Making Georgetown “the premier destination for military-affiliated students in higher ed” is one of Stephan Murphy’s goals as he begins his tenure as the new director of Georgetown’s Military and Veterans’ Resource Center (MAVRC), which advises prospective and current military-connected students on admissions, finances, academic resources, career networking, and available support services.
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Murphy, a West Point graduate and third-generation soldier in the U.S. Army, served for six years as a field artillery officer, which included two tours in Afghanistan. After Murphy left active service, he has served in the Army Reserve since 2019.
Before joining MAVRC, Murphy served as an associate dean of undergraduate admission and the director of military and veteran student services at the Washington, DC-based Catholic University of America (CUA). At CUA, Murphy was a lead admissions recruiter and student services point of contact for the university’s military-affiliated population. He also worked with Georgetown students as an adjunct professor in the Hoya Battalion, teaching young cadets to become officers and getting to know them outside of class by joining them for their early morning workouts.
“I like the ability to work with students: there truly is nothing more rewarding than having that opportunity to coach, teach, and mentor,” Murphy says. “Having the ability to work with the next generation is something that gets me excited to go to work in the morning.”
Supporting military-connected students
MAVRC serves over 1,200 military-connected students, an increasingly diverse array of service members, veterans, and military families. The center helps remove obstacles to higher education, working directly with military-connected students, engaging alumni, and conducting research and assessments. MAVRC also works to help military-connected students transition from service members to civilians and aids in fostering a military-inclusive environment at Georgetown.
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In his new position, Murphy plans to work on increasing the recruitment and retention of military-connected students; ensuring students in Georgetown’s ROTC programs excel on their journeys to becoming officers; and growing Georgetown’s partnerships with federal and private programs, such as the Warrior-Scholar Project and the Tillman Scholarship.
“I truly believe that God gives us amazing opportunities in our lives, and it is up to us on whether we live up to the moment or not,” Murphy says. “With this mindset, I want to make sure that I do the best that I can for the Hoya community during my time here, and am very excited to get to work.
Read more about Stephan Murphy’s goals as MAVRC’s new director. >