The staff at Northwestern NROTC is comprised of active duty Navy and Marine Corps officers and senior enlisted personnel. Officers serve as professors of Naval Science courses and class advisors, while senior enlisted personnel use their vast experience and knowledge to help your development as an officer. Our staff members are committed to helping you reach your goals, both academic and military, in the United States Navy or Marine Corps, offering personalized training, counseling, and advising at each step along the way, starting the minute you contact us. Read the biographies of each member of the unit staff below.
Captain James W. Edwards, USN | Commanding Officer & Professor of Naval Science
Captain Edwards is a native of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. A 1993 graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering. He was awarded a Master of Science in Manufacturing Engineering degree from Boston University in 2001. Full Bio.
Commander Kevin Riley, USN | Executive Officer & Associate Professor of Naval Science
Commander Kevin Riley, call sign “Finger”, graduated from Marquette University with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering. Following flight training in Corpus Christi, Texas and Pensacola, Florida, he was designated as a Naval Aviator in 2004. CDR Riley has also earned a Masters of Arts in Defense and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College and a Masters of Science in Operations Research from Naval Postgraduate School. Full Bio.
Lieutenant Michael K. Herbert, USN | Aviation Advisor
Lieutenant Cole S. Preston, USN | Submarine Warfare Advisor
Captain Andrew A. McGady, USMC | Marine Officer Instructor (MOI)
GySgt Antonio Aranda, USMC | Assistant Marine Officer Instructor (AMOI)