Daytona State College Names School of Engineering Technology in Honor of Angela and D.S. Patel

Patels provide $500,000 gift to create the Angela and D.S. Patel School of Engineering Technology Endowed Scholarship Fund.

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA (December 13, 2023) – Daytona State College will name the School of Engineering in honor of Ormond Beach philanthropists Angela and D.S. Patel, following a unanimous vote by the DSC District Board of Trustees. 

The naming marks formal recognition of the Patels’ support for the College, including their gift of $500,000 to the Daytona State College Foundation to create the Angela and D.S. Patel School of Engineering Technology Endowed Fund. 

“Graduates of our Engineering Technology programs go on to make great contributions to society and the generous support from D.S. and Angela Patel will help a great number of our engineering students pursue their dreams,” said Daytona State President Tom LoBasso. “The Patels’ donation is a prime example of the kind of remarkable investments in students’ lives our community is known for and we greatly appreciate their incredible support of our mission.” 

D.S. Patel was born and raised in Kharod, Gujarat Province, India and came to the United States with financial support from his village to study engineering. He earned a master of science degree in Mechanical Engineering from North Dakota State University in 1968. Angela studied at Daytona Beach Community College in the early 1980s.

The Patels have lived in Volusia County for 35 years. They have used their business ventures to support his home village of Kharod, providing infrastructure improvements including school buildings, a computer/science building, a prayer hall, a trust fund for the purchase of books and to provide scholarships for students as they seek an education, and by bringing water to Kharod, which previously had no steady supply. 

“We have given monetarily to many organizations and institutions that we believe will help make a difference in individual lives and the world,” said the Patels. And, desiring to encourage each student enrolled in the Patel School of Engineering Technology, the Patels said, “Determination and hard work make a difference. Apply yourselves and become what you were destined to be.”

Approximately 470 students take courses as part of the Patel School of Engineering each year. The scholarships will be available to new or continuing students in the Angela and D.S. Patel School of Engineering Technology.  

“We are deeply grateful to D.S. and Angela for their contribution and support for the College through our Foundation,” said DSC Foundation Executive Director Tim Norton. “Now in our 50th year serving the College, the Daytona State College Foundation continues to enjoy strong support from friends like the Patels who are the financial engine that makes possible expanding our world-class educational offerings, including engineering technology programs.”  

Programs offered through the Patel School of Engineering include a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology (BSET), a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT), and advanced technical certificates in Construction and Design, Cybersecurity and Cyberforensics, and Web Systems Software Development. 

The BSET and BSIT programs are accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET, and Daytona State was redesignated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense by the National Security Agency earlier this year.  

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Offering more than 100 certificate, associate and bachelor’s degree programs, Daytona State College is the leader in education and workforce training needs of Volusia and Flagler counties and beyond. The College enrolls approximately 23,000 students a year at its seven campuses, with graduates serving in critical fields including healthcare, emergency services and public safety, business, education, hospitality, engineering, project management, accounting, computer science, digital media, and more. 

Daytona State has been recognized as a leader in higher education numerous times. U.S. News & World Report ranks the College among the Top Tier Best Online Bachelor’s Programs. The U.S. Department of Education’s College Affordability and Transparency Center ranks DSC among the top 50 most affordable public four-year institutions in the country, with less than half the tuition of the national average. And U.S. News & World Report has ranked DSC among its Top Online Bachelor's Programs for Veterans multiple times. 

For information about supporting Daytona State College’s world-class programs through the Daytona State College Foundation, see www.DaytonaStateFoundation.org [daytonastatefoundation.org] or call (386) 506-3195.