Distinguished Engineer
Hometown: Lander, Wyoming
Virgil G. Ellerbruch earned a B.S. in 1960, an M.S. in 1961 and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering in 1969 from the University of Wyoming. Ellerbruch was employed one year as a Project Engineer with the Sperry Utah Co. in Bountiful, Utah, before returning to teach at the University of Wyoming where he stayed for five years before coming to South Dakota State University. He began his career at SDSU in 1967 in the Department of Electrical Engineering teaching in the areas of circuit analysis and electronics. Ellerbruch’s research included the development of radio tracking systems for pheasants and other wildlife. He was appointed acting department head of electrical engineering in 1972. In 1974, he became professor and head of the department. From 1982 to 1985, he also assumed the duties of acting department head of computer science. He went on to serve as assistant dean of the SDSU College of Engineering and finally as dean. He gave 34 years of dedicated service to SDSU.