Johns Hopkins marks Veterans Day with events honoring service and civic leadership

On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, Johns Hopkins will honor the contributions of veterans across our community and highlight how military experience fuels public-minded innovation.

The annual Veterans Day Celebration begins at 11 a.m. in the Glass Pavilion on the Homewood campus. Co-hosted by the JHU Veterans Employee Resource Group and the JHM Hopkins Veterans and Allies ERG, the event is open to faculty, staff, students, and community partners. Lunch will be provided.

Those planning to attend the celebration should register by Nov. 10.

"The Glass Pavilion gives us a place at the heart of campus to bring together the university community and our veteran partners," says Bob McLean, JHU vice president for facilities and a retired Navy captain. "It signals that Johns Hopkins sees veterans as important to the Hopkins community and their contribution to innovation as central to civic progress."

Keynote remarks will be made by Gen. David H. Berger (U. S. Marine Corp., Ret.), the 38th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps. Raised in Woodbine, Maryland, Berger earned an advanced degree from Johns Hopkins before leading Marines in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Haiti and later spearheading the modernization effort Force Design 2030. Distinguished for both combat leadership and institutional reform, he is noted for combining clear vision with steady resolve.

Following the morning celebration, the university will host the second Nexus Harbor Summit, Veterans for the Future: Innovation in Service of the Public Good.

The event is hosted by Nexus Harbor at the Johns Hopkins Center for Bioengineering Innovation and Design, the JHU Veterans ERG, the JHM Veterans and Allies ERG, the Maryland Veterans Chamber of Commerce, and the Veterans Entrepreneurship Initiative.

Exploring veteran-led entrepreneurship and civic leadership, the sessions will include:

• A presentation by Ricardo Garcia on how veterans' skills in problem-solving and mission execution are fueling breakthroughs in health technology, clean energy, and civic infrastructure
• Project MERIT, highlighting new models that connect universities, chambers of commerce, and veteran networks to workforce development and community resilience
• From Service to Systems, examining how veterans are shaping civic infrastructure and social enterprises at the local level
• Healthtech Bunker, featuring innovators advancing digital health and behavioral care by drawing on military experience to strengthen public sector technology
• A fireside chat on veterans in public service, exploring how lived experience informs leadership in government and policy

"Veterans bring a mission-driven mindset and deep commitment to public purpose," says Adler Archer, an Air Force veteran, managing director of Nexus Harbor, a JHU Biomedical Engineering research scientist, and co-chair of the JHU Veterans ERG. "This summit showcases how their leadership and innovation are building stronger, more resilient communities."

Those planning to attend the summit, which concludes at 4:45 p.m., are asked to register by Nov. 10.