Young Donors
David Coulson
In August 1989, I retired from the Navy and was accepted as an engineering student at ODU. In fall of 1992, I completed my undergraduate studies with a B.S. in Computer Engineering. Since graduation, I have held three engineering positions: first as an Electrical Engineer with a government contractor, then as a Digital/Electronic design engineer for a manufacturing firm, and now as a Digital Control Systems Design Engineer with a R&D company in support of NASA wind-tunnel testing. During this same period, I managed to attend graduate school in the evenings, which culminated in my receiving a M.E. from ODU in fall of 1998.
In my fairly lengthy association with the faculty and staff of the ECE department, I have always made a point of trying to stay in touch and have always made myself available for discussions or input. As an undergraduate, I was active in the IEEE and HKN and aware of many of the students concerns and problems. As an "older" student, and then as a graduate, I came to appreciate the time and effort that the ECE faculty and staff provided to the students and various student societies. As a student and as well as a research and student lab assistant, I observed the everyday problems that both the faculty and students faced in maintaining the ECE laboratories. We were always dealing with old and broken test equipment and the shortage of parts and pieces to support projects.
Every year when ODU calls for my annual alumni pledge, I recall the good and bad moments, the faculty and staff,and the labs and equipment. Each year I make my pledge and specify that it goes to the Frank Batten College of Engineering and Technology in hope that somehow it will make a difference for the students utilizing the facilities today and in the future. In this manner, I try to give a little bit back to ODU in memory of those who cared then and still do today.
With Thanks and Best Regards,
Dave Coulson, BSCE '92, ME '98
