Mr. Paul A. Petzrick Given Honorary Doctorate at Commencement
May 12, 2023 8:00 AM
Frostburg State University presented Mr. Paul A. Petzrick, an employee of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, with an Honorary Doctorate of Science degree at its 162nd commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 20.
After having already retired from 30 years in the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Department of Energy, Petzrick, at 93, is the oldest current employee of the State of Maryland now serving as a power plant site assessor in the Power Plant Research Program (PPRP), a team involved in licensing power plants in the state and researching all matters related to power plants.
Petzrick studied three years of engineering at the University of Wisconsin and before being commissioned as a Navy line officer upon graduation in 1954. He subsequently attended Renesselaer Polytechnic Institute and received a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering and transferred to the Civil Engineer Corps of the Navy. Petzrick received his master of science degree in engineering science from Princeton University in 1966.
During his Naval career, Petzrick served with the Naval Material Command where his last assignment was Director of the Navy Energy and Natural Resources Research and Development Office. He held numerous construction and public works positions in research and development positions in the Navy. He has co-authored numerous studies and given presentations before the mineral and energy industry groups worldwide.
For his work in energy and environmental protection, Petzrick received the Navy Legion of Merit and the U.S. Navy League’s William S. Parsons Award for Scientific and Technical Achievement in 1975. Paul was appointed as charter member of the Senior Executive Service of the US Department of Energy when it was created in 1977.
A native of Dunn County, Wi., Petzrick currently resides in Crownsville, Md.
To watch a recording of the live stream of commencement, visit the Commencement web site.
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