January 31st, 2025 by WCBC Radio
On Friday, Jan. 31, the fifteenth president of Frostburg State University, Dr. Ronald H. Nowaczyk passed away surrounded by family after a courageous battle with cancer. Earlier this month in a message to campus, Nowaczyk announced that he was stepping down as president of FSU to focus on his health issues and spend more time with his wife and son.
Nowaczyk brought with him more than 40 years of higher education experience to Frostburg. During his tenure at FSU, he remained a steadfast leader navigating both successful initiatives as well as a global pandemic. With Nowaczyk at the helm, Frostburg made important progress that was always in the best interest of and for the good of the University and its students.
Nowaczyk noted that leading FSU for the past nine years was the honor and privilege of his career and remembered his time at Frostburg as the highlight of his life’s work. Together, with the assistance of the campus community, Nowaczyk accomplished much of which to be proud.
He oversaw the development of a comprehensive strategic plan to improve student success, strengthen communication and the governance process, and enhance outreach throughout the region.
The University added two new nursing degrees to the already established nursing department and created a streamlined pathway for undergraduate students to advance from a Bachelor of Science in Health Science directly into the FSU Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies program. Thanks to Nowaczyk’s vision, FSU also now offers eight online certificates designed for working adults with an associate’s degree or equivalent credits and some relevant work experience.
The list continues. FSU and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) now offers an innovative joint Master in Environmental Management in Sustainability, and FSU’s collaboration with University of Maryland College Park allows students to spend four years in Frostburg while earning a Mechanical Engineering degree from College Park. Moreover, FSU’s partnership with University of Maryland Eastern Shore allows students to become a pharmacist in six years by completing their undergraduate and doctoral studies seamlessly to reduce instruction time and costs.
Nowaczyk was also instrumental in creating pathways to encourage talented students to reach their dreams and stay in their communities. In 2023, FSU and the West Virginia School of Pharmacy (WVUSoP) entered a partnership that allows students to earn their Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from FSU and their Doctor of Pharmacy degree from WVUSoP in just seven years. Additionally, through FSU’s partnership with the University of Baltimore School of Law, FSU students can combine a bachelor’s and juris doctor program in six years instead of the usual seven.
A big highlight of Nowaczyk’s time at FSU was the improvement and expansion of infrastructure on campus. A new Education and Health Sciences Center opened as did the first new residence hall in more than 40 years and a new public safety building.
Nowaczyk was proud of FSU for being the state’s only comprehensive higher education institution in Western Maryland and its unique position to serve as a catalyst for economic growth throughout the region. FSU received several grants during his tenure that will be used to install a clean energy microgrid on campus and grants to create a design for woody biomass heating on campus, replacing an aging set of oil-fired boilers. FSU was also offered the opportunity to host a Challenger Center facility that will be part of a national network focused on improving middle school students’ science education through NASA-developed hands-on science projects.
Anyone who knew Nowaczyk knew that he was an avid sports fan. So, it should be no surprise that another proud highlight of his time at FSU was when the university was accepted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association as a member of Division II, capping a 41-year run as a member of Division III.
As a result of these and numerous other accomplishments, Nowaczyk helped change and improve the lives of countless people. He was always confident that if Frostburg continued to fulfill its mission of being a student-centered teaching and learning institution providing experiential opportunities for students, that even in difficult times, the University would be successful. He held his students in highest regard and was always proud of their hard work and accomplishments while at FSU and beyond.
In one of his final messages to the campus community, Nowaczyk was hopeful that the FSU faculty and staff never lose sight of why they are here – to prepare future leaders to meet the challenges of a complex and changing global society, to keep FSU on a sustainable path for the future, and in small and big ways, make the world in which we live a better place.
