Mullen to teach WWS seminar in fall

Upon his retirement last September, Mullen was presented with many potential jobs, Stephen Kotkin, vice dean of the Wilson School, said in an email. But Kotkin said the Wilson School recruited Mullen “vigorously” and secured him as the Charles and Marie Robertson Visiting Professor.

“Several of our faculty were deeply involved and evidently persuasive, particularly about Princeton’s commitment to teaching and to undergraduate education,” he said.

Mullen could not be reached for comment.

Mullen began as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2007. Prior to holding that position, Mullen served as commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe, commander of the Allied Joint Force Command Naples and the 32nd vice chief of Naval Operations.

“He will bring an unparalleled wealth of knowledge and experience to the classroom,” Kotkin said.

As the president’s top military advisor, Mullen was particularly attentive to diplomacy and military affairs, Kotkin said. Mullen oversaw the escalation of American involvement in Afghanistan as well as the drawdown of American involvement in Iraq. Four months before retiring from the post, Mullen advised the operation that killed Osama bin Laden.

Wilson School professor Wolfgang Danspeckgruber, the founding director of the Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination, said he was in conversation with Mullen's staff about inviting the admiral to a LISD colloquium in Europe next week. Danspeckgruber praised Mullen’s “wisdom,” calling him “one of the world’s most unique representatives of the military profession.”

“For me, he has consistently stood for the best of the United States military,” he said. “There can be nothing better than to have him teach our students and interact with our faculty at Princeton. I have been eager to get him to LISD and [the Wilson School]. I am truly delighted about Admiral Mullen’s coming,” he added.

Frank von Hippel, former assistant director for National Security in the White House Office of Science and Technology and now a professor in the Wilson School, also praised Mullen’s appointment.

“I respect Admiral Mullen and am sure that the Wilson School’s students will benefit from his presence,” he said.

Correction: Due to a reporting error, the April 13 article "Mullen to teach WWS seminar in fall" incorrectly stated that Wilson School professor Wolfgang Danspeckgruber had been in communication with the office of Admiral Mike Mullen recently about Mullen's new role in the Wilson School. In fact, while Danspeckgruber supports Mullen's appointment, Danspeckgruber had communicated with Mullen's office recently regarding attendance at a conference in Europe, not about the Wilson School. The 'Prince' regrets the error.