Mines Dedicates Scott Rausch Avionics Lab

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.