Stockdale Associate Fellows
The Stockdale Associate Fellows program is a year-long academic course and experiential learning program intended to invest in the leadership development of staff, faculty, administrators and coaches.
Stockdale Associate Fellows Class of 2024
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Georges Labaki
‘24 Stockdale Associate FellowBiography
Chief Petty Officer Labaki is a native of West Covina, CA. His duty assignments started as a plankowner on the USS STOCKDALE (DDG-106) homeported in San Diego, CA. The Secretary of the Navy's executive dining facility, Enlisted Aide to the 31st Chief of Naval Operations and 64th Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy, Labaki currently serves as the Senior Enlisted Aide to the 65th Superintendent of USNA. Chief Labaki holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality Management from Stratford University and an Executive Masters in Business Administration from Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. In November 2021, he was selected as the Department of Defense Enlisted Aide of the Year.
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Wally Bixby
‘24 Stockdale Associate FellowBiography
Dr. Wally Bixby is the Director of Human Performance in the Physical Education Department at the U.S. Naval Academy. He has a PhD in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Sport and Exercise Psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park. In his role, Dr. Bixby works to improve the overall physical readiness of the Brigade of Midshipmen so that they can meet and exceed the physical mission requirements. His fellows project focuses on developing Midshipmen fitness instructors to provide knowledgeable individuals to work with Midshipmen on their physical training to improve the physical fitness and readiness of the Brigade.
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Ondrej Juhasz
‘24 Stockdale Associate FellowBiography
Ondrej is an Associate Professor in the Aerospace Engineering Department. He got his PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2014, and spent seven years doing rotorcraft flight dynamics and controls research for the Army before coming to the Naval Academy in 2019. Ondrej took this course to better understand the leadership lessons that the students are taught and to become a better teacher and leader himself. He has also enjoyed meeting people outside of Rickover Hall, where he spends the majority of his days.
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Shawn Bagnall
‘24 Stockdale Associate FellowBiography
I have had the pleasure to serve over 10 years as the Head Coach for the Naval Academy Varsity Lightweight Men's Rowing Team. In that time, I have been lucky enough to work with hundreds of Midshipmen, and enrolled in the Stockdale Leadership Program in order to better serve each future Officer I come in contact with. This program helped me to better understand myself as an individual, and how to apply my leadership style to the development of our Student-Athlete Midshipman.
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Charles Nelson
‘24 Stockdale Associate FellowBiography
Charles is a Full Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department (and class of ‘96 US Naval Academy graduate). The Stockdale Associate Fellows program has been an awesome experience, not only for making connections across the yard, but in enabling and enhancing a profound professional and personal growth for him in the areas of leadership and organizational development.
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Sophie Wishart
‘24 Stockdale Associate FellowBiography
Before joining USNA in 2023 as the Office Manager in the Chaplains Center, Sophie Wishart graduated from Taylor University in Upland, Indiana, with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. After graduating, she worked in Maryland politics in both state and private sectors. Her professional experience sparked an interest in the field of Industrial-Organizational Psychology, which she plans to pursue in graduate school.
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Todd Nix
‘24 Stockdale Associate FellowBiography
Master Chief Musician Todd Nix is a native of Grants Pass, Oregon and a 1988 graduate of Grants Pass High School. He received a Bachelor of Music from the University of Oregon, and completed a Master of Music in tuba performance at Indiana University, where he was a graduate assistant. Prior to joining the Navy, Nix performed frequently in Oregon with the Eugene Symphony Orchestra and Eugene Opera Company, and served as Adjunct Professor of Music at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. In 1997, Nix auditioned and was assigned for duty with the United States Naval Academy Band. He performs as tuba instrumentalist with the marching band, ceremonial units and wind ensemble and serves as the Naval Academy Band’s Senior Enlisted Leader.
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Ron Siefert
‘24 Stockdale Associate FellowBiography
I am a civilian professor in the Chemistry Department and began my USNA career in 2005. I also have been a coach for the Navy women’s hockey team since 2016. I have been put in a variety of leadership positions in both my professional career and my personal life, but I never had any leadership education. The Stockdale program gave me an opportunity to learn about leadership principles so I could improve my own leadership skills, and to also have a better understanding of the leadership instruction that is provided to the midshipmen. The weekly discussions, readings, experiential events and NOLS were all valuable to my leadership growth. Another great benefit of the program was meeting a diverse group of people from throughout the yard and getting to hear about their experiences and how they approach leadership.
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Michael Autery
‘24 Stockdale Associate FellowBiography
I commissioned from USNA in 2015 as a Seabee officer. I served in Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Four, Navy Cargo Handling Battalion One, and Public Works Department Naval Station Norfolk. Now I'm teaching in the USNA Electrical & Computer Engineering Dept. I participated in the program to hone my leadership skills to better mentor Midshipmen and, in my next tour, my sailors. Through the fellows program, I've been able to focus in on my strengths and weaknesses and thoroughly define my leadership philosophy. I learned a lot from the other fellows and made great connections with leaders from all corners of the yard.
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Dallas Elliston
‘24 Stockdale Associate FellowBiography
Dallas Elliston is a native of southwest Missouri. He studied Mechanical Engineering at the United States Naval Academy and was commissioned into the United States Marine Corps in 2021. Dallas remained at USNA, serving with Navy Men’s Rugby as an officer representative and their forwards coach - focused on utilizing the sport's platform as a training ground for tested leadership at the Academy. His recent transition out of the Marine Corps has allowed him to take on the role as the Director of Rugby Operations and Player Development at Navy. This fall, Dallas also begins his MBA studies at Georgetown University’s McDonough’s School of Business.
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David Durkin
‘24 Stockdale Associate FellowBiography
Captain Dave Durkin is a Permanent Military Professor (PMP) of Chemistry at the U.S. Naval Academy. Upon graduation (USNA, '98), he qualified as a Naval Aviator and flew more than 2000 military flight hours primarily in the MH-60S helicopter. He transitioned into the PMP community in 2014 and established his record as a true sailor-scholar. He is a proud graduate of the 2024 Stockdale Associate Fellows Program and is committed to making a strategic impact across the institution.
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Sofia Loomis
‘24 Stockdale Associate FellowBiography
Dr. Sofi Loomis, USNA 1999, is a prior enlisted Electronics Technician, Napster, Navy Women’s XC and Track Athlete, USNA Women’s Glee Club singer majoring in Political Science and minoring in French. Upon graduation, she served as a Surface Warfare Officer. After her military service, Dr. Loomis has worked in both public and private sectors in urban planning, real estate, acquisition, disposal, facility management and military base planning. She received her Master of Science in Urban Planning and Doctor of Management in Organizational Leadership. Honored to be a part of the 2024 USNA Stockdale Associate Fellows Program with extraordinary classmates and leadership.
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Nathan Hesse
‘24 Stockdale Associate FellowBiography
I serve as the Deputy Director of the Command & Seamanship Training Squadron, a professional development program that uses sailboats as a platform for cultivating midshipmen leaders. I participated in the Stockdale Associate Fellows program to deepen my understanding of leader development, but the added benefit of the program is building lasting relationships with colleagues from different departments on the yard. I hold a master’s degree in Bilingual Education as well as a master’s degree in International Affairs, with a focus in Latin America, from the Elliott School of International Affairs at The George Washington University.
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