This article originally appeared in the Fall/Winter 2025 issue of The Bridge. You can read a preview here.

Each year, the Naval War College Foundation (NWCF) awards more than $30,000 in achievement prizes to U.S. Naval War College (USNWC) students and faculty, recognizing excellence across each graduating class. The largest celebration takes place in June, just ahead of the summer graduation ceremony, when more than a dozen writing awards are presented by the Foundation’s President & CEO, CAPT George E. Lang, Jr., USN (Ret.), in Spruance Auditorium.

This year, Stephanie McLennan joined CAPT Lang to present the Honorable Juliette C. McLennan Essay Prize for Women, Peace, and Security, established in honor of her late mother, a former NWCF Trustee. The 2025 award was presented to MAJ Elizabeth Huffman, USA, of the College of Naval Command and Staff, for her essay, “Exploiting the Principles of Women, Peace, and Security: Gaining an Asymmetric Advantage in the Operational Environment.”

Many award recipients also attended the Foundation’s Donor Recognition Dinner on June 11, where members, donors, and friends heard firsthand about the students’ year in Newport. The evening honored the 2024 Chairman’s Circle, those who contributed more than $10,000 cumulatively, and provided an opportunity to thank the Foundation’s steadfast supporters. With Narragansett Bay as a backdrop in OceanCliff’s ballroom, five distinguished graduates shared how the Foundation and its community enriched their Naval War College experience.

We face well-trained, well-educated, and well-funded adversaries who, to be frank, don’t like us very much. They will pursue any advantage they can find. They will pour trillions into their military to erase our overmatch. But they don’t have the moral high ground. They don’t have the Naval War College or the Naval War College Foundation. And they definitely don’t have you. Your generous support carries us from ‘good enough’ to ‘the best we can possibly be.’ – CDR Brian Naughton, USN, of the College of Naval Warfare

CDR Naughton also received the Mr. B. Franklin Reinauer, II Defense Economics Prize for his essay, “Artificial Intelligence and Energy: A National Security Issue,” awarded for the best paper examining how economic factors influence U.S. national security.

Foreign Service Officer Travis Sevy of the U.S. State Department spoke movingly about the “margin of excellence” the Foundation provides. “For me, it’s really about the people,” he said. “You have made it possible for us not just to be in the classroom, not just to do research, but to hear from some of the best minds in our country, to interact with leaders in business and the military, and to understand what it will take for us, as a nation, to ensure that Xi Jinping wakes up day after day and says, ‘Not today.'”

Guests also heard from the 2025 Naval Command College class president Captain Olliver Pfennig of the German Navy; LtCol Jeremy Colwell, USMC; and Col Matthew Munska, USA, who closed the program with remarks that had the room roaring with laughter. Though their backgrounds differed, across services and nations, their reflections shared a common theme: the profound impact of the Foundation’s members, donors, and friends.

As he prepared for graduation and his return to the Joint Force, CDR Naughton added, “We take our lessons with us as we prepare to prevent and, if necessary, prevail in the next war. You may not fight in the next war, but your support will be there with us on the battlefield.”

Dr. Stephen Mariano, USNWC Provost, CAPT Lang, RADM Walker, Col Munska, Captain Pfennig, LtCol Colwell, CDR Naughton, and RDML A.B. Cruz III, USN (Ret.), NWCF Chairman. Photo by Andrea Hansen.

Faculty Excellence Awards

As the USNWC began the 2025-2026 academic year, the Foundation proudly supported the third annual Faculty Excellence Awards Dinner. The evening honored outstanding faculty whose teaching, research, and service exemplify the highest standards of the Naval War College. Each awardee was nominated by a peer, who also attended the celebration. NWCF Secretary Barbara Schoenfeld joined CAPT Lang in presenting the awards.

2025 Awardees
Commander Ryan Clarke, USN – Military Professor, Joint Maritime Operations (JMO) Department
Paul Bloch – Fleet Professor, College of Distance Education (CDE) Fleet Seminar Program
Stephen Fuller – Associate Professor, Strategic and Operational Research Department (SORD)
Joseph McGraw – Associate Professor, JMO Department
Yvonne Chiu, Ph.D. – Professor, CDE
Lt. Col. “Franky” Matisek, USAF – National Security Affairs (NSA) Department
Commander Daniel Post, USN, Ph.D. – Military Professor, Strategy and Policy Department

The awardees, Deans, and presenters pose at the Faculty Excellence Awards Dinner. Photo by Jen Gustavson.