When Richard (Dick) and Karen McComish look back on their lives together, they’re the first to admit that things might look very different for them if it weren’t for South Dakota State University. Though the couple were acquainted growing up in their early school years in Estelline, South Dakota, the McComishes credit SDSU for bringing them together – and for equipping them with educations that would define their careers.

After graduating in 1975, Dick and Karen applied their degrees – electrical engineering for Dick and sociology and rural studies for Karen – to join forces and start their own company. Electrical Consultants, Inc., began in a small office in Billings, Montana, before growing to encompass over 830 engineers, surveyors, and technical staff across the country. Over the course of building their professional legacy, the McComishes never forgot their Jackrabbit roots, giving back to the university for over three decades.

In their latest act of philanthropy, the couple have established two fellowships to help recruit the best and brightest students and offer invaluable research opportunities for recipients of their generosity. A total of four students will be awarded the fellowships annually: the Richard McComish Fellowship in Energy Infrastructure aimed at electrical engineering doctoral students and the Karen McComish Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Sociology and Rural Studies for those following in Karen’s professional footsteps. 

“We have been very fortunate in our careers, and the cost of higher education is far more than it was when we were going to school,” said the couple. “It’s important for us to give back in any way that enables students to have a greater education.”

With the fellowships now in place, generations of Jackrabbits will be able to look back on their own lives, certain that things might look very different for their careers if it weren’t for Dick and Karen McComish.