2024 Fall Graduate Profile - Maj. Andrew Van Genderen, U.S. Air Force

“I don’t know of any other program anywhere in the military where the opportunity exists to engage with so many officers from so many backgrounds,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Andrew Van Genderen, who will celebrate the completion of his NPS studies with his peers during the 2024 Fall Quarter graduation ceremony tomorrow, Dec. 18. Van Genderen will receive his NPS degree in Security Studies, with a focus on East Asia and the Indo-Pacific. He’s also the recipient of two student awards, taking home both the NPS Superior Service Award as well as the Capt. David S. Bill, Jr. Leadership Award.

“I have been grateful to NPS for many opportunities to engage with outstanding faculty from a variety of departments, and also to interact with peers from the various U.S. services, and from services around the world,” Van Genderen added.

For his thesis, Van Genderen explored an expanding power imbalance between India and China with neighboring Myanmar over the past 10 years. Van Genderen argues that while China prioritized and funded foreign policy objectives in Myanmar, India often did the opposite, approaching objectives with limited prioritization, and more defensive in nature.

“My thesis research is important for shaping how the U.S. understands the interests of key allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region,” explained Van Genderen. “My thesis will also help the U.S. Air Force understand how to work with key allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific on specific emerging problems in Great Power Competition.”

Tune in tomorrow, Dec. 18 at 10:00 a.m. PST to watch Van Genderen and all of the near 250 Fall Quarter graduates cross the stage in King Auditorium with commencement speaker, former Secretary of Defense, the Honorable Leon Panetta.

• Watch graduation live: https://www.nps.edu/WatchLive
• More about National Security Affairs at NPS: https://nps.edu/web/nsa