Dr. David J. Palmer of Seaford, Long Island, NY, has been named Head of the Department of Engineering at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA).

   He will lead a department that prepares Academy midshipmen for the U.S. Coast Guard-administered license examination in engineering and trains them as marine engineers.

   Palmer, a 1991 USMMA graduate, has been a member of the federal maritime school’s faculty since 1995. He most recently served as the Academy’s Assistant Academic Dean and as an Associate Professor teaching engineering classes.

   In addition to holding a Bachelor’s degree from the USMMA, Palmer earned both a Master’s degree and a Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from Brooklyn Polytechnic University.

   Palmer, who holds the rank of Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve, is also a graduate of the Navy’s Nuclear Power Program, where he was certified as an Engineering Officer of the Watch, a Nuclear Plant Engineer and a Senior Engineering Duty Officer.

   Prior to joining the Academy’s staff, Palmer worked at General Electric’s Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory where he was responsible for training and certifying Navy personnel in operating nuclear power plants for the nation’s submarine and aircraft carrier fleets.

   Palmer has received the U.S. Maritime Administration’s Star for Extraordinary Contribution and was selected for the Federal Executive Board’s Employee of the Year Award.

   He and his wife, Lisa, have three children: Marisa Ann, Allison Nicole and Scott David.