OHIO Alumnus' Fellowship Gift Boosts Control Systems Research
Robert H. Josselson, who holds four patents on inventions that involve space-based weather instruments and controls, established the Robert H. Josselson Fellowship for Electrical Engineering in the Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ College of Engineering and Technology. Fellowships are graduate or post-graduate student scholarships connected to a specific field and support recipients as they complete relevant training, work, or research.
David Juedes, associate professor and chair of the Russ College School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, said Josselson was one of OHIO's first few electrical engineering graduates and his gift will impact the entire electrical engineering program.
"We're deeply grateful for the opportunities this gift provides for our future students. The fellowship will allow the school the chance to attract the best and brightest to our doctorate program," says.
Graduating from Case Western with his undergraduate degree, Josselson took two classes in control systems and said he fell in love with the discipline.
"I was hungry to continue my education in control systems and the small size of OHIO's electrical engineering department seemed like a good fit," says Josselson.
Josselson truly enjoyed the breadth and depth of the courses being taught. OHIO taught him how to think, to analyze and be systematic, to solve problems, and to be competitive.
"Ohio University was good to me. I started with an assistantship, and then—after proving my scholarship—was granted a fellowship. Without them, I would not have been able to attend graduate school", Rob explains. At OHIO Rob was granted a National Defense Education Act (NDEA) fellowship, which is also part of his reasoning for giving back—through paying it forward.
Upon graduating, he worked for Honeywell, Inc., where he designed digital autopilots for missiles and projectiles. Currently, he is a Staff Scientist at ITT Exelis, a diversified, top-tier global aerospace, defense and information solutions company.
The Robert H. Josselson Fellowship for Electrical Engineering will be awarded to graduate students studying control systems.
Rob hopes that whoever benefits from his fellowship will be motivated to someday also support Ohio University—thus creating more creative, knowledgeable experts in engineering, assuring that the field is constantly developing.
If you're interested in setting up a fellowship or other ways you can contribute to the success of Ohio University, please contact Kelli Kotowskil, Executive Director of Development for Gift Planning, at (740) 597-1819, toll free at (800) 592-3863, or send an email to: [email protected].