Retired Vice Admiral David Architzel Named New ODU Military Affairs Director

July 10, 2013

Retired U.S. Navy Vice Adm. David Architzel has been named military affairs director at Old Dominion University, Chief Operating Officer David F. Harnage announced.

Architzel, who will assume the new role Aug. 12, replaces Dick Whalen, who retired in January after 19 years leading Old Dominion's military affairs programs.

"Vice Admiral David Architzel brings to ODU a breadth of military knowledge and real world experience that will be of great benefit to the university's service-affiliated students while continuing our long-standing tradition of strong partnerships within the military communities," Harnage said.

As director, Architzel will serve as ODU's liaison with the Department of Defense, military installations and service personnel, while promoting the university and its academic programs to the military community. His duties include creating awareness of ODU programs and services throughout the defense establishment; advising university leadership on implications of DOD policies; identifying external funding , grants and contracts; representing the university at military events and programs; pursuing DOD support for instructional and research programs; and coordinating on-campus ROTC units.

Architzel retired in September 2012 after more than 40 years of naval service. Most recently he was commander of Naval Air Systems Command headquartered in Patuxent River, Md., a position he assumed in 2010 after serving as the principal military deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition).

As a career naval aviator, Architzel accumulated more than 5,000 flight hours in more than 30 aircraft types in the fleet and as a test pilot at Naval Air Station Patuxent River.

Architzel is a New York native who earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1973 and later a master's degree in aeronautical systems from the University of West Florida.

Decorations Architzel has received include two Navy Distinguished Service Medals, the Defense Superior Service Medal, four Legions of Merit, three Meritorious Service Medals, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and various service-related awards and campaign ribbons. In addition, Architzel was awarded the Spanish Naval Cross of Merit from King Juan Carlos, the General Counsel of the Navy Eugene P. Angrist Award for 2012, the Navy League's John Paul Jones Leadership Award for 1998, the Commander's Cross with Star of the Icelandic Order of the Falcon presented by the president of Iceland and the Department of the Navy Diversity Leadership Award for 2012.

With about 23 percent of its student population consisting of active duty service members, veterans or dependents, ODU has forged strong ties with the military that extend from the Hampton Roads region to the international community. ODU has been named a top "Military-Friendly School" by G.I. Jobs magazine for the last four consecutive years and recently was awarded accreditation by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization for its Graduate Program in International Studies - the first time a civilian academic institution has received the designation.

While all of ODU's degree programs are open to military-affiliated students, the university also offers several that specifically cater to related careers and can be accessed using remote technology such as satellites, video streams and portable media. As part of its Distance Learning initiatives, ODU offers undergraduate degrees in general engineering technology-electromechanical systems, health sciences with a concentration in health services administration and mechanical engineering technology with a nuclear engineering technology option. ODU also has graduate programs in engineering management and Virginia teacher licensure designed to accommodate active duty service members and veterans in career transition.

Old Dominion University is Virginia's forward-focused research university with rigorous academics, an energetic residential community, entrepreneurial research and collaboration, and initiatives that contribute nearly $1 billion annually to the economy.