Kevin L. Flanagan '78 Memorial Scholarship

Kevin L. Flanagan was born in Brooklyn, New York to Irish immigrants, growing up in Bloomfield, New Jersey and Ridgefield, Connecticut. He was always interested in math and science, which led him to attend Rensselaer with a major in electrical engineering. He was a member of the Class of ’78, but stayed on for his fifth year master’s degree in electrical engineering.

Following his time at Rensselaer, Kevin worked as a computer engineer for a number of companies, and published many highly-cited patents in the field of network management – some of which have been cited as recently as 2017 by companies like Sony, Google and Microsoft. He also had many other talents, including being a gifted photographer, small aircraft pilot, windsurfer, long-distance cyclist, bicycle builder, and frisbee player.

He and his wife, Patricia Flanagan, raised two daughters, Kelly and Colleen, in Boxborough, MA. As a dad, he instilled in his two daughters a love of science and a deep curiosity about the world. He always encouraged them to pursue their dreams of entering the fields of science, engineering, and medicine.

Unfortunately, after fighting a long and complicated battle with multiple sclerosis, Kevin recently passed away at the age of 61. This scholarship intends to memorialize a great man, husband, father and teacher, and to support the Rensselaer education of a young woman that shares similar talents, curiosities, and interests to Kevin, while also demonstrating financial need. Our hope is that by honoring his memory with this scholarship fund, the educational future of a young person will be brighter.

Your gift will be directed to the Rensselaer Annual Fund Scholars program, which supports scholarship for multiple students. If the project goal of $40,000 is reached, the collected funds will be converted into a Patroon Scholarship in Kevin's name, which will support a single student for four consecutive years.