Keanu Dugan ’26: adaptation, precision, resilience

Keanu Dugan ’26 remembers getting turned around on his first visit to Lenoir-Rhyne. He parked in the designated visitor space across from the admissions building during spring break and walked across campus trying to find his bearings in an unfamiliar place. He eventually made his way back to admissions, but by then something had already shifted. The campus no longer felt unfamiliar. It felt like home.

The same persistence that carried him across campus that day has become a defining part of his time at LR. He has built his academic identity around systems thinking, hands-on problem solving and the steady process of trial and error that comes with engineering.

“I grew up with an older brother who is an engineer in the Navy, so I was interested in the field in a general sense,” Dugan said. “Engineering physics really stood out to me because of its focus on systems, automation and how everything integrates.”

In the classroom, that sense of fit has translated into rigorous, applied work. One of Dugan’s earliest experiences in the program came during a project where students built small rocket systems using basic materials and motors, then tested their calculations against real-world results.

“Our class had some of the most accurate results between estimated and actual performance,” he said. “It was one of the first times I really saw how the theory connects to what actually happens.”

Dugan has pursued those connections through coursework with programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and integrated hardware systems that mirror industry environments. Those experiences have prepared him for a systems engineering role he will begin after graduation with RoviSys Building Technologies in Tempe, Arizona.

For his senior research project, Dugan worked with a partner to design a Bluetooth-enabled power tracker for weightlifting, aiming to create a lower-cost alternative to similar devices currently on the market. While the final product didn’t perform as consistently as they had hoped, the experience reshaped how Dugan approaches complex problems.

“As a scientist, I learned that I need to take a step back and see the big picture, then take two steps forward and really focus on each component,” he said. “That project didn’t work the way we planned, but it was one of the most valuable experiences I’ve had because it changed how I approach problem-solving.”

That mindset has been reinforced by faculty who have played a key role in his development at LR. Dugan credits his professors for both challenging him and helping him stay in the program during moments of doubt early in his college career.

“Dr. Knight encouraged me to stay with the program through some of the early challenges of the program,” he said. “Professor Madison was a fantastic professor, conducting labs that helped simulate real-world scenarios to emulate the workplace. And Dr. McGahee has been one of the best professors I’ve ever had. She makes physics feel accessible and engaging in a way that really helped me stay connected to the material.”

Outside the classroom, Dugan’s experience as a student-athlete has also shaped his approach to persistence. After multiple injuries as a member of the track and field and cross-country teams, his trajectory as a runner shifted, but the lessons remained.

“I’ve had a lot of setbacks, especially with injuries, but you just have to stay with it and keep your head up,” he said. “Being surrounded by good people — in your sport and outside of it — makes a huge difference.”

Now preparing for his next step, Dugan reflects on what has made his experience at LR meaningful beyond coursework and competition. His advice to current and future students is simple:

“Whatever you’re doing, stay with it,” he said. “That first semester, you might be comparing Lenoir-Rhyne to what college looks like in movies and TV, but the connections you build and the opportunities you have will open up a wider world for you.”