Alumni Spotlight: Ron Willson ’74

From Radar Systems to Smart Buoys: How MSU Denver Set the Foundation for a High-Tech Career

When Ron Willson (’74) enrolled at what was then Metropolitan State College, he was a newly married U.S. Army veteran seeking an education that would connect his hands-on technical experience to real-world applications.

“I came to Metro looking for technical coursework and education that was application-oriented,” he recalls. “I had just spent four years in the Army working on missile and radar systems and wanted to continue learning in that field.”

Supported by the GI Bill and his wife’s new teaching job in Jefferson County, Ron was able to dedicate himself fully to his studies. He majored in Electronic Engineering Technology and Business Management, finding inspiration in courses taught by Mr. Vito Trujillo, who became one of his favorite instructors. “The digital electronics courses he taught were some of my favorites,” Ron says. “The instructors were the best resources we had — they brought their real-world experience directly into the classroom.”

After graduating in 1974, Ron launched a career that spanned more than three decades in the oil and energy industry, blending technical innovation with leadership. He began at Marathon Oil Company’s Denver Research Center, contributing to groundbreaking projects such as designing and deploying “smart” buoy systems to measure ocean wave dynamics and conducting wind, wave, and icing analyses in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea. These innovations provided critical data that advanced offshore engineering and improved the safety and efficiency of energy operations in extreme environments.

Ron’s technical expertise and entrepreneurial drive led him to play a key role in Marathon’s automation initiatives, where he helped establish a system manufacturing group to assemble new in-house automation systems. Later, he joined GATX Terminals Corporation and continued advancing facility automation before transitioning to a company specializing in additive injection and fuel blending systems—which was eventually acquired by Honeywell. His work contributed to advancements that streamlined operations and set new benchmarks for automation within the energy sector.

By 2009, Ron had achieved his goal of building a successful and impactful career. He retired that year, later doing some consulting before retiring fully in 2015. Today, he’s simply “enjoying life.”

Reflecting on his time at MSU Denver, Ron appreciates how the university positioned him at the forefront of a technological revolution. “It was the absolute beginning of the transition from linear to digital electronics,” he says. “MSU Denver allowed me the opportunity to learn by doing, and that made all the difference.”