More than 450 undergraduate and graduate students in engineering majors, the Rader School of Business and School of Nursing will receive their bachelor’s or master’s degrees at Milwaukee School of Engineering’s (MSOE) Spring Commencement, Saturday, May 27, at the Kern Center.

MSOE Regent Agustin “Gus” Ramirez will receive an Honorary Doctor of Engineering degree.

Savannah Neu, of West Bend, Wisconsin, is the class respondent. Neu is graduating with honors and will receive a Bachelor of Science degree in BioMolecular Engineering. She also was chosen as the 2017 recipient of the Fred F. Loock Outstanding Student Award.

Austin Campbell, of Newman Lake, Washington, and Rebecca Sondelski, or Mosinee, Wisconsin, will receive the Alumni Association Award. Recipients of this prestigious award are first nominated by faculty members in their respective academic departments and then the entire graduating class selects from among its peers the students who are most deserving. Campbell and Sondelski are both graduating with high honors and will each receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering.

More about Gus Ramirez

Ramirez is an award-winning business professional who also has been recognized for his civic achievements. He is the executive chairman and CEO of HUSCO International, a global leader in the development and manufacture of hydraulic and electro-hydraulic controls for off-highway applications. With more than 1,300 employees including a staff of over 300 degreed engineers in locations across the globe, including China, India and England, HUSCO is strategically located to provide best-in-class products and services to market leaders in off-highway and automotive markets across the globe.

Ramirez has served on the MSOE Board of Regents since 2004 and is dedicated to improving the educational opportunities for students throughout Milwaukee and the world. In 2015, the Agustin A. Ramirez Jr. Family Foundation launched the Ramirez Lean Scholars Program, a joint initiative between MSOE and the Medical College of Wisconsin to train a new generation of scholars in Lean health care management techniques. The program provides MSOE seniors an opportunity to work closely with Lean managers at clinical locations.

HUSCO International and Ramirez are strong supporters of scholarships for students at MSOE and have hired a significant number of MSOE graduates.

Ramirez has been named the Wisconsin Business Leader of the Year by the Harvard Business School Club of Wisconsin, which recognizes business leaders for their management achievements and civic involvement. He was inducted to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers Hall of Fame; has been named the Wisconsin Master Entrepreneur of the Year and received the YMCA Key Leader Award.

The Ramirez Family Foundation also invests in schools around the world so all young people have equal access to life-changing education. Since 2003, they’ve helped build Christian schools in Central America that have impacted approximately 100,000 students. Closer to home, Ramirez was the initial funder of Schools That Can Milwaukee and has funded major expansions at the United Community Center, Milwaukee College Prep, St. Marcus and Carmen School of Science and Technology.

St. Augustine Preparatory Academy is the foundation’s most significant investment in education. The K4-12 non-denominational Christian school will open in summer 2017 on the south side of Milwaukee and will ultimately serve more than 2,500 students each year.

Ramirez holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in aerospace engineering from Georgia Tech and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. Prior to leading the management team that ultimately bought HUSCO International, Ramirez worked for AMCA International and FMC Corporation.