Work, travel, home life, education – David Rougely is doing it all

By Cathy Beuten | CU system

You never know where you might find David Rougely. A problem-solver, the electrical engineer for the Bureau of Reclamation might be working with any of 53 hydroelectric power plants across 17 western United States, providing support and expertise in the area of power plant automation and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems.

On any given day, Rougely could be traveling from Denver to one of Reclamation’s power plants including Hoover, Grand Coulee or other locations throughout Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, California, Idaho, Oregon or Washington. Reclamation, a subagency for the Department of the Interior, manages water by delivering it to reservoirs, farmers and other stakeholders. This water is also used for power generation and recreation, he said.

“Power generated from these facilities is sold on the wholesale energy market, keeping energy prices low for the American public,” he explained. “I also work with optimizing those power plants to generate the needed level of power using less water by the use of algorithms created for this purpose.”

While all this travel and responsibility could make it problematic for Rougely to earn his advanced degree, the Be Boulder Anywhere (BBA) program at CU-Boulder has provided a solution – he is well on his way to earning a Master of Engineering in Engineering Management.

“The program offers the flexibility so that while not on work travel I can attend lectures in real-time from work or home via the Internet,” said Rougely, who is also involved as a CU Advocate. “If I’m away on work travel and can’t attend lectures via the Internet, they are recorded for download or viewing at a later time. This is a huge convenience.”

BBA offers Master of Engineering, Master of Science, graduate certificates or credit in individual courses via distance. Formerly known as CAETE (Center for Advanced Engineering and Technology Education), the service has for more than 30 years made high-quality engineering education accessible for students who are unable to attend classes on campus.

“Although nervous about it initially, distance learning has fit into my work schedule quite well,” Rougely said, adding the convenience goes beyond his professional responsibilities into his home routine. “If I’m very busy with personal projects, emergencies or unexpected events, having the flexibility to view lectures at a later date and turn in assignments on the Internet is a huge convenience.”

Rougely is part of the Lockheed Martin Engineering Management Program, a partnership through CU-Boulder that offers advanced education to engineers, scientists and technical professionals who want to move into first- or second-level management [1]. The program provides him the tools for becoming a better engineer, preparing him to be an exceptional manager, and perhaps down the road, he said, a small-business owner.

“The program covers topics such as engineering finance and accounting, leadership and business performance excellence, which has challenged my thinking in terms of the relationship between engineering concepts and business practices,” he said.

Rougely earned his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering in 2009 from Prairie View A&M University, a Texas A&M University system member school. It is the second-oldest, public-sponsored school in Texas and a Historically Black College and University (HBCU).

“I knew that I would go back to school for a graduate degree. While deciding which school and what degree, I had several personal criteria I wanted to meet,” he said.

Rougely’s criteria included:

• The course work would be engaging, thought-provoking and challenging
• Affordable tuition
• Catered to distance students with online courses for flexibility
• Reputation of the school in and outside of the state of Colorado
• Regarding athletics, have a football team in the NCAA D-I category

BBA at CU-Boulder met all of his criteria, he said. And some he hadn’t thought of.

“One key thing that I’ve learned is how to meditate. I’ve learned how to do this in a course called EMEN 5050 – Leadership, taught by Dr. Barbara Lawton,” he said. “Meditation may seem unrelated to the technical things that I do but I would debate that it is meditation that has allowed me as a leader to remain calm and focused while dealing with complex engineering problems.”

Upon completion of his graduate degree, Rougely has two goals: “First, is to continue to move up towards management within government or the private sector,” he said. “Second, is to pursue entrepreneurial desires by launching a startup in cybersecurity consulting or secure electronic recycling.”  

In the meantime, Rougely is finding solving the problem of getting an advanced degree is no problem at all.

[1] EMP Program Overview, http://beboulderanywhere.colorado.edu/emp/program-overview