63-year-old man receives Ph.D. from Marquette University

MILWAUKEE -- Nearly 500 Marquette University students can now call themselves graduates after this weekend's mid-year commencement ceremony. For 63-year-old Darrel Mazzari, walking across the stage and receiving his degree is something he's been waiting for, for a very long time!

Mazzari put in 31 semesters at Marquette University, and first arrived in class in 1966. 30 years after finishing his undergraduate studies, the world had changed. To keep up, Mazzari came back to Marquette for his Master's Degree, and Sunday, he earned his Doctorate. "I feel like I am starting a new career. I'm ready to go, and I hope to go on to get a Nobel Prize one day," Mazzari said.

Mazzari now holds a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering, and hopes to develop a pending patent that could help detect biochemical weapons. But on Sunday, Mazzari's focus was on celebrating his accomplishments with his wife and son. "I'm happy for him mostly because this was an achievement he was working for for a long time, and that makes me happy," Mazzari's wife said Sunday.