We are sad to announce that longtime MSU Telecommunication, Information Studies and Media (TISM) adjunct faculty member Ron Choura died suddenly Sunday afternoon.  Ron was a 1971 electrical engineering graduate from the University of Missouri – Rolla and was active in the government and telecommunications industry for more than three decades. He taught MSU classes for 34 years and was appointed in the TISM department beginning in 1990.  In addition to teaching TISM classes, he recently retired as a Departmental Administrator at the Michigan Public Service Commission after 37 years of service. 

He was responsible for management of telecommunications matters as they relate to more than 1400 regulated communications carriers, providing telecommunications services to the domestic market and training students in Telecommunications Network Management. He was also the project coordinator for the MSU MSITE Project to bring economical telecommunications broadband services to unserved areas, helping to establish Allband, Michigan's first fiber to the home telephone cooperative.

Ron was also active in the telecommunications community and involved with many professional affiliations. He was an IEEE Member since 1968, Past Vice Chairman of NARUC Staff Subcommittee on Communications, Past Staff Chair of the Federal State Joint Boards (the first joint board setting up the universal service fund), Federal State Joint Conference, Past Chair of the NARUC Cost Allocations Subcommittee, Registered Professional Engineer, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Professor at Michigan State University, member of the Independent Telephone Pioneers Association, Past Board Member on The Children's Network, and Past Director of the Governors Telecommunications Task Force.

Ron had a passion for teaching telecommunications - both to traditional college students and to professionals in the field of utilities regulation.  He believed that everyone, including those without engineering backgrounds, could make better decisions about telecommunications options if they had a better understanding of the technology.  He loved providing students with hands-on experiences with technology and bringing them into the field to see technologies in action.  Our goal with this scholarship is to help students who want to pursue a career related to communication technologies, and to help make sure that students have access to technology and professional experiences during their education.

Ron Choura passed away on Sunday, December 5, 2010, while at home with his family.  He is survived by his wife of forty years Nancy, 3 children (Katie, Todd and Emily) and 4 grandchildren, who all miss him dearly. Ron touched many lives and will be deeply missed by TISM faculty and students.

MSU Memorial Fund Information:

Contributions may be made to the Ronald Choura Fund in Telecommunications, Information Studies, and Media through mail, phone or online.

Gifts can be made online.

Gifts can be mailed to:

University Development
Michigan State University
300 Spartan Way
East Lansing, MI 48824-1005

Please make check payable to "Michigan State University" and be sure to include the "Ronald Choura Fund" and "Allocation Code: A904103" on the memo line of your check.

To make a gift by phone:

Please contact University Development, Michigan State University at:

1-800-232-4MSU
or
1-517-884-1000

Be sure to mention the name of the fund: "Ronald Choura Fund"

Michigan Radio Memorial Fund

Contributions may also be made to the Ronald Choura Memorial Fund in support of Michigan Radio.

Please feel free to share any thoughts or memories of Ron below.