The Bridge - Issue 3, 2020 - 37

Donor Profile

dedicate it to Eta Kappa Nu." From experience in her
own life, she knows a strong education is the stepping
stone to professional excellence, and HKN walks
alongside students to equip them to be engineers
who are not just successful, but also intentional in
giving back and responsible for their decisions. To be
a part of preparing the next generation of engineers is
something that compels Dr. Rajala to keep giving.

Dr. Sarah Rajala
Beta Gamma Chapter
IEEE Life Fellow
Michigan Technological University

Laying the Groundwork
of a Successful Career
Dr. Sarah Rajala, inducted in 1972 into the Beta
Gamma Chapter at the Michigan Technological
University, has watched IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu grow
over the years and has played an active role in the
sustainability of the organization. Even after retiring
from 40 years in academia, either teaching electrical
and computer engineering or serving as the Dean
of those departments, Dr. Rajala has never stopped
being interested in the professional development and
education of young people. One way she continues to
support students is through her financial contributions
to IEEE-HKN.
Dr. Rajala serves as a Delegate on the IEEE
Foundation Board of Directors, where she has
felt a strong commitment to IEEE and HKN since
becoming a member almost 50 years ago. Through
her financial contributions as a board member of
the IEEE Foundation, she always commits part of her
giving toward HKN. She recalls: "One of the things
that was always important to me throughout my time
as an undergraduate as well as in my career, was my
participation in Eta Kappa Nu, so I wanted to provide
some of the funding I gave to the IEEE Foundation to

Looking back at her own professional development,
Dr. Rajala describes her experience in Eta Kappa Nu
as, "Empowering." She continues: "As an organization,
they play an important role in recognizing the students
in electrical and computer engineering and broad
disciplines supported by IEEE. I think that's important
because it really helps reinforce students' capabilities,
and gives them an opportunity to be connected
with local chapters, where they are often engaged in
service-oriented activities." IEEE-HKN gives students
the opportunity to engage with peers locally in their
Chapters, but also know they are connected
to a global network of students and professionals
who want to use their expertise as a means to
benefit others.
With 40 years of working in academia after being an
undergrad, masters, and doctorate student herself, Dr.
Rajala can look back from where she came and give a
unique perspective to those following in her footsteps.
She says: "I've had a very long and successful career
in engineering as an academic. I had opportunities
to serve in various leadership positions both in
professional societies as well as at my university, and
I really have to thank Eta Kappa Nu for laying the
groundwork for me back as an undergraduate. I never
realized it at that time, and often students don't when
they're going through the process, but it provided me
opportunities and recognized I had some abilities in
the context of technically doing well in the program, as
well as leadership opportunities. That is groundwork I
can look back now and see, though I certainly didn't
see it at the time."
To help equip and support the students of
IEEE-HKN throughout their academic journey,
please follow this link.

HKN.ORG

37
https://www.ieeefoundation.org/ieee_hkn https://hkn.ieee.org/ https://hkn.ieee.org/
The Bridge - Issue 3, 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Bridge - Issue 3, 2020
