During his travels through the West Coast, Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer made a brief stop at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), April 24, to welcome the university’s Board of Advisors, and provide a first-hand perspective on the board’s critical role with NPS, especially with the recently-announced changes to Navy education through the Education for Seapower (E4S) study.

“Where I see the tremendous value of all these minds around the table right now is supporting the NPS president as she unfolds her plans for this organization,” said Spencer.

“And we have some pretty bold plans,” he continued. “One of the things that always amazed me when I looked at education within the military services were these brilliant white-hot pockets of excitement.”

The E4S study, and its subsequent findings, he said, are an opportunity for the Navy and Marine Corps to link these together. “I truly believe that we defy math by making one plus one equal three when we put our efforts together,” he said.

Over the next two days, the Board will review details from the E4S study and other key issues and opportunities for the university. With board members from all branches of service, both active duty and retired, along with civilian, academic and defense industry leaders, the Board of Advisors is a federal advisory board directed to provide guidance, advice and advocacy to the university as it executes its mission of graduate education and research.