Four electrical engineering students at South Dakota State University students earned scholarships from a national organization for the current school year.
The recipients are seniors Kalen Meyer and Luke Rasmussen, both of Rock Rapids, Iowa; and juniors Nicholas Erickson of Pierce, Nebraska, and Drake Rogers of Milbank.
The four awards to SDSU students from the Power & Energy Society of the International Order of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is the most given to any Midwest institution. Only one other school, Michigan Tech, had two winners.
Nationally, 84 awards were given. Only two other schools, the University of Kentucky and the Missouri University of Science and Technology, had four recipients. The three schools with three recipients were the University of Missouri-Columbia, the University of Missouri-Kansas City and the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez Calle Post.
SDSU is one of just three schools which has had a least one Power & Energy Society Scholar selected each year since 2011.
Steve Hietpas, an SDSU electrical engineering professor who directs the Center for Power Systems Studies at SDSU, said, “The SDSU scholarship selections reflect the high caliber of students attending SDSU and the strength of the power and energy faculty, resources and curriculum within the electrical engineering and computer science department as well as the strong connection between the 27 industry members of the Center for Power Systems Studies in our students.
“The numerous internships provided by Center for Power System Studies members provide valuable field experience for our students, who are then able to do better in the classroom. In turn, these industry members have very well-trained students to hire upon their graduation.”
Hietpas also gave a shout-out to associate professor Tim Hansen for his active promotion of this scholarship and writing letters of support.
All four SDSU recipients are repeat winners, Meyer and Rasmussen for the third time.
The awards are for $2,000, except three-time recipients receive $3,000.
Student profiles
• Erickson, a junior, is the son of Joel and Heidi Erickson of Pierce and 2022 graduate of Pierce High School.
A repeat Power and Energy Society Scholarship recipient, Erickson holds a 3.8 GPA. At SDSU he plays the trombone in The Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band. He is a member of IEEE and was selected to IEEE’s international honor society, Eta Kappa Nu, and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.
This past summer he interned at MidAmerican Energy in Sioux City, Iowa, in the substation operations department. This next summer he will intern with Nebraska Public Power District in Columbus, Nebraska. He plans a career in the power and energy sector after graduation.
• Meyer, a senior, is the son of Sid and Tana Meyer of Rock Rapids and a 2021 graduate of Central Lyon High School.
Also a repeat Power and Energy Society Scholarship recipient, Meyer holds a 3.93 GPA.
At SDSU, the dean’s list student competed on the wrestling team for three years and won the SDSU Wrestling Academic Award in 2023. He also is a member of the honor societies of Tau Beta Pi (all engineering disciplines) and Eta Kappa Nu (for electrical engineers). A member of the IEEE chapter, he was named Sophomore of the Year and is currently its president.
This past summer Meyer interned for the fourth time at DGR Engineering in Rock Rapids, Iowa, in its electrical department. His responsibilities included creating protection and control drawing packages and overseeing substation station service and transformer fan modifications.
He plans to find a career in the power and energy system field.
• Rasmussen, a senior, is the son of Chad and Ginger Rasmussen of Rock Rapids and a 2021 graduate of Central Lyon High School.
Also a repeat Power and Energy Society Scholarship recipient, Rasmussen holds a 3.88 GPA. At SDSU he has been an officer in Tau Beta Pi, the honor society that represents engineers of all disciplines; the Robotics Club and the student branch of IEEE. He also is a member of Eta Kappa Nu, the international honor society of IEEE.
Rasmussen has interned in the electrical department at DGR Engineering the past three summers. This summer he primarily worked on protection and controls design for substations.
He plans a career in the power industry.
• Rogers, a junior, is the son of Jonathan and Mindy Rogers, both of Milbank, and a 2021 graduate of Milbank High School.
At SDSU he is a member of The Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band and the basketball pep band. He also serves as treasurer of the SDSU chapter of IEEE.
He is a recipient of Center for Power System Studies and North Central Electrical League scholarships and holds a 3.543 GPA. He plans a career in the power and energy sector.
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