Petrina is a Civil Engineer by profession, holding a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from the University of Cape Town, as well as an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She currently serves as the Associate Dean of the School of Engineering and the Built Environment at the University of Namibia. Prior to this role, she was the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering & IT at the University of Namibia, a position she held before the Faculty was restructured into a School.

With over 10 years of strategic leadership and management experience in engineering education, Petrina is deeply committed to advancing engineering capacity, skills, and competencies essential for driving the developmental agendas of Namibia, Africa, and the global community. Her focus lies in exploring new frontiers of engineering education, particularly the skills and competencies required for engineers in the 21st century amidst the emergence of AI and the 4th and 5th Industrial Revolutions.

In addition to her role as Associate Dean, Petrina is the Campus Director for the José Eduardo dos Santos Campus of the University of Namibia, where she oversees the overall leadership and management of the Campus. She also serves as the Chair of the Academic Committee of the Engineering Council of Namibia.

Petrina is passionate about mentoring young women to pursue careers in STEM. She is actively involved with the Namibian Women in Engineering (NAMIE) organization, which celebrates women in STEM, addresses challenges faced by women in these elds, and mentors young girls to encourage them to pursue careers in STEM.