Admiral Paparo to Speak and Receive Honorary Degree at Villanova 2025

Admiral Paparo to Deliver Keynote Address at Villanova University’s 2025 Commencement

VILLANOVA, Pa. (April 25, 2025) – Villanova University has announced that Admiral Samuel Paparo, an alumnus and the current Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, will be the keynote speaker for the 182^nd commencement ceremony. Admiral Paparo will also be honored with a Doctor of Military Science degree, honoris causa, during the event. Scheduled for Friday, May 16, at 2:30 p.m., the ceremony will take place at Villanova Stadium, with a contingency plan to move indoors to the Finneran Pavilion in case of severe weather.

Note: To watch the Commencement livestream, click here.

Who is Admiral Samuel Paparo?

A distinguished military leader from Morton, Pa., Admiral Samuel Paparo has devoted nearly 40 years to the U.S. Navy since his commissioning in 1987. A graduate of Villanova University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Paparo is also an accomplished U.S. Naval Aviator and TOPGUN graduate with over 6,000 flight hours and more than 1,100 carrier landings.

Admiral Paparo has served in numerous command capacities both at sea and on land. His naval leadership includes commanding Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 195 in Japan, Carrier Air Wing 7 on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Carrier Strike Group Ten. He also led the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Nuristan Province, Afghanistan, collaborating with the 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division and the 173rd Airborne Brigade. His operational experience extends to deployments with the USS John F. Kennedy, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, USS Theodore Roosevelt, and USS Enterprise Strike Groups. Notably, he served on exchange duty with the U.S. Air Force, flying the F-15C Eagle.

His shore assignments have spanned naval aviation training, strategic operations, and executive leadership roles. Previously, he was Director of Operations (J3) at U.S. Central Command and Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet, and Combined Maritime Forces. From 2021 to 2024, he commanded the U.S. Pacific Fleet before taking on his current role as Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in May 2024.

In his current capacity, Admiral Paparo leads the nation’s oldest and largest combatant command, USINDOPACOM, overseeing 380,000 military personnel across 36 nations. His command spans 14 time zones and covers a region that is home to 60 percent of the global population, playing a pivotal role in ensuring security and stability in the Indo-Pacific area.

Beyond his Villanova degree, Admiral Paparo holds a Master of Arts in International Studies from Old Dominion University and a Master of Science in Systems Analysis from the Naval Postgraduate School. He is the son and grandson of veterans, with his father having served as an enlisted Marine and his grandfather as a World War II Navy veteran.