Thank you for supporting the Scott Rausch Avionics Lab. With your help, we far exceeded our $125,000 fundraising goal!
Through the generosity of 110 individuals/families and seven companies that provided matching gifts (through employee giving), we received $307,942.34. In response, Doug (EE 80) & Leah Beck and Dr. Larry Simonson (EE 69) agreed to match all gifts 2:1 for the first $125,000 and 1:1 for the remaining $182,972.34. In total, $740,914.68 has been donated to the Scott Rausch Avionics Laboratory Fund!
The Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science at South Dakota Mines was proud to add an Avionics Minor in the Fall of 2021 in response to industry demand. The development of the minor, including the curriculum, instruction, funding, industry partnerships, and more, was in large part due to the work of alumnus Scott Rausch (EE 75), a former Electrical Engineering instructor, champion of Mines, and avionics expert who spent decades in the industry. Scott was a beloved member of campus who befriended many and was a true mentor to his students. He received the prestigious March Medal alumni award in 2018.
The goal of Scott's family and friends is to cement his legacy at Mines and support the avionics program. The Scott Rausch Avionics Lab will be a staple of the Avionics program, providing students with cutting-edge learning opportunites. Your gift will support the immediate needs of the lab, including equipment, technology, other educational materials, as well as the future needs of the program. The lab includes a fully-equipped flight simulator which can mimic a wide range of military and civilian aircraft. Students have opportunity to build components for the flight simulator, such as collision avoidance software and aircraft detection systems.
Thank you for helping us honor Scott Rausch and strengthen the avionics program!
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“We want students to use this minor to build into company internships and specialized senior design projects tailored directly to industry needs. This way the students can have that golden experience with a specific hands-on experience that no one else in the country has.” - Scott Rausch