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Hawkins ASU Fall Grad Speaker

November 12, 2013

Angelo State University alumnus Lt. Gen. Ronnie D. Hawkins Jr. will deliver the commencement address during ASU’s fall graduation ceremonies on Saturday, Dec. 14, in the Junell Center/Stephens Arena.

Hawkins will address graduates of the College of Education and the College of Health and Human Services during a 10 a.m. ceremony that Saturday.  He will speak to graduates of the College Arts and Sciences and College of Business in a 2 p.m. ceremony.  More than 500 ASU graduates are expected to walk across the stage during the two commencement exercises.

A 1977 Angelo State graduate, Hawkins is the highest-ranking alumnus of ASU’s Air Force ROTC Detachment 847 and currently serves as commander of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) headquartered at Fort Meade, Md.  In that capacity, he leads a global organization of military and civilian personnel who plan, develop, deliver and operate joint command and control capabilities and a global enterprise infrastructure in direct support of the U.S. President, Secretary of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff, combatant commanders, Department of Defense components and other mission partners across the full spectrum of military operations.

During his illustrious U.S. Air Force career, Hawkins has also completed assignments at the Air Force Academy and with Strategic Air Command, Air Combat Command, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Headquarters Air Force, the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force and the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon.  His many commendations include the Bronze Star, Legion of Merit and Defense Superior Service Medal, the fifth-highest U.S. military honor.

While at ASU, Hawkins served as ROTC corps commander and was a member of the Rams track and field teams that won Lone Star Conference titles in 1974, 1975 and 1977.  In 2001, he was named the ASU Alumni Association’s Distinguished ROTC Alumnus, and when he was promoted to general in 2005, he held his ceremony at ASU.

Hawkins earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from ASU and is a distinguished graduate of the ROTC program.  He is also a distinguished graduate of the Air Force’s Squadron Officer School and Air Command and Staff College, and holds a master’s degree in management and human relations from Abilene Christian University; a master’s in national resource strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University; and a Master of Divinity from Liberty Theological Seminary.

He and his wife, Maria, have three grown children, Ronnie III, Joshua and Christine Honesty.  Ronnie III is an Air Force fighter pilot, Joshua is a pilot with the Air Force’s Thunderbirds demonstration squadron, and Honesty is a school guidance counselor in Maryland.