In 2023, the College of Engineering received a generous donation that includes new electrical testing and measurement equipment for its electrical engineering fundamentals teaching laboratory in Dearborn Hall.

Valued at $84,000, the equipment was donated by Keysight Technologies. The company, based in Santa Clara, California, is a worldwide leader in the development and production of electronics testing and measurement equipment and software.

Installation of the updated equipment coincided with other lab upgrades, including new lab benches. The college is also in the process of adjusting its curriculum, which will accommodate the capabilities of the new equipment.

Each of the 14 sets of tools includes an oscilloscope, a digital multimeter, a power supply, an arbitrary wave generator, and an electronic load device. According to senior instructor Don Heer, the suite of devices provides students with updated interfaces and features that are in line with current standards and are certain to significantly enhance their education.

“Keysight’s gift represents a noteworthy improvement,” Heer said.

The benefits of the donation, he added, extend not only to electrical engineering majors, but to all undergraduate engineering students.

“The equipment is important to the entire College of Engineering, because every engineering student at Oregon State is required to complete the electrical engineering fundamentals lab,” Heer said. “That means that many more students will have the opportunity to learn new skills using the Keysight equipment at some point during their studies at the university.”

“We appreciate Keysight’s generosity,” said Tom Weller, the Michael and Judith Gaulke Chair in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. “These essential tools will help our faculty provide outstanding educational experiences for all of our students.”