On Monday, April 1, 2019 at 7 p.m. at the Quick Center for the Arts, the Fairfield Dolan Lecture will host Four-Star Admiral James Stavridis -- author, monthly columnist for TIME magazine, and Chief International Security Analyst for NBC News. His lecture, "21st Century Leadership: Challenges and Opportunities," will address navigating leadership roles at every level.

Admiral Stavridis will highlight key tools that all leaders need to succeed in the 21st century, drawing from examples related to cyber security, terrorism, Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan, the environment, and his leadership experience gleaned from a distinguished career that spans almost four decades.

“We are honored to welcome Admiral Stavridis to share his perspective on leadership through the lens of his distinguished military and higher education careers,” said Dolan School Dean Zhan Li, DBA. “His message will be of great importance to our students and aligns with the Dolan School's mission to cultivate ethical leaders for a global future.”

Admiral Stavridis attended the US Naval Academy at Annapolis and spent 37 years in the Navy, eventually rising to the rank of four-star Admiral. Among his many commands were four years as the 16^th Supreme Allied Commander at NATO where he oversaw operations in Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, the Balkans, and counter piracy off the coast of Africa. Admiral Stavridis also commanded US Southern Command in Miami, charged with military operations through Latin America. He is the longest serving Combatant Commander in recent US history. Following his military career, Admiral Stavridis served for five years as the 12th dean of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

During his naval career, Admiral Stavridis served as senior military assistant to the Secretary of the Navy and the Secretary of Defense. He led the Navy’s premier operational think tank for innovation, Deep Blue, immediately after the 9/11 attacks. He is a recipient of the Battenberg Cup for commanding the top ship in the Atlantic Fleet, the Navy League John Paul Jones Award for inspirational leadership, and more than 50 United States and international medals and decorations, including 28 from foreign nations.

Admiral Stavridis earned his PhD from The Fletcher School at Tufts, winning the Gullion Prize in 1983, as well as academic honors from the National and Naval War Colleges as a distinguished student. In 2016 he was vetted for Vice President by Secretary Hillary Clinton, and was considered for a cabinet position in the Trump administration. Admiral Stavridis has published eight books and hundreds of articles in leading journals. His TED talk on 21st century security has received over a million views.

This event is free and open to the public. Following the lecture Admiral Stavridis will be available for a book signing. For more information and to reserve your seat visit fairfield.edu/dolan-lecture.