Dr. Roy Welch '61: Investing in Carroll's Next Generation of Innovators

For Dr. Roy Welch ’61, some of the most valuable learning happens when students take what they learn in the classroom and apply it to real-world challenges. It’s a philosophy that shaped his distinguished career in government, private industry and academia — and one he hopes to pass on to future Carroll University students.

Through the establishment of the Dr. Roy A. and Jean B. Welch Endowed Professorship, Welch is investing in Carroll’s aviation science and drone engineering programming. At the beginning of this academic year, Mike Mortensen was named the first holder of the professorship. As director of drone engineering and clinical associate professor of technology services, Mortensen was instrumental in leading Carroll’s expansion into this emerging field.

Welch’s connection to Carroll began long before he became a student. His father, Herman Welch, managed the college’s physical plant in the early 1940s, and Welch remembers glimpses of his father working in the basement of Rankin Hall.

After graduating from Waukesha High School in 1957, Welch enrolled at Carroll, initially studying biology. His interest in natural history and lectures in physical geography by Dr. Benjamin Richason eventually led him toward geography, the discipline that would define his career. He graduated in 1961 and went on to earn a master’s degree at the University of Oklahoma, conducting glacier research in southeastern Alaska.

Welch’s career took him from the Central Intelligence Agency to doctoral studies at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, where he studied photogrammetry, cartography and glacial geomorphology. He later worked in private industry and with the U.S. Geological Survey before joining the University of Georgia faculty. There, he became a distinguished research professor and established the Center for Remote Sensing and Mapping Science. Carroll recognized his accomplishments with a Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1975.

Throughout his academic career, Welch encouraged students to participate in research, believing hands-on experience was essential to their education.

“Research projects provide significant value to college students,” Welch said, noting that they allow students to work with experts, overcome challenges beyond the textbook and develop practical skills. Such projects can also provide funding, equipment and professional connections that benefit both students and universities.

That belief is central to Welch’s support of Carroll’s aviation science and drone engineering programs. By helping strengthen faculty leadership in this growing field, he hopes students will have opportunities to apply their knowledge, gain practical experience and prepare for careers shaped by rapidly advancing technology.

“My four years at Carroll College provided a foundation for a successful career encompassing government, private industry and academia,” Welch said. “I hope establishing a faculty position in the new Aviation Science Program will help others to benefit from a Carroll University education.”

Through the endowed professorship, Welch is helping ensure that future generations of Carroll students can build their own careers on that same foundation.