USD Graduate One of Twenty Women Assigned to Navy Submarine for the First Time

University of San Diego graduating senior, Kimberley Roe, has been selected as one of the first women to ever be assigned to submarine duty for the United States Navy. Roe, a math major in the College of Arts and Sciences and a midshipman in Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC), has achieved extensive academic and personal success at USD.

A native of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Roe came to USD interested in the NROTC program because of its reputation for excellence, and the opportunities the program offered its young cadets.

“Joining NROTC was too good an opportunity to pass up,” said Roe. “The officers always gave us a reason to keep going, to keep pushing ourselves. The ability to make a difference was always there.”

The newly established program, that enables women to be assigned to duty on a navy submarine, was only passed by Congress last month. The program will welcome women on board beginning in the fall of 2011. Roe will spend next year in training and will find out at some point next year where she will report in 2011.

Captain Bill Ault, Commanding Officer NROTC San Diego and Professor of Naval Science said, “Midshipman Roe is an outstanding candidate for submarine service.  She excelled as both a student and a Midshipman during her time at USD, and her record of achievement will undoubtedly lead to future successes in submarines.”

At USD, Roe credits strong leadership in the NROTC program and her academic studies for her success. A math major, Roe says her mentor became her math professor, Diane Hoffoss, who continually challenged her to forge ahead in such a tough degree field. Roe also minored in English and Naval History.

Once on board a submarine, Roe will be as a nuclear engineer. She expects that every two years she will change stations, and therefore the duties that she’s responsible for.
She’s hopeful for a tour of duty in Hawaii at some point, where she spent a summer training last year.

Although the admittance of women to this program is history-making, Roe seems unaffected by the accolades she’s receiving.

“This is a really important step for women. I hope it goes well, and that in time it really becomes no big deal.”

About the University of San Diego

Strengthened by the Catholic intellectual tradition, we confront humanity’s challenges by fostering peace, working for justice and leading with love. With more than 8,000 students from 75 countries and 44 states, USD is among the Top 20 Best Private Schools for Making an Impact according to The Princeton Review. USD’s eight academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences, the Knauss School of Business, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education. In 2021, USD was named a “Laudato Si’ University” by the Vatican with a seven-year commitment to address humanity’s urgent challenges by working together to take care of our common home.