Me Alumnus is All-Around Team Player
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Dr. Wade Troxell |
From the football field and the classroom to research and business ventures, Dr. Wade Troxell has proven himself to be a very valuable member of the College of Engineering team at Colorado State University.
Since arriving at Colorado State as a freshman on a football scholarship in 1975, Dr. Troxell has been a source of inspiration for our engineering students and has shared his winning philosophies with alumni, students, faculty, and friends. He has been an engineering faculty member at Colorado State University since 1985 and earned his three degrees from this institution: a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Science in 1980 and a Master of Science and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering in 1982 and 1987 respectively.
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Troxell lettered four years as offensive center of the CSU football team while earning his first degree in engineering. |
As a CSU football player, Dr. Troxell lettered four years at offensive center, playing in all but one game throughout that time frame. He served as team captain during his senior year, and not once during his four years on the team did he ever have a bad long snap. In his current role as an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and the Acting Associate Dean of the College of Engineering, he continues to nurture the relationship between CSU's athletic department and potential students by assisting with recruiting efforts related to those interested in studying engineering.
In addition to his teaching and research responsibilities at Colorado State, Dr. Troxell has been involved in start-up enterprises and small to medium-sized manufacturing companies. He shares, "I view everything I do as part of a continuum of learning. I am an engineering educator, and I believe strongly that I should have experiences that allow me to relate the business world to my teaching and research and vice versa."
Dr. Troxell co-founded and directed CSU's Manufacturing Excellence Center (MEC), a consortium of 41 laboratories and centers focused on improving the competitiveness and profitability of small to medium-sized manufacturers in Colorado. Securing funding of more than $6 million, he established Colorado's NIST-funded Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) center and served as its Executive Director from 1992 to 1997. He also co-founded Sixth Dimension, Inc., a provider of network communications and real-time control technology for the electric power industry. As President/COO, he led this early-staged company through three rounds of venture financing totaling more than $11.5 million involving some of the top energy technology venture capital firms. Sixth Dimension was acquired in May 2003 by Commerge, Inc. He notes, "My activities in entrepreneurship, my relationships with established businesses, and my research in design and robotics are all interrelated with my teaching, advising, and administrative roles."
Engineering students at CSU benefit from Dr. Troxell's entrepreneurial spirit and his commitment to bringing real-world experiences to the classroom. He is an internationally recognized expert in the areas of product realization process, intelligent robotics and intelligent control of distributed systems. For his current research, he is Director of the Robotics and Autonomous Machines Laboratory (RamLab) and the Center for Networked Distributed Energy (NetEnergy).
Dr. Troxell's loyalty to CSU is strong. "An engineering degree from Colorado State University is superior, bar none. We enable students to reach their potential, and we provide experiences through courses and projects that empower students to become contributors in the workplace and in society. We work with each student individually, and that personal touch plays an important role in the quest to meet goals and achieve dreams."
Encouraging engineering students and alumni to financially support the college and its departments comes naturally to Dr. Troxell. "Whether making a gift to your department, a key program, or the college, your support recognizes what you have been given through your education. Private funding from alumni, students, and friends enables us to further develop our programs and adapt to changing needs. In addition, your contribution allows future students to benefit from the same type of generosity that supported your educational experience here at CSU."
Dr. Troxell asks students and alumni to make a habit of giving back to the College of Engineering. "Your gift of time, talent, and treasure will be leveraged in ways that benefit both current and future CSU engineering students. Your giving reflects your gratitude."
"There are a lot of great things going on at Colorado State University," states Dr. Troxell, "and I'd like to encourage our alumni to become actively engaged with their alma mater. Take time in 2005 to reestablish your connections with the college, your department, and the faculty members who personally impacted your studies. Reconnecting is definitely worth the effort."
To learn more about supporting the College of Engineering and its programs, visit www.SupportEngineering.colostate.edu.