Joseph Lambert Given Honorary Doctorate at FSU Commencement
May 22, 2025 12:00 PM
Frostburg State University presented Mr. Joseph Lambert ‘79 with an Honorary Doctor of Public Service at the 166th Commencement ceremony held on May 22. Lambert is a former president of the FSU Alumni Association Board of Directors and a current member of the Alumni Advisory Council. He is also a member of the FSU Foundation’s Board of Directors and a member of the College of Business, Engineering, and Computational & Mathematical Sciences Advisory Board.
Lambert holds a bachelor’s degree from FSU and a Master of Public Administration degree from the George Washington University and has studied leadership at the Kellog School at Northwestern University and at the Kennedy School at Harvard University.
Lambert entered on duty with the Central Intelligence Agency in 1984, serving initially in the Office of the Director for Intelligence and on the support staff of the National Intelligence Council. Subsequently, he served as the Information Management Officer for the National Photographic Interpretation Center and the Directorate of Intelligence.
He also served as the Director of Information Management for three Intelligence Community agencies – the National Imagery and Mapping Agency, the National Reconnaissance Office and the Central Intelligence Agency. As Director of Information Management, Lambert was responsible for records management, national security classification management and all declassification, release and pre-publication review programs. Additionally, he served as CIA’s Privacy and Civil Liberties Officer.
Lambert retired from CIA in 2017 after which time he served as the senior advisor for information management for several years at the National Security Agency. He has classified Oral Histories for the Center for the Study of Intelligence as well.
He is the recipient of CIA’s Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal, the Meritorious Presidential Rank Award, the National Intelligence Certification of Distinction and the NRO Director’s Circle Award.
Lambert is a devoted advocate for and donor to Frostburg State University. He supports the FSU Foundation, Inc. annually as well as the Annual Fund, Bobcat Giving Day and the men’s soccer program. He even named a room in the Catherine R. Gira Center for Communication and Information Technology on FSU’s campus.
Lambert has also received the Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award, one of the most prestigious honors bestowed upon FSU alumni, for his outstanding professional career growth and special achievements, community involvement and philanthropic commitment to FSU.
To watch a recording of the live stream of commencement, visit the Commencement web site.