What's Up Newp
Local, independent news serving Newport County, Rhode Island, since 2012.
Michael A. “Mac” Cullen, son of Beth and Mike Cullen of Newport, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, on Friday, May 23, 2025, and was commissioned as an Ensign in the United States Navy.
Cullen was among more than 1,000 midshipmen to graduate in the Academy’s 174th graduating class. The ceremony took place at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and featured an address by Vice President J.D. Vance.
Mac Cullen is a 2021 graduate of Bishop Hendricken High School. Cullen’s appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy in 2021 came as a result of his principal nomination by Senator Jack Reed. Cullen earned a Bachelor of Science degree with merit in Operations Research.
Cullen’s senior capstone research project won First Place/Best Paper in Decision Analysis: “Leveraging Autonomous Aerial Vehicles for Intra-Theater Logistical Support,” at West Point’s GEN Donald R. Keith Memorial, Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering Capstone Conference competition in April.
Following graduation, Cullen will report to the Naval Academy Preparatory School in Newport, serving as an instructor and mentor to Midshipman Candidates. In November, Ensign Cullen will report to Naval Air Station Pensacola to begin flight training.
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year federal service academy that prepares young men and women to become professional officers in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. More than 4,400 midshipmen are enrolled. Graduates serve at least five years in the military.For more information about the Naval Academy, visit https://www.usna.edu .
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
This content has been contributed to What’s Up Newp. The views and opinions included within are not necessarily those of What’s Up Newp, our contributors, or our advertisers.
We welcome letters to the editor on current local topics. Email them to Ryan@whatsupnewp.com.
Local, independent news serving Newport County, Rhode Island, since 2012.
What’sUpNewp, LLC | Owner: Ryan Belmore | Mailing Address: 270 Bellevue Avenue #184, Newport, Rhode Island 02840 | Email: Ryan@whatsupnewp.com | Phone: 401-662-1653
Newport native graduates from U.S. Naval Academy – What's Up Newp
