Wendi B . Carpenter Rear Admiral Wendi B . Carpenter , United States Navy flag officer and naval aviator , is currently president of the State University of New York Maritime College . Background . Carpenter is the daughter of a U . S . Air Force veteran of World War II , the Korean War and the Vietnam War . Raised throughout the United States , she holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Georgia with a major in Psychology . She has pursued graduate studies in Marketing and holds an MA in International Relations from Salve Regina University . Career . Carpenter received her commission through Aviation Officer Candidate School , NAS Pensacola , Florida , with Class 19 - 77 and was designated a Naval Aviator in July 1979 . Graduating at the top of her class , she was assigned as the Navy ' s first Selectively Retained Graduate Instructor Pilot ( SERGRAD ) in the T - 44 aircraft at VT - 31 , NAS Corpus Christi , Texas . Following her tour as an instructor pilot , Rear Admiral Carpenter was ordered to sea duty at VQ - 3 ( TACAMO ) , NAS Barbers Point , Hawaii , where she served as a Mission Commander , Aircraft Commander and Instructor Pilot in the EC130F / G / Q aircraft . She deployed throughout the Pacific and the western U . S . and Alaska in support of the nation ' s strategic nuclear triad . After completing a shore assignment at the Naval Military Personnel Command as an Aviation Junior Officer Assignments Officer , Carpenter left active duty and accepted a reserve commission in February 1985 . Remaining highly active in the operational reserve force , Carpenter ' s assignments have included the staffs of Commander Carrier Group Four , Commander United States Naval Forces Europe , Commander United States Sixth Fleet , Deputy Chief of Naval Operations ( DCNO ) Fleet Readiness and Logistics , and Commander United States Second Fleet . Rear Admiral Carpenter has accepted numerous recalls to active duty and has held four Navy reserve commands at the Commander and Captain level : Officer in Charge of VR 506 , CINCUSNAVEUR DET 108 , DCNO N4 Fleet Readiness and Logistics DET 106 , and Second Fleet JFACC . Under her leadership as Commanding Officer of Fleet Readiness and Logistics , the 75 member CNO staff unit shared the FY01 DON CIO Award for " E Business " in government . She has represented the United States in a number of coalition and NATO forums , and completed Senior Courses at the NATO School in Oberammergau , Germany . Carpenter ' s Flag assignments include : Deputy Commander of Navy Region Southeast , Jacksonville , Florida from October 2004 - September 2005 , acting Director , OPNAV N31 ( Information , Plans , Security Division ) from April 2005 - May 2005 , Vice Director , Standing Joint Forces HQ ( SJFHQ ) , U . S . Joint Forces Command from December 2004 - September 2006 , and Deputy Commander , United States Second Fleet from October 2006 - June 2008 . In June 2008 , Carpenter assumed command of Navy Warfare Development Command , Norfolk , VA , where she served until August 19 , 2011 . On August 31 , 2011 , Admiral Carpenter became the 10th president of the State University of New York Maritime College and the first woman to serve as president of the college . Awards and decorations . Carpenter ' s awards include the Distinguished Service Medal , Defense Superior Service Medal , Legion of Merit ( 3 awards ) , Meritorious Service Medal , Navy Commendation Medal ( 5 awards ) , Navy Achievement Medal , and several unit awards . She has successfully accumulated 3 , 500 military flight hours . Carpenter is a distinguished graduate of the Naval War College and completed the Capstone Military Leadership Program with class 06 - 02 . Additionally , she has completed executive programs at the National Defense University , UNC Chapel Hill , Defense Acquisition University and the Navy Executive Business Course II ( EBC II ) at Babson College .