Mark Gauthier

Mark Gauthier’s passion for engineering began early, as he worked alongside his father on automation and fluid power projects at Donald Engineering. He officially joined the family business in 1988, but even as a Michigan Tech student, he was already designing pneumatic circuits and meeting with customers throughout the Keweenaw.

Gauthier began his career at SDRC in Farmington Hills before returning to Grand Rapids, where he became president of Donald Engineering in 1996 and later expanded the company to Grand Haven. In 2000, his family established a scholarship fund to help local students pursue engineering degrees at Michigan Tech—supporting the next generation of engineers.

Gauthier has played a key role in advancing Michigan Tech’s mechatronics program, shaping curriculum, expanding laboratory resources, and ensuring students have access to industry-standard tools and training. He continues to mentor senior design teams and serves on the Mechatronics Industrial Advisory Board.

From the 2025 College of Computing Academy Induction