John L. Rust

John grew up on a farm not far from NDSU. His parents, Duane and Irene Rust, were raised in a time and under circumstances where higher education was out of reach for them. Both, however, were strong proponents of continued learning their entire lives and it was very important for them that all their children had access to a good education. John was one of twelve children that Duane and Irene raised and put through higher education. His parents were very happy and fortunate that education costs were within their reach at local universities that had broad curriculums to support each of their children’s respective dreams. John graduated from NDSU with a BSME in 1984. During his career he was able to work all over the country and alongside engineers from many different universities. The education he received from NDSU was second to none and he was always proud, and quick, to proclaim it as his alma mater. While his son Daniel was attending NDSU (BS Chemistry/Minor Coatings and Polymeric Materials – 2015) he became acutely aware of how much the cost of education had disproportionally increased since his college days. He knew that many families today cannot afford that cost and the student debt taken on by those who try can be extremely burdensome. With that in mind, John has established his renewable scholarship in Mechanical Engineering so that future sons and daughters of the North Dakota prairie have access to an education that has gotten even better than he received.