A decorated life: Navy ROTC professor demonstrates leadership excellence

Katrina Hill has received just about every type of military and academic accolade there is and has demonstrated leadership capabilities throughout her time in the service.

A Harvard and MIT Fellow. A U.S. Naval Academy graduate. A P-3 pilot. A liaison to the U.S. House of Representatives. A decorated soldier.

This chapter of her life is about to end.

In May 2025, Hill will retire from Arizona State University as a professor and department chair of naval science, a position she has held since August 2022. Since then, she has overseen instruction and training of 160 Navy and Marine Corps undergraduates, ensuring scholastic performance and preparedness for military duties.

It's a job that Hill has performed with great distinction and expertise, said Michelle Loposky, director of development and strategic partnerships at ASU's Pat Tillman Veterans Center.

"Captain Hill epitomizes what a true leader is — brilliant, compassionate and inspiring. Her leadership is critical as she helps create future leaders of our military," Loposky said. "Her commanding the Navy and Marine ROTC reflects ASU’s continued support of women in leadership roles. As a fellow woman of the uniform, I am honored to call her both colleague and friend."

ASU News spoke to Hill as part of Salute to Service, which honors all those who put service above self in both their professional and personal lives. Here’s what she had to say about her life and career, and what the future holds:

Question: In reviewing your bio, it appears as if you were quite accomplished even before you joined the military. I’m curious as to what your goal(s) were when you first joined the Navy?

Answer: When I was a little kid, we had to write an essay about where we’d be and what we would be doing by the time I was 40. I remember telling my mom about it, and she asked me if I said anything about wanting to make the world a better place. I told her I planned to do that by the time I was 30!

To be honest, I was pretty naive and uninformed when I first joined the military. But I knew that the Navy presented an opportunity not only to challenge myself but to also contribute to a mission that impacts the world. It wasn’t just about a career for me; it was about being part of something larger and making a difference.

Q: As a senior officer in the Navy, how has it progressed over the years in giving women opportunities to advance?

A: My military cohort joined around the time the Defense Department changed the rules for women serving in combat. When women were integrated into the military in 1948, the law said women could serve but only in roles where they wouldn’t see direct combat. This had the effect of limiting women in the military to certain fields and specialties with limited career potential.

I joined in 1993, which was also the first year that women were allowed to serve on combatant ships and in aircraft that might see combat operations. As a result, my generation was the first where men and women joined together and served side by side. Being eligible for the same jobs, performing well under pressure and taking the same risks as our male counterparts leveled many playing fields when it came to career advancement.

Since then, the Navy has continued to evolve, and we’ve seen significant progress in terms of opportunities for women. Today, the Navy offers women the chance to pursue every career path available, from leadership roles to highly technical specialties. The focus has shifted toward capability and potential rather than gender. Some young sailors today don’t even know that there used to be limitations on women’s jobs, which is incredibly exciting progress.

Q: What was the most challenging and satisfying aspect of your career?

A: I like that your question ties challenging and satisfying together, because I think there is an important connection there. Often, when we look at people in uniform, we assume they’re all the same. But in reality, if you have 300 people in a military organization, you have 300 individual stories, each with unique backgrounds, skills and perspectives, all united by a shared purpose of service.

My greatest privilege as a military leader has been helping people take their unique traits and use them toward a collective goal. Leaders and educators have that in common — you’re constantly learning, adapting and helping others grow to achieve something greater than they could accomplish alone. There is absolutely nothing more satisfying and challenging than being part of a high-performing team that’s tackling hard problems together, and I’ve been lucky to get to do that many times.

Q: What advice do you give to young women who are looking to pursue a military career?

A: I give the same advice to all young people thinking about their future. First, get an education. The military describes the current strategic environment as VUCA — volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. Our future leaders will face problems no one has seen before, and education helps you develop the mental agility to confront those challenges. It allows you to wrestle with tough issues and try different ways of thinking in a low-stakes, controlled environment.

Second, find your team — a group of like-minded people who share your values and passions. No one accomplishes big things alone. For me, the Navy became that team. I’ve gone further with my shipmates than I ever could have on my own.

Third, find the courage to lead. Leadership can be taught and practiced. Start small, step up and you’ll be amazed at how quickly those small wins build into larger responsibilities.

Q: Now that you’re in charge of the Navy ROTC at ASU, how are you specifically preparing/educating these students as they embark on a military career?

A: First, I’m incredibly fortunate to have an amazing team of military and civilian professionals here at ASU, all laser-focused on preparing our students for the responsibilities they’ll shoulder in their future military careers. We bring young leaders back to teach right after their first leadership experiences in the Navy and Marine Corps, so our students learn from those with firsthand knowledge of current challenges. We’re also fortunate to have dedicated civilian staff who model servant leadership daily, providing invaluable lessons through their actions.

From an educational standpoint, our mission is to develop our students mentally, physically and morally. We partner with ASU’s academic departments to ensure they receive a world-class education. The number one priority for any ROTC student is earning their degree, as it’s foundational to becoming a military officer. Physically, we emphasize fitness for passing military tests and thriving under pressure and during the daily demands of military life.

Finally, moral development is woven into everything we do. We engage students in challenging conversations about leadership, ethics and decision-making. For example, how do you balance justice and mercy as a leader? What is the hierarchy of loyalties for a military officer, and how does that differ from that of a civilian? We don’t shy away from these discussions because this is our opportunity to shape future leaders capable of making complex moral decisions in their military careers.

Q: What is your take on ASU’s support of ROTC and our student veterans/military-connected students?

A: I was just in a class at Luke Air Force Base for transitioning service members, and I couldn’t help but hijack the lecture to talk about the Pat Tillman Veterans Center and the incredible opportunities for veterans at ASU. By the time I finished, the facilitator wrote “ASU” on the whiteboard under “Resources for Veterans.” So, at the risk of sounding biased, I’m a huge fan of everything ASU does for our student veterans and military-connected students.

Our programs are growing quickly, which to me is the best indicator that ASU provides an environment where military-connected students feel supported and empowered to achieve their goals — whether that’s excelling as students or preparing for future leadership roles in the military. ASU’s commitment to education and service is evident in how they meet the unique needs of this community, ensuring they have the tools and resources to succeed both in the classroom and beyond.

Q: What’s next for you in terms of your career?

A: That’s a great question! I’m coming up on statutory retirement, after which I’m staying in the Phoenix area to be close to family. I’ve enjoyed my experience in higher education, so I’m thinking about how to stay connected to young people looking to make their mark in the world. I might even need to take some of my own advice and update my education for this quickly changing world and its future challenges.