Admiral Mike Mullen Profile

Admiral Mike Mullen graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1968 and later earned his masters at the Naval Postgraduate School. His career includes commanding three ships, a cruiser-destroyer group, the George Washington carrier battle group, and the U.S. 2nd Fleet. He was Commander of NATO Joint Force Command Naples and U.S. Naval Forces Europe, before becoming the Chief of Naval Operations in 2005. Mullen was named Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in September 2007. Mullen is the senior ranking member of the U.S. Armed Forces and the principal military advisor to the President. Friday evening at 7 p.m. in Memorial Hall he will deliver the Vince Davis Lecture to the students of the UK Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce and interested members of the general public. Earlier that day he will preside over the commissioning of UK's Army and Air Force ROTC graduates. Sunday he will address attendees of the main commencement.

“To Kentuckians, Iraq and Afghanistan are not vague, far away places. With Fort Campbell and Fort Knox in our state, and a tradition of military service," said Ambassador Carey Cavanaugh, director of the Patterson School. "Many have family, friends, or neighbors engaged in the current fight. Furthermore, there is now sharp debate on the presidential campaign trail over how to proceed in Iraq. Being able to hear firsthand the president’s principal military advisor’s assessment of the situation on the ground is an incredible opportunity."

Vince Davis served as director of the Patterson School from 1972 to 1993, providing vision and leadership. Although he died in 2003, his legacy lives on, enriching the academic experience of Patterson School students every day. The Vince Davis lecture not only honors his memory, but also furthers his life’s work of making UK students and the community aware of the most pressing international developments.