Born and raised in Haiti, Charles “Sea Dog” Stuppard ’82 was still in high school when his brother, Franz, promised him: “When you come to the United States, you’ll be going to Cornell,” Charles recounted.
When Charles immigrated to the US, he did apply to Cornell, and in his own words, he was “properly rejected.” (At the time, he had a limited grasp of English.) Instead, he enrolled at Rockland Community College, took English as a Second Language classes, and completed coursework in math, chemistry, physics, and engineering. Two years later, he transferred to Cornell and pursued a double major in mechanical and aerospace engineering.
Charles lived in Dickson Hall, and outside of class he played intramural soccer and founded a taekwondo martial arts club called the Cornell Silver Dragons.
Charles got to know his future wife, Nidda ’85, when he invited her to a roller skating party. The two have now been married for 41 years, and Charles calls Nidda “the best gift I got from Cornell, other than my degree.”
After graduation, he joined Fairchild Republic Corporation and helped design fighter aircraft for the US Air Force before joining the US Navy in 1985. What began as a four-year commitment turned into a 30-year career in which he held five command assignments at sea, ashore, and overseas. He was working in the Joint Staff at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.
While on active duty, he earned a master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College and a PhD in Strategic Leadership from Salve Regina University. He retired as a Navy Captain. He then worked as vice president of AECOM, general manager of Canopy Aerospace & Defense, and CEO of CLS Consulting & Leadership Services. After a stint as district director for Virginia’s second congressional district, he now serves as dean at National Defense University’s Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, VA.
After Charles attended his fifth Cornell Reunion, he joined the Class of 1982 class council. He went on to serve as class vice president and, later, co-president—a role he has now held for 15 years. From there, he joined the Cornell Association of Class Officers (CACO), became its first vice president for Student and Young Alumni programs, and represented CACO on the Cornell Alumni Trustee Nominating Committee (CATN). He was elected to the Cornell University Council (CUC), and then became a member of the administrative board, where he chaired the Development Committee, and eventually became CUC vice-chair.
Charles was also a Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network (CAAAN) member, and is a member of the Cornell Black Alumni Association and Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, as well as director-at-large of the Cornell Engineering Alumni Association.
“One of my most rewarding volunteer experiences was serving as President of the Cornell Military Network (CMN),” Charles said. “When I assumed leadership, Cornell was ranked 47th among military-friendly universities. Through the dedicated efforts of our board, including alumni such as Seamus Murphy and Robert Callahan, Cornell rose to become the nation’s top-ranked university for military veterans.”
Charles also co-founded the Cornell Club of Hampton Roads chapter of the Cornell Club of Virginia after discovering how many fellow alumni lived in the Virginia Beach area without a way to connect. Alumni now drive hours to attend the club’s events, like student send-offs and Zinck’s Night.
When Charles thinks of his decades of Cornell service, a Bible quote comes to mind: “To whom much is given, much is required.” Cornell, he said, gave him an education, a career, and a wife. Charles tells his full story in his recent leadership book, Sea Dog.
“I encourage every alumnus and alumna to volunteer for Cornell and make it a lifelong commitment. It is truly a gift that keeps on giving,” Charles said.
