#SoCaltech: Ken Hargreaves

“I feel very fortunate to be able to organize the Veterans Day events. Celebrations like this are important because they help build a sense of community. During the meals, Caltech leaders sit at each table and get to know our veterans. There has always been some degree of pride and rivalry among the services. One of my favorite things about these events is watching the veterans from different services pick on each other, all in fun of course. It is also fun for me to speak with others about their military experience and often their transition out of the military. The stories are all unique and interesting. I see these events as emblematic of the president’s commitment to a diverse community.”

On November 10, 2023, veterans will gather from across campus and JPL for breakfast at the Athenaeum. Greeting them will be Ken Hargreaves, a Navy veteran and Caltech associate vice president for civic engagement and external affairs. Hargreaves organizes the Warrior-Scholar Project activities each summer and has coordinated Veterans Day events on campus since 2015. Hargreaves was a propulsion plant operator on the nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine USS Drum and served in the Civil Engineer Corps, including with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion ONE.

#SoCaltech is an occasional series celebrating the diverse individuals who give Caltech its spirit of excellence, ambition, and ingenuity. Know someone we should profile? Send nominations to magazine@caltech.edu.