AFIT awards 235 masters and 6 doctorate degrees at graduation ceremony

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – The Air Force Institute of Technology’s Graduate School of Engineering and Management awarded 241 masters and doctorate degrees March 22 at the National Museum of the Air Force. 

This graduating class includes 208 Air Force officers, three Air Force Non-Commissioned officers, 10 Army officers, three Marine Corps officers, and 13 civilians. The school also had three international students from Argentina and the Republic of Korea.  

Of the total graduated, the Graduate School awarded 235 master degrees and six doctorate degrees in science, technology, engineering and math fields. One graduate received dual degrees. In addition, five masters and 12 doctoral alumni who graduated earlier in the academic year returned to participate in the ceremony.  

The guest speaker for the graduation ceremonies was Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson.  

“The United States Air Force relies on the most advanced technology to defend our nation and project power in the air and space around the globe,” Wilson said addressing the graduates. “We are going to lean hard on you as the next generation of scientists and engineers in air and space. So choose to ask why, choose to innovate, and choose to build strong relationships throughout your professional lives. Our nation needs you desperately and our future generations are counting on you.”    

AFIT’s Graduate School of Engineering and Management is a research–based institution offering graduate programs leading to Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in engineering, applied science and selected areas of management.  Their mission is to provide high-quality graduate education programs and engage in research activities that enable the Air Force to maintain its scientific and technological dominance.  

This year marks AFIT’s 99th anniversary. AFIT first granted accredited resident degrees in 1955 and since then more than 19,550 masters and 835 doctoral degrees have been awarded.  

During an awards ceremony earlier in the day at AFIT, some students were presented awards for their exemplary performance during their graduate studies. Those awards presented were:

• Capt. Steven M. Beyer from the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department was presented the Chancellor’s Award for demonstrating the most exceptional individual master’s thesis research.  

• Capt. Daniel J. Broyles from the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department received the Mervin E. Gross Award for his exceptional academic achievement and high qualities of character, initiative, and leadership. The award is named in honor of Brig. Gen. Mervin E. Gross, first commandant of the Institute. 

• Capt. Martin Span III from the Systems Engineering and Management Department received the Louis F. Polk Award.  The winner of this award exhibited the highest standards of academic and professional accomplishment and through their research made a significant contribution toward strengthening the nation’s industrial defense base.

• Maj. Steven M. Hoak, from the Engineering Physics Department received the Edwin E. Aldrin Sr. Award, presented for displaying the most exceptional leadership characteristics while in the graduate program.  

• Master Sgt. Benjamin D. Bobic from the Operational Sciences Department received the Secretary James G. Roche Award for demonstrating exceptional academic achievement through a combination of grade point average and outstanding research, as well as high qualities of character, initiative, leadership and service.

The following students have met all degree requirements and have been approved for the designated degree (in bold):

Mr. Christopher W. Badenhop^

Maj. Jarred L. Burley^

Maj. Daniel J. Casey  

Capt. Jonathon R. Climer^

Mr. Ricardo Davila

Lt. Col. Armando DeLeon Jr.  

