) will have a new full-time staff member in the immediate future, thanks to the generous philanthropic support of Admiral James G. Stavridis ’76, USN (Ret.). Admiral Stavridis has made a gift to fund a new position in the center which will enhance areas of support for midshipmen seeking to improve their writing and speaking skills.

“I’ve always believed one of the most important skills of an officer is to communicate,” Stavridis said. “It is crucial to be able to articulate the purpose of our missions, construct coherent briefings, publish meaningful professional articles, and properly use the English language in every aspect of our lives as naval leaders.”

Two years ago, the Academy recognized the need to provide additional writing and speaking support for midshipmen and piloted the position but funding for the role remained unavailable until now. This new role, the Admiral James G. Stavridis Professional Communication Specialist, will serve to tutor, educate, and enhance the Brigade’s overall writing and presentation skills.

Dr. Bruce Bukowski, director of the CAE, believes this new position will have a dramatic impact on the Brigade of Midshipmen.

“From when I first became director of the CAE in 2011, I recognized that help for communication skills was something sorely needed to round out our academic support services for the Brigade,” stated Dr. Bukowski. “Thanks to the generosity of Admiral Stavridis, we can finally provide that support!”

Improving the communication skills of the Brigade has remained a long-standing priority for Academy leadership, explained Dr. Joan Shifflett, associate director of the CAE and director of its Writing & Communication Center.

“With this devoted professional who will work to enhance the Brigade’s communication skills, we will be able to graduate more capable, confident leaders,” said Dr. Shifflett. “Specifically, this position will provide opportunities, both one-on-one and in classroom settings, for midshipmen to enhance their presentation skills, public speaking, and interview preparation—skills not only important for their time at USNA, but also critical for their role as leaders in the fleet.”

Stavridis, whose works include six national bestsellers as well as fundamental textbooks for the surface Navy such as the “Division Officer’s Guide,” “Watch Officer’s Guide,” and “Command at Sea,” hopes that this new communication specialist will have a dramatic impact on enhancing the important public speaking and writing skills of midshipmen at the Academy.

“I hope this helps all of them to be more efficient and coherent in their ability to quickly write and brief,” Admiral Stavridis explained. “Good writing is like good journalism—start with the most important thing first, fact check and rewrite relentlessly, show your work to others you trust to refine it, and write about things you know and understand personally. I hope the writing center, and specifically this communication specialist, helps do all of that.”

After piloting the program to enhance the communications support offerings, Dr. Shifflett and her colleagues realized the importance of this position.

“It has long been a pipe dream to expand our writing center to a writing and communication center,” she stated. “During this pilot program, the results were better than we could have ever anticipated. Almost all available spots in workshops and consultations were filled, with multiple midshipmen on waitlists for open spots.”

“Since we were relying on part-time staff and already very busy full-time staff, we were only able to fulfill a portion of the Brigade’s needs. This full-time position will allow us to add more availability for midshipmen to get the help they need. Thanks to Admiral Stavridis, we can help these students to thrive.”

For Stavridis, the opportunity to fund this position was a way to connect his love for writing and communication with his goal of supporting the Academy and the fond memories of his time on the Yard.

“When I was a midshipman, I was the editor-in-chief of the Log magazine, and went on to be ‘Salty Sam’,” Stavridis reflected. “I also wrote columns for Shipmate for many years, both as a midshipman—titled ‘A Few Inches from the Yard’—and as a junior officer—titled ‘An Ocean Away’—describing life in the fleet.”

For others with a passion and capacity to support the Academy, Admiral Stavridis shared this message: “Find something about which you are passionate—for me, that is writing. Then consider how you could help midshipmen share that passion even as they improve themselves and prepare to become officers in the Navy and Marine Corps.”

Admiral James G. Stavridis, a surface warrior for his 37-year career, is the only Naval officer to serve as supreme allied commander NATO, commander U.S. European Command, and commander U.S. Southern Command. He was promoted directly from 1-star to 3-star vice admiral as the senior military assistant to the Secretary of Defense.

He began his Navy career as an anti-submarine warfare officer and served as executive officer of cruiser Antietam which was deployed for Desert Shield/Desert Storm. While commanding destroyer Barry, Stavridis became one of the first destroyer commanding officers to embark women as crew members. He also commanded Destroyer Squadron 21 and Enterprise Carrier Strike Group, both in combat. Stavridis served five years as dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, where he earned a Ph.D. in 1984. He is currently vice chairman of the international private equity firm, The Carlyle Group; chairman of the board for the Rockefeller Foundation; and chief international analyst for NBC News.

To hear more from Admiral Stavridis on the importance of communication, check out his recent guest appearance on this podcast episode from “The Cipher Brief!”

Learn more about the Center for Academic Excellence.