Sources: Don Gruenbacher, 785-532-4692, grue@k-state.edu;
and Dana Gude, dmgude@k-state.edu
Hometown interest: Olsburg
News release prepared by: Tyler Sharp, 785-532-2535, tmsharp@k-state.edu
Thursday, Oct. 6, 2011
Service and scholarship: Master's student named runner-up for national award
MANHATTAN -- Dana Gude's pedigree for scholarship and service was cultivated from a young age. An average week was incomplete without a variety of community service activities. Gude, Olsburg, a master's student in electrical engineering at Kansas State University, simultaneously established a record of high academic achievement that would follow her throughout college. She was recently recognized for her efforts.
Gude earned one of two honorable mentions for the Alton B. Zerby and Carl T. Koerner Outstanding Electrical and Computer Engineering Student Award from Eta Kappa Nu, a national electrical and computer engineering honor society. The award recognizes outstanding scholastic excellence and high moral character, coupled with demonstrated exemplary service to classmates, university, community and country.
As an undergraduate, Gude was active with the College of Engineering ambassadors, serving as the treasurer, and Eta Kappa Nu, serving as initiation chair. She also volunteered with Boys and Girls Club, Big Brothers, Big Sisters and Pottawatomie County 4-H as the horse leader, where she put on free clinics to teach children how to ride and train horses.
Gude said she has enjoyed the different experiences.
"Any volunteer experience is a positive thing," she said. "I always get a lot of satisfaction and enjoyment out of it."
Gude graduated in May from K-State with a bachelor's in electrical engineering and began her master's degree in the same field this fall. She would like to attend a biomedical school after finishing at K-State. Her ultimate goal mirrors one of her more enjoyable volunteering experiences: working with animals. Gude would like to develop equipment to help veterinarians diagnose animals and provide related health information.
"If we can figure out a way to have all of the sensors that they may need to use to monitor the animal, that'd be a lot more convenient then having to bring the animal into his lab," she said.
Don Gruenbacher, head of the department of electrical and computer engineering and an associate professor, believes Gude was a natural fit for the award.
"Dana has been an outstanding student," Gruenbacher said. "Her activities, energy level and dedication to helping others is tremendous. That's the type of person we need to recognize more often."