Mr. Ben Eshel^

Mr. Zachary C. Little 

Capt. Gordon E. Lott^

Capt. Carlos R. Garcia

Mr. James S. Okolica^

Maj. Matthew D. Roberts^

Lt. Col. James M. Sattler^

Lt. Col. John E. Stubbs^

Mr. Noah R. Van Zandt^

Mr. Frederick C. Webber^

Maj. Pamela L. Wheeler^

Mr. Andrew J. Zakrajsek 

2nd Lt. Joshua-Edward C. Beardsley III  

Capt. Anthony A. Castello  

Capt. Dayle L. Chang  

2nd Lt. Kevin J. DeMarco  

Capt. Jeffrey A. DesRoches  

2nd Lt. Christopher J. Ditter  

Capt. Andrew D. Durkee  

2nd Lt. Jacob P. Fischer*  

Maj. Michael Fritts

Maj. Michael J. Harris, U.S. Marine Corps

2nd Lt. Dylan N. Hope  

2nd Lt. Riley Huff  

Capt. Brian G. Kroeger  

Capt. Tyler S. Levy  

Capt. Steven W. M. Long  

2nd Lt. Nicholas J. Marco  

2nd Lt. Savannah N. Minor  

2nd Lt. Kyle D. Moore  

Capt. Lee R. Morris  

Capt. Aadit A. Patel  

Mr. Charles L. Shuff

Capt. James G. Tewaheftewa  

2nd Lt. Michael C. Waters  

Capt. Lee F. Wise  

2nd Lt. Jacob A. Dahlke  

Mr. Mark C. Duane 

2nd Lt. Jeremiah R. Hoffman*  

2nd Lt. Justin D. Katzovitz  

2nd Lt. Robert B. LaRue  

Mr. Kan Liu 

Capt. Rodrigo I. Ocampo  

2nd Lt. Karson A. Roberts  

Capt. Christopher C. Rocker  

Mr. Benjamin N. Sargeant 

2nd Lt. Braeden A. Sheets  

Capt. David F. Spendel  

Capt. Perry K. VanZandt  

Capt. Caleb J. Werner  

Capt. Samuel D. Wright  

Capt. Matthew T. LeSaint^

Capt. Glen E. Pry III*  

Capt. Steffan M. L. Wilcox  

Maj. Taehoi Koo, Republic of Korea 

Capt. Isaac M. Nacita*  

Capt. Von Drake L. Ramos  

Capt. Daniel A. Timme (Dual Degree)

Capt. Karl C. Bentjen   

Capt. Steven M. Beyer*

Capt. Brandon P. Froberg  

Capt. Robert P. Loibl Jr.   

Capt. Sarah J. Bolton  

2nd Lt. Luke M. Bradford  

Capt. Daniel D. Hart  

2nd Lt. Min Woo Kang  

2nd Lt. Samuel A. Mayer  

2nd Lt. Zachary C. Paulson  

Capt. Jonathan B. Roeber  

Capt. Kenneth R. Sample  

Capt. Daniel J. Schelkoph  

2nd Lt. Nicholas J. Seydel  

Capt. Markus M. Borneman  

Capt. Mason R. Bruza  

2nd Lt. Daniel J. Celebucki   

Mr. Jacob W. Connors 

Capt. Michael H. Dunn  

Capt. Jeffrey J. T. Guion  

2nd Lt. Blaine M. Jeffries  

Capt. Matthew D. Kanning  

Capt. Bradford E. Law*  

2nd Lt. Tiffany M. Phan

1st Lt.  Matthew N. Alombro  

Capt. Roger S. Anderson  

2nd Lt. Taylor B. Bodin*  

Capt. Daniel J. Broyles*  

Capt. Alexander W. Duchane  

Capt. Kolby H. Elliott  

Capt. Joseph A. Ellis  

Capt. Roderick D. Ervin  

Capt. Antwon R. Gallagher  

2nd Lt. Ian R. Goodbody  

Capt. Robert E. Irby, IV  

Capt. Patrick R. Kennedy  

Capt. Daniel K. Koch  

Capt. Lawrence J. Lee  

Capt. Michael P. Malec  

Capt. Tyler M. Moore     

Capt. Lauren A. Mount  

Capt. Duy Kien Nguyen  

2nd Lt. Seeley M. Pentecost*  

Capt. Christian K. Peters  

2nd Lt. Bertus A. Shelters  

Capt. Chad M. Sobota  

Maj. Thomas Stuart

Mr. Evan V. Swihart 

Capt. Joseph C. Tompkins  

Capt. Kullen W. Waggoner 

Capt. John Willis 

Capt. Clark L. Wolfe  

Maj. Diana Cruz, U.S. Army

Capt. Carlos D. Diaz  

Capt. Kalen L. Knippling  

Capt. Cameron A. Merriman  

2nd Lt. Richard D. Peterson  

Capt. Christopher R. Pitkins  

Maj. Nathan D. Smith  

Capt. Gabriel D. Donndelinger

Capt. Tania M. Garza

Capt. William J. Graff

Capt. Nancy M. Holden

1st Lt. Jeremy A. Mayo-Johnson 

2nd Lt. Sarah A. Olsen

Capt. Matthew W. Perkins 

Capt. Richard F. Daughtry III, U.S. Army

CPT. Peter D. Anderson, U.S. Army

Maj. Todd A. Bryant, U.S. Army

Capt. Zachary T. Condon  

2nd Lt. Anita N. Dunsmore*

Maj. Steven M. Hoak, U.S. Army

2nd Lt. Robert J. Olesen*  

Mr. Jay E. Ostler* 

2nd Lt. Steven G. Sauer  

Capt. Jason R. Stickney  

Capt. Daniel E. Hill  

2nd Lt. Andrew P. Lawrence  

2nd Lt. Justin Ng  

Vice Commodoro Jose A. Alvarez*, Argentina 

Capt. Rachael S. Beightel  

Maj. Thomas S. Bihansky Jr.   

