South Dakota Mines dedicated the Scott Rausch
Avionics Lab on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, honoring the Mines alumnus, former
instructor, interim department head, and avionics minor coordinator. Rausch passed
away unexpectedly in April 2022.
This past year, alumni and friends raised $1,026,580
in honor of Rausch, most of which was donated to the Scott Rausch Avionics Lab
Fund, an endowment that will support avionics students for years to come.
The avionics lab includes a fully equipped flight
simulator that mimics a wide range of military and civilian aircraft and that
allows students to test and develop new avionics software and hardware. The
program is housed in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science,
which added an avionics minor in the fall of 2021 in response to industry demand.
“It’s very moving to see everyone come together to
support the new Scott Rausch Avionics Lab and the endowment that will sustain
current and future Hardrockers,” says Mines President Jim Rankin. “There is
nothing that Scott would have wanted more than to know the avionics students
are being supported and that his impact on this campus will be remembered
forever.”
Rausch, a 1975
graduate in electrical engineering, spent decades in the aerospace industry and became a
well-known expert in his field. After his retirement, he devoted much of his
time to Mines, teaching and mentoring students. He received the prestigious March Medal alumni
award from Mines in 2018. His
wife, Linda, also graduated from Mines with a degree in chemical engineering.
“I’m eternally grateful for his mentorship,” says Mason
Teal, an electrical engineering student who
studied under Rausch last year. “The designing experience I gained from Professor
Rausch has helped me in my internships and classes. He made an immense impact
on my life. This is just my story, but if you talk to other students, they will
have similar stories.”
Rausch
also served in a wide variety of non-profit organizations. He was heavily
involved with the South Dakota Book Festival, South Dakota Humanities Council, Rapid
City Arts Council, Dahl Arts Center, Lions Club, and Optimist Club.