By Kenya Godette
Old ֱ University will host Adm. Samuel Paparo (M.A. ‘98), 27th commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, as the featured speaker for the Waldo Family Lecture Series on Sept. 29.
The event will be held at 7 p.m. in Webb Student Center’s North Café and is free and open to the public. is encouraged.
Paparo, a TOPGUN graduate and third-generation U.S. military enlistee, will present a lecture titled "Joint Force Strategy in the Indo-Pacific: Peace Through Strength."
“We are excited and honored to have Admiral Paparo speak at Old ֱ University,” said Laura Delbrugge, dean of the University’s College of Arts and Letters. The college is co-hosting the lecture along with its Graduate Program in International Studies. “The admiral brings a wealth of experience and — especially in a Navy community like Hampton Roads — I’m sure his message will resonate.”
As commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Paparo leads the nation’s oldest and largest combatant command. The unit is comprised of 380,000 military personnel who direct all U.S. military activity in the Indo-Pacific, spanning 36 nations, 14 time zones and 60 percent of the world’s population.
Throughout his career, Paparo has flown more than 6,000 combined hours in U.S. Navy aircrafts F-14 and F/A-18 and U.S. Airforce aircraft F-15.
At sea, he participated in operational command tours including Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 195 in the Forward Deployed Naval Forces, Yokosuka, Japan, deploying in Kitty Hawk Strike Group; as commander for Carrier Air Wing 7 and Carrier Strike Group Ten; and embarked in Dwight D. Eisenhower Strike Group.
Paparo served on exchange duty with the U.S. Air Force flying the F-15C Eagle with the 71st Fighter Squadron, deploying to locations like Saudi Arabia and Keflavik, Iceland. In joint operational service, he was battle director at the Combined Air and Space Operations Center, Al Udeid, Qatar.
On land, Paparo commanded the Provincial Reconstruction Team, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan with the 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division and the 173rd Airborne Brigade.
He has served as commander of the Naval Air Forces; F/A-18 aircraft training, readiness and requirements officer; commanding officer of VFA-106 — a training ground for Navy and Marine Corps pilots; chief of Naval Operations staff as OPNAV N80 branch head; and served as executive assistant to the commander of the U.S. Fleet Forces Command and the 31st Chief of Naval Operations.
Paparo’s most recent positions assignment was commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet from May 2021 to April 2024, before he assumed the role of commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in May 2024.
Paparo earned a Master of Arts in International Studies from Old ֱ University and a Master of Science in Systems Analysis from the Naval Postgraduate School.
“Paparo brings a unique perspective on current challenges facing the United States and the world as commander of all U.S. military forces in the Indo-Pacific region,” said Richard Maass, Ph.D., interim director for the Graduate Program in International Studies (GPIS).
As a GPIS alumnus, Paparo maintains strong ties to the University. He studied under Regina Karp, Ph.D., associate professor and GPIS director, who helped facilitate his connection with ODU for this event.
Established in 1985 as Old ֱ University’s first endowed lecture, the Waldo Family Lecture Series on International Relations was created through the family’s ties to ODU and Hampton Roads.
Reflecting the region’s global connections, the series has welcomed prominent leaders in government, foreign affairs, journalism, education and public service for free public lectures.
It is supported by the Waldo family, friends and the business community and serves as a tribute to the memory of Loren Pierce Waldo Jr., William Joseph Waldo, Robert Hendren Waldo, Susan Waldo O'Hara, Julia Ann Waldo Campbell and Harry Creekmur Waldo.