Dr. Rhonda Gaede: Why I give

"I give for the reason I teach, to make a difference in the lives of students."

I was born in San Antonio, Texas where I graduated from MacArthur High School . Then, I went to Southern Methodist University (SMU) and received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. While in school at SMU, I worked for Rockwell International as part of the cooperative education program. After graduation, I moved from Dallas to Austin to work for Motorola, Inc. as a Product Engineer in the Microprocessor Division. I received my Master’s Degree and my PhD, both in EE, from the University of Texas at Austin. While in graduate school, I met and married Glen Long. We have two boys, one a civil engineering student at Georgia Tech and one a senior in high school. Since 1991, my family and I have lived in Alabama. I have been teaching in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at UAHuntsville since 1992.

I established the Robert E. Gaede Memorial Scholarship because of the emphasis my family has always placed on education. So many members of my family teach, that I call it the family profession. I do it to honor my father’s memory. He always encouraged me that I could do whatever I wanted. He and my mother worked hard and saved money so that I could go to the school of my choice. They supported my decision to go into a field dominated by men and gave me unflagging encouragement.

I could have established this scholarship at one of my alma maters but I chose UAHuntsville because the money will make more of a difference here. The economy highlights the value of education. Giving now is more critical than ever.

I hope that my gift will enable a student to realize their educational dream. I hope that my gift means that they know there is someone pulling for them. I also hope that recipients acknowledge that we all live in a community with others and that they might see fit to give themselves when their circumstances allow it.

~Dr. Rhonda Gaede