Mines Receives Largest Individual Gift in its History to create the Leslie A. Rose Department of Mechanical Engineering

South Dakota Mines announced a record $6 million individual charitable gift to the university's Center for Alumni Relations and Advancement from alumnus Les Rose, a 1970 mechanical engineering graduate. Upon approval of the South Dakota Board of Regents (BOR), the department will be renamed to the Leslie A. Rose Department of Mechanical Engineering and will continue to keep Mines graduates at the forefront of innovation and technology into the future.

The gift from Rose is the largest individual donation in the university's nearly 140-year history.

“We are deeply honored by this generous gift from Les and his family,” said Mines Interim President Lance Roberts, Ph.D. “This gift will directly impact the next generation of STEM professionals and keep our graduates leading the way in the world of science and engineering.”

The endowment created by the donation will help the Department of Mechanical Engineering continue to provide students with an education that teaches them the fundamentals, theory, and practice of mechanical engineering through hands-on, real-world projects to generate efficient and effective products that solve the challenges facing today’s world.

“Les’s generous gift is transformative for the Department of Mechanical Engineering, enabling us to take a huge step forward in our never-ending quest to provide the best mechanical engineering education in the world for our students at a reasonable cost so that our graduates aren’t burdened with overwhelming debt when they graduate,” said Pierre Larochelle, Ph.D., P.E., department head of mechanical engineering at Mines. “Mechanical engineers from Mines are known for their problem-solving abilities, innovative thinking and resilience,” Larochelle said. “Thanks to this impactful gift, the Leslie A. Rose Department of Mechanical Engineering will continue to serve as a launchpad for many more generations of Hardrocker mechanical engineers – engineers who will design sustainable systems, develop groundbreaking technologies and address the critical needs of our society.”

Rose is the current CEO of Titan Technologies and has more than 25 years of experience in the defense and intelligence industries, including stints as president of L-3 STRATIS and L-3 National Security Solutions. He is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In 2016, Rose started Titan Technologies, which today has more than 800 employees, including engineers and other technology professionals.

“I am extremely blessed to be able to do this,” Rose said. “I thank my family for supporting me over the 54-year career I’ve had. It all started here at the School of Mines in mechanical engineering.”

Rose said he shares Larochelle’s vision for the future of the department. “It is one of the best now, and it’s going to be even better I believe. I am happy to have the ability to give back to the School of Mines in some small way.”

The donation was announced at Friday night's Hardrocker Heritage Gala, an annual event honoring the significant contributions of Mines alumni.

The BOR will discuss the gift and naming of the building during its October meeting.