Daryl Caudle, Naval Commander and Alumnus, to Address 2025 Graduates
Forty years after earning his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at NC State, the Winston-Salem native is returning to deliver the university’s spring commencement address and receive an honorary degree.
NC State will celebrate the class of 2025 during its spring commencement ceremony at Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday, May 3, at 9 a.m. Adm. Daryl Caudle, commander of the United States Fleet Forces and NC State alumnus, will deliver the commencement address.
Caudle leads the U.S. Northern Command and the U.S. Strategic Command, and he serves as the U.S. Strategic Command Joint Force Maritime Component commander. He has more than 125 ships, 1,000 aircraft and 103,000 active service members and government employees under his charge.
During the ceremony, Chancellor Randy Woodson will confer honorary degrees on Caudle, Ann Goodnight, a lifetime leader and champion of education, and Vivian Howard, award-winning chef, cookbook author, TV personality and restaurateur. Two recipients of UNC Board of Governors awards will be recognized during the commencement ceremony: NC State professor Clyde Sorenson will be recognized for his recent Award for Excellence in Teaching, and Craig Yencho, leader of NC State’s Sweetpotato and Potato Breeding and Genetics Programs, will be recognized for his 2024 Oliver Max Gardner Award.
The ceremony will also feature remarks from Terrica Lewis, a U.S. Navy veteran who is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in communication.
Prior to his current assignment, Caudle served as commander of the Submarine Forces, the Submarine Force Atlantic, the Allied Submarine Command and various U.S. Navy task forces. After rising to the rank of admiral, Caudle held several flag assignments as deputy commander and commander for the Navy. He also served as vice director for strategy, plans and policy of the Joint Staff in Washington, D.C.
Caudle is a native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from NC State in 1985. He is a licensed professional engineer, and he holds one master’s degree in physics from the Naval Postgraduate School and another in engineering management from Old Dominion University. Caudle earned his doctorate in organizational leadership with a specialization in information systems and technology from the University of Phoenix, where he studied military decision-making in cybersecurity.
For more information on the ceremony, visit the university’s commencement website.
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