In spring 2026, Olivet Nazarene University announced the appointment of Q. Scott Ragan, P.E., S.E. as the Kochersperger Endowed Chair for the Department of Engineering. The endowed chair honors the legacy of Terry Kochersperger ’89 M.A. and his late wife Marlene (Raisch) Kochersperger ’64.
“When Professor Scott Ragan joined the Olivet faculty, he brought with him a wealth of experience as a practicing structural engineer,” commented Kent Olney, Ph.D. dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “He has a heart for God and his students. Prof. Ragan competently and compassionately leads a strong team of engineering professors, who together have inspired dozens of young men and women to pursue engineering as more than a career but as a ministry to humanity. Without question, Scott Ragan exemplifies the values and ideals represented by the Kochersperger Endowed Chair. He is loved and respected by students and colleagues alike.”
Ragan joined the faculty at Olivet as an associate professor of engineering in 2019, and was appointed the chair of the Department of Engineering in 2023. He earned a B.S. in civil engineering from the University of Tennessee in 1993 and his master’s degree in 1999 from the same institution. Ragan is licensed as a Professional Engineer (PE) in eighteen states and as a Structural Engineer (SE) in Illinois. He has been a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) since 1995.
“We are looking at ways to enhance student engagement and departmental needs, such as student Engineering Club activities,” Ragan said of the benefit of the endowment for the department. “I am hoping that the recognition will help us promote the engineering program and compete with other engineering programs in the Midwest and beyond. We are working hard to represent Olivet with an engineering education with a Christian purpose. We will work equally as hard to represent the Kochersperger Endowment. We treasure this opportunity.”
In the Walker School of STEM at Olivet, Ragan teaches courses including statics, dynamics, mechanics of materials, reinforced concrete design, and steel design. Ragan’s professional experience outside the classroom includes engineering positions with Technical Engineering Consultants (TEC) in Knoxville, Tenn.; Stanley D. Lindsay and Associates (SDA) in Nashville, Tenn.; EFI Global in Addison, Ill.; and Unified Investigations and Sciences in Memphis, Tenn.
The Kochersperger Endowed Chair is meant to strengthen and enhance the Department of Engineering not only through budgetary support of the faculty position, but also by providing funding for conferences to encourage ongoing professional development; dedicated time for mentoring student projects and research; enhanced academic supervision of students’ engineering training; and support for developing collaborative opportunities at the local, regional and international levels.
As longtime supporters of academic excellence at Olivet, the Kocherspergers established a student scholarship fund in 1991 and continued to expand support of the Department of Engineering in the years since. This new department endowment began with a generous donation from Terry and Marlene who had a joint desire to provide resources that will benefit engineering students at Olivet. Terry’s background in engineering and dedication to serving in the Church of the Nazarene in various ways over the years directed the focus of their generous gift to continue investing in future generations of academically prepared and spiritually grounded engineers.
Learn more about Olivet Endowments
For more information about the Department of Engineering and other areas of study within the Walker School of STEM, visit Olivet.edu/Academics.
