Ralph Larson's Profile
- Member for:
2 years 1 month - Institution:
None or Other
Biography
I was part of the class of 1981. My wife Julie was also a student at Tech (she would finish her degree at another school) and is now deceased. We were both ardent fans of science fiction and space exploration. We were both metallurgists by practice.
I would prefer donations to be noted as coming from both of us, and to avoid confusion to note that we are the "Julie and Ralph Larson of Olivet" (yes there is another couple).
I might add more later.
Projects that Ralph has supported
Stratus is a satellite mission being developed by students of the Michigan Tech Aerospace Enterprise. The satellite has a manifested launch through the NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI). The build schedule has been delayed due to issues encountered during hardware assembly. The program is now seeking to replace malfunctioning hardware such that the spacecraft will fly in an operable state.
The goal of this project is to maintain and improve on Michigan Tech's life-saving buoy network on the Great Lakes. The buoys measure wave conditions, wind speed and direction, water temperature, water current speeds, and detailed meteorological information. Funds from this project will be used to help support the continued operations and maintenance of the buoy network.
The Innovative Global Solutions (IGS) enterprise will be traveling to Kenya in May 2022 to implement a nutrient management system to help improve their aquaponics system. These improvements will help make the system more reliable, and in turn supply more food for the community.
Gifts to projects listed on SUPERIORIDEAS.ORG are received and processed by Michigan Tech Fund. Michigan Tech Fund is a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code acting on behalf of Michigan Technological University. It is the policy of Michigan Tech Fund that a portion of the gifts and/or income therefrom may be used to defray the costs of raising and administering the funds.