Dedicated students, distinguished colleagues and dear friends,

Happy Friday! Congratulations to our Mars Rover Design Team!

Nearly fifty years ago, 49 to be exact, a group of our generous and foresightful alumni realized that without private support, it would become increasingly difficult for S&T, then named University of Missouri-Rolla (UMR), to maintain the high quality of education associated with the institution since its founding in 1870. Today, as you read this message, in a gathering of 150 members, we are celebrating the impact of the Order of the Golden Shillelagh — the OGS.

To put the results of their initiative in perspective, consider the OGS support in the following categories: 

• $109.2 million in scholarships and student support.
• $46.4 million for faculty support and endowed professorships.
• $68.5 million for new building construction and renovation.
• $19.4 million in unrestricted support.
• $80.6 million in capital projects.

Collectively, our OGS members’ support has provided tremendous benefits to the university in the form of scholarships, fellowships, faculty support, capital projects and unrestricted gifts. As the campus community celebrates our triumphant Mars Rover Design Team, I’m grateful to OGS members like Gary and Peggy Henderson for their support of our Rover Design center. It is remarkable to note that, since 1977, OGS members have generously provided nearly $325 million in support. Not to mention the additional transformative gift of $300 million from Fred and June Kummer. 

And so today, we are celebrating the many lives transformed by the generosity of our donors, all because a small group of dedicated alumni and friends half a century ago decided to “pick up the shillelagh” and advance their university.

To our younger alumni, I say, as you progress in your careers, don’t be surprised if you are called upon to join the OGS. I hope you’ll answer that call and help your alma mater continue along the path of becoming an even greater university. Through your involvement, you and your experiences become relatable to all of us, particularly, to our students who look to the future with hope and aspiration.

I also wanted to highlight another remarkable achievement this week. Our Mars Rover team achieved their third world championship this week by winning the 2026 Mars Society’s University Rover Challenge. For context, there were 35 finalist teams from Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, South Korea, Türkiye and the United States. And our Miners won the top award for the second year in a row.

National competitors included the University of Michigan, Northeastern University , University of Wisconsin–Madison, University of California San Diego, University of Hawaii, Cornell, University of Maryland, University of Washington and Texas A&M.
 
International competitors included the University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, University of Tokyo, Queen’s University, Concordia University, KAIST and Warsaw University of Technology.

The aim of the University Rover Challenge “is to encourage students to develop skills in robotics, improve state-of-the-art rovers, and work in multidisciplinary teams with collaboration between scientists and engineers.” What is remarkable is that the S&T team’s 2026 final score was 469.57, over 50 points ahead of second place – and their own winning score from 2025, 412.27.

To our OGS members, our most steadfast supporters, I say THANK YOU for picking up the shillelagh! Your support has sparked hope for our students and continues to provide a margin of excellence for S&T that would not have been possible otherwise. Many who have followed you in pursuit of their S&T education were able to do so because of you. The rover challenge success is one example among many.

You have enabled others to exceed their potential and, as a result, we all have collectively advanced. Please know that you have made a difference — a life-changing difference. 

What more is there to say?

Warmly,

-Mo.
 
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Read previous Friday morning messages.

Check out the latest news from S&T:

• Missouri S&T’s Mars Rover Design Team wins University Rover Challenge for second year in a row
• S&T researchers contribute to cosmic dataset now available to the public
• Seeing the environment through a different lens

Mohammad Dehghani, PhD
Chancellor
mo@mst.edu | 573-341-4116

206 Parker Hall, 300 West 13th Street, Rolla, MO 65409-0910
chancellor.mst.edu