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Senate Confirms 4 Permanent Professors at Academy

By Ray Bowden, U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. — 

Four officers were recently confirmed by the Senate as permanent professors at the Air Force Academy.

Col. Mark Anarumo is the permanent professor for the Center for Character and Leadership Development, Col. John Cinnamon heads the Aeronautics Department, Col. Steven Hasstedt heads the Biology Department, and Col. Scott Williams heads the Mathematics Department.

The president nominates permanent professors at the service academies and the Senate confirms the nominations via voice vote. The Senate confirmed the Academy’s new permanent professors Sept. 28.

“Congratulations to our new permanent professors and to their families,” said Brig. Gen. Andrew Armacost, the Academy’s dean. “I’m thrilled to have Colonels Anarumo, Cinnamon, Hasstedt and Williams onboard. The breadth of their academic and leadership experience is remarkable, and they bring this experience to our faculty and our cadets in their respective majors as we develop confident and competent leaders of character.”

Anarumo

Anarumo is from Middletown, New Jersey. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Administration of Justice, a Master of Arts and a Doctorate in Criminal Justice at Rutgers University, and a post-doctorate fellowship at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

“The confirmation felt more like a formality,” he said. “Being selected was the truly emotional moment.

“When asked whether I was interested in the position, I couldn’t get the word ‘yes’ out fast enough,” Anarumo said. “Hearing about the approval was nice, but the selection notification was the important moment for me.”

Anarumo said he looks forward to helping the Academy maintain its status as a premier leadership development institution.

“We are already a world class academic institution and an elite military commissioning program, but I believe we can do so much more,” he said. “Our graduates should be viewed by the world as the most gifted leaders produced by any institution, intellectually prepared for challenges and grounded with solid character and ethical guiding principles.”

Anarumo said the Academy’s faculty is committed to developing leaders of character.

“The faculty is expert in its disciplines, adds to scholarship in its respective fields, and comprised of first-class instructors,” he said. “I have been impressed by everyone I’ve had the pleasure to interact with on both professional and personal levels. We are deeply committed to developing officers of character ready to serve upon graduation. I can’t wait to get started.”

Anarumo commanded three security forces squadrons and was vice wing commander at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. He began his military career in the Army as an Abrams M-1 crewman. He’s the father of daughters Kathryn and Julia, and sons Mark and Nick.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon, a 1991 Academy graduate, is from Seattle. He earned a Bachelor of Engineering Sciences at the Academy, a Master of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, and a Doctorate of Aeronautical Engineering at the Air Force Institute of Technology.

“I’m humbled to be appointed and anxious to serve in this capacity to further the goals of the dean and the Academy,” he said. “I hope to be remembered as someone who worked for the best interests of the Academy.”

Cinnamon said many on the Academy’s faculty are qualified for high-level positions at other universities or in the private sector.

“They stay at the Academy because of a deep commitment to the Air Force and the remarkable cadets entrusted to us,” he said.

Cinnamon is a command pilot with 4,500 pilot-hours in a variety of aircraft and served as a squadron and group commander. He and wife Tamara Cinnamon, a 1990 Academy graduate, are the parents of daughters Emily and Amy, and sons Daniel and Jack.

Hasstedt

Hasstedt, a 1992 Academy graduate, is from Parker, Colorado. He earned a Bachelor of Science at the Academy, a Master of Environmental Science at Southern Illinois University, a Master of Science at the Air Force Institute of Technology, and a Doctorate in Ecology from Colorado State University.

“I’m excited to know I can continue to serve at the Academy with amazing and inspiring cadets and colleagues,” he said. “I’m humbled and honored to join the permanent professors serving as senior faculty and strategic leaders for both the Academy and the operational Air Force.

“It’s exciting to be part of the leadership team responsible for instilling in our cadets the patterns of thought, open-minded skepticism, and appreciation of diverse ideas that truly makes the Academy’s liberal arts education a force multiplier,” Hasstedt said.

Hasstedt said the Academy’s faculty is a diverse and inclusive group of military and civilian educators.

“Their expertise and experiences equip cadets to solve the technological, organizational, and personnel management challenges they’ll face as officers,” he said.

Hasstedt served as a squadron commander and as director of staff for the Academy dean. He and wife, retired Lt. Col. Anne-Marie Hasstedt, are the parents of daughters, Madeleine and Leah.

Williams

Williams lists Tualatin, Oregon, as his home of record. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics in 1991 at MIT, a Master and a Doctorate of Sciences at North Carolina State University, and a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies at the Naval War College.

“I am inspired by the opportunity to weave character and leadership development into a world-class mathematics education,” he said. “It’s exciting to contemplate the impact we have on generations of Air Force leaders.

“I am committed to the department’s long history of innovation and continual improvement in the teaching and learning of mathematics, scholarship and engagement within our academic community, and professional development,” Williams said. “I hope to expand our ability to link cadet and faculty research efforts to real-world Air Force needs.”

Williams served as a deputy group commander and as the Air Staff’s chief analyst.  The Air Staff is headed by the Air Force chief of staff at the Pentagon. He and wife Tara are the parents of daughters Madison, Bailey and Delaney, and sons Travis and Qin.

Officers confirmed as permanent professors serve as both heads of academic departments and as members of the Academy’s senior leadership team.