[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 8232]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       COMMENDING KEVIN PETERSEN

  (Mr. McCARTHY of California asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. McCARTHY of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
career of a committed public servant, Kevin Petersen, who retires April 
3, 2009, as director of NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center located in 
my district. Kevin has served at Dryden for 38 years and is currently 
NASA's longest-serving field center director.
  Kevin began his career at Dryden as a university cooperative student 
in 1971, was hired as an aerospace engineer when he graduated from Iowa 
State in 1974, and later received a Master of Science degree from UCLA.
  Kevin was appointed to be Dryden's director in 1999. His tenure as 
director has seen Dryden's focus on aeronautics research expand to also 
support work in environmental and space science, space exploration, and 
human spaceflight. Currently, Dryden has the important task of testing 
the new Orion Launch Abort System. I appreciated Kevin showing me 
around that key program when I visited.
  Kevin Petersen is a role model for all American students considering 
a career in science, technology, engineering or mathematics. Kevin, 
you've been a great public servant. I appreciate your dedication, and I 
wish you the best of luck.

                          ____________________