Master Sgt. Benjamin D. Bobic   

Capt. Dustin D. Bohall  

Capt. Melvin K. Boothe  

Capt. Samantha R. Bryan   

Capt. Joshua P. Casey  

Capt. Brandon M. Clements  

Capt. Daniel S. Finney  

1st Lt. Rachel E. Herald  

Capt. Michael J. Hester*

Master Sgt. Theodore S. Holliger  

Maj. Scott M. Kubalek  

Capt. Steven T. Lane  

Capt. Andrew J. Lankow*  

Capt. Benjamin W. Leung  

Capt. Michael D. Mauro  

Master Sgt. Michael P. McLane  

Capt. Casey L. Owens  

Capt. Samuel H. Pang  

Capt. Josiah J. Pratt  

Capt. Francisco J. Rodriguez  

Capt. Luis D. Rosado-Medina  

Ms. Jessica A. Smith^

Capt. Jessica M. Thomas  

Capt. Michael J. Weber  

Capt. Peter J. Williams  

Capt. Nolan R. Bet  

1st Lt. Stephanie M. Boone  

2nd Lt. Luke M. Brantley  

Capt. Spencer A. Butt  

Capt. Josh D. Deehr, U.S. Army

1st Lt. Jacob T. Elliott  

Capt. Chelsea T. Froom  

Capt. Sarah K. Furrer  

Capt. James C. Gallagher*, U.S. Army 

2nd Lt. Preston A. Green  

2nd Lt. Jake Edward Johnson  

2nd Lt. Anthony J. Kallhoff  

2nd Lt. Ivan G. Keene*

2nd Lt. Jacob R. Lindell  

1st Lt. Miguel J. Macias  

1st Lt. Frances G. MacKinnon  

Capt. Richard E. Mard, U.S. Army

2nd Lt. Lindsey N. McEvoy  

Capt. Evan L. Munson, U.S. Army

2nd Lt. Sarah E. Neumann  

Capt. Clifton M. Noble  

Maj. Rachel C. Ramirez  

Mr. Joseph E. Schoenbeck  

1st Lt. William C. Sevier  

Capt. Matthew T. Small  

Capt. Jeffrey R. Smith Jr.  

1st Lt. Alexander M. Trigo  

Capt. Nicholas M. Uhorchak, U.S. Army 

Maj. Kyle S. Wilkinson*  

Capt. Steven P. Carpenter  

Capt. Marie Gaudreault

Mr. Jacob Jackson

Capt. Montgomery B. Kirk IV^

Capt. Jordan Ziegler

Capt. Evan R. Boone  

Capt. Kirsten Bunecke 

Capt. Tarah E. Cotton  

1st Lt. Bradley M. Duncan  

Capt. James Ellis  

1st Lt. Scott C. Hewitson  

1st Lt. Chase M. Houser  

1st Lt. Deborah B. Kim  

Capt. Amanda L. McGowin  

Capt. Raymond L. Mims II  

1st Lt. Garrett B. O'Hanlon  

Capt. James T. Okamoto*  

1st Lt. Bryan J. Price  

1st Lt. Shauna M. Young  

Capt. Joseph A. Applebee  

Maj. William E. Bentley  

Capt. Bianca E. Boney  

Capt. Corey J. Booker  

Capt. Jared R. Breuker  

Capt. Joshua C. Chambers-Mills  

Capt. Samuel M. Clark   

Capt. Andrew W. Davenport  

Capt. Paul P. Dennison  

Capt. Christopher A.J. Edlund  

Capt. Jared R. Erickson  

Capt. Justin M. Iungerich  

Capt. Brendan J. Maestas*

2nd Lt. John P. McCrea  

Capt. Robert J. McGaha  

Capt. Philip A. Ramsey*  

Capt. Sean M. Stuntz  

Capt. Jesse A. Trawick  

Capt. Sean M. Dyson  

Capt. Thomas G. Hornstein, U.S. Marine Corps

Capt. Joseph B. Kunicki, U.S. Marine Corps

Capt.  Ariel L. Waiters  

Ms. Michelle L. Page^

Maj. Keith A. Sanders*  

Capt. Timothy J. Allen  

2nd Lt. Walid Basraoui  

Capt. Mark G. Bateman Jr.  

Capt. Joe R. Berry  

2nd Lt. David J. Buehler  

Capt. Daniel Cipera  

Capt. Matthew W. Davis 

Maj.  Michael S. Felten  

Capt. Michael M. Kaniut  

Mr. Austin M. Klaus 

Maj. Kijun Lee, Republic of Korea

Capt. Martin Span III*

Capt. Daniel A. Timme (Dual Degree)

Capt. Austin A. Troya  

Mr. Michael J. Walters^

*Distinguished Graduate

^ Graduated earlier in the academic year and returned to participate in the ceremony