Brig. Gen. Valpiani Assumes Command as Academy’s 12th Dean of the Faculty

Chief Master Sgt. Micheal Dederich (left to right), Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, Col. Steven C. M. Hasstedt, and Brig. Gen. James M. Valpiani stand at attention during the playing of the The Star-Spangled Banner at the U.S. Air Force Academy’s dean of the faculty change of command, here March 16, 2025. During the ceremony Brig. Gen. Valpiani became the Academy’s 12th Dean of the Faculty after taking command from Col. Hasstedt. Photo by Trevor Cokely.

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Brig. Gen. James M. Valpiani became the Academy’s 12th Dean of the Faculty during a ceremony in Fairchild Hall, March 16, 2026.

“He brings stellar academic credentials, impressive operational experience and outstanding leadership acumen to our Dean of Faculty in order to elevate academics here at our Academy,” said Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, who presided over the ceremony.

Brig. Gen. Valpiani graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2004 as the top graduate in academic merit and in the overall order of merit. He is a distinguished graduate of Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, Squadron Officer School, the Defense Language Institute, and the National Defense University. He holds a range of advanced degrees in technical and humanistic fields, including a Doctor of Philosophy in astronautical engineering from the University of Surrey, United Kingdom.

“James has also applied his warrior ethos, leadership and critical thinking operationally: as a command pilot with nearly 100 combat missions in the mighty F-15E Strike Eagle, as commandant of our Air Force Test Pilot School, and as the commander of the F-35 Integrated Test Force,” said Lt. Gen. Bauernfeind.

Most recently, he led research on artificial intelligence for fighter tactics at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

In his new position, Valpiani will command the 700-member Dean of Faculty mission, overseeing the design and instruction of more than 410 undergraduate courses for 4,000 cadets in 30 academic disciplines and directing the operations of five support staff agencies and faculty resources involving more than $250 million.

“The Academy – and the faculty in particular – formed the officer that I am today: a citizen shaped for moral and political judgement, a warfighter prepared to apply force ethically and effectively in defense of our nation, a leader grounded in character and responsibility, and a serious critical thinker formed across humanistic, social, scientific and engineering disciplines for the wide range of demands of modern military service,” Brig. Gen. Valpiani.

He continued, “Much has changed since I was a cadet – at the Academy, in our country and in our strategic environment. One thing has not changed however and that is the remarkable character of Academy cadets. They possess a seriousness of purpose, reflected in their service to something higher than themselves, that in turn deepens the seriousness of our own task as educators. It is an honor and a privilege to join in this mission as we form the next generation of Air Force and Space Force officers.”

Brig. Gen. Valpiani took command from Col. Steven C. M. Hasstedt, a 1992 Academy graduate, who served as Acting Dean of the Faculty since June 1, 2025.

“Thank you, Col. Hasstedt and your family, for the longest stretch as the U.S. Air Force Academy’s ‘Acting’ Dean,” said Lt. Gen. Bauernfeind. “He wasn’t a few-week fill-in leader who was here to hold a steady heading until a new Dean was named. Rather, he led our academic mission with energy and integrity through demanding times.”

Last summer, Hasstedt was selected as the Acting Dean based on his institutional leadership and experience as the Head of the Department of Biology and the chair of the Basic Sciences Division, where he represented the departments of mathematics, chemistry, biology, physics, and meteorology.

With Hasstedt at the helm, the Academy’s nationally recognized academic program continued to flourish. Last fall, U.S. News & World Report once again recognized the Academy as one of the top universities in the nation. The Academy remained the ‘No. 2 Top Public School’ in the nation, and its engineering programs also remained top tier, with multiple specialties in the top 10 among undergraduate-only schools. Furthermore, the Academy’s cyber education took a major step forward with classes at the recently opened Madera Cyber Innovation Center, and cadets participated in more than 180 independent research studies with faculty and external partners.

“The ability to think and outthink our adversaries is the ‘future proofing’ that we endeavor to develop, ensuring our cadets and graduates are poised to fight and win for our Republic in both the conflicts of today as well as over emergent threats, challenges, and adversaries far into the future,” said Col. Hasstedt. “To our cadets: you are the reason we are here. You might not always feel it, but being in the classroom with you is our ‘joy point’ for faculty members. We understand you have chosen a path of service, sacrifice, and excellence and that motivates us all to continue your development and kindle the fire for you to all become lifelong learners and professional military officers.”

Transitioning from his role as the Academy’s Acting Dean, Hasstedt is not going far. He will become the Academy’s Vice Dean of the Faculty and remain a permanent professor of biology.