Western Michigan University’s integrated supply management program will dedicate a tutoring center in memory of Dallas Rauker, a senior from Lawton, Michigan, who passed away in 2015 during a mountain hiking accident in Norway. Rauker had been studying abroad at Hogeschool Utrecht in the Netherlands and traveled to Norway during a break for a hiking expedition.
The space, which is located on the third floor of WMU’s Haworth College of Business, bears Rauker’s name and will offer tutoring assistance for students in integrated supply management—a challenging, top-ranked program that combines coursework from business and engineering. The center will also serve as a resource for students taking a variety of related courses, including business analytics, quality management, computer-aided design, computer information systems and others.
“Dallas was a shining example of the type of student the ISM program is known for,” says Dr. Bret Wagner, associate professor of management and Rauker’s faculty advisor. “He was down-to-earth with a strong work ethic and was known to help his fellow students with their studies. The tutoring center is a fitting tribute to a promising life cut short.”
The center’s construction and launch was funded through donations from the Rauker family, the Ford Motor Company, and the supply chain program’s Bronco Force teams. Donations for ongoing support can be made by visiting MyWMU.com/RaukerFund or by calling (269) 387-8700.
Rauker
Dallas Rauker had a passion for life, adventure and learning. An integrated supply management major and international business minor, Rauker was an excellent student who took his studies seriously, always looking for ways to apply the concepts he was learning in class in real-life scenarios and global contexts.
As a student, he interned at the Kellogg Company in Customer Logistics Services. During his freshman year at Western, he traveled to Australia for a business immersion course and followed that up with his semester-long study abroad in the Netherlands.
Rauker enjoyed skydiving, golf, snowboarding, wakeboarding, skateboarding and hiking.
He was determined to make the most out of every experience, and though his life was short, he did just that.