First Endowed Department Sets a Bold Precedent
Richard “Dick” and Karen McComish are the epitome of a power couple – though their humble nature would make them bristle at the term.
As owners of Electrical Consultants, Inc., they know the inner workings of the power grid and what it takes to run an innovative company. They credit much of their success to their education and experience at SDSU.
The 1975 graduates have impacted SDSU, and specifically the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering, as donors and employers of university graduates. Their latest gift made them the first donors to endow a department. The McComish Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science was established in recognition of Dick’s electrical engineering degree.
The Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science provided me a top-tier technical education that established direction for professional growth. However, this instruction provided much more. The environment at SDSU opened my mind to needs and challenges in the engineering profession, to accept nothing less than the best solutions, and to strive for innovation.
— Dick McComish
That mindset was instrumental in building Engineering Consultants. Beginning in a single office in Billings, Montana, with Dick’s engineering expertise and Karen’s administrative acumen, the company now employs over 950 engineers, surveyors, and technical staff across the United States. Karen represented the firm at
SDSU and other universities to recruit new graduates.
Dick is witnessing gaps in the energy industry workforce. They hope their investment will draw young professionals into the ever-evolving field.
“The field today is technically complex, demanding, and extremely innovative, offering new engineers lifelong opportunities for growth and satisfaction in helping society,” Dick said. “Higher education must provide us the best and brightest candidates to ensure future generations can expect opportunities as outstanding as those we have been fortunate to receive.”
Dick and Karen felt now was the right time to give. “I believe the electrical power field today is arguably where we as engineers can do the most to provide quality of life as we transition from conventional generation to a new energy future,” Dick explained. “If we fail, we will all face a life without the reliable power that we’re accustomed to.”
Karen believes their endowment aligns with SDSU’s “people-centered” values. The McComishes subscribe to the tenet: service to others. Their endowment will impact multiple tiers, from students to faculty to every customer using power across the grid.
“We’re excited and honored to be the first to endow a department,” Karen said. “SDSU has made great strides since we graduated and is a university to be proud of due to the innovations in education and success of its graduates.”
Dr. Sanjeev Kumar, the Jerome J. Lohr Dean of the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering, said the McComish gift “will allow department leadership and faculty to tread uncharted waters and invest in new initiatives with potentially high rewards. This will support our efforts to attain global recognition for innovation and elevate SDSU as an R1 institution.” R1 is the Carnegie Foundation’s ranking for doctoral-granting universities with the highest performance in research and development.
R1 is a high priority for SDSU, and investments like the one by the McComishes will help to achieve it. Is there anything more powerful than that?