Former USU faculty member Paul Wheeler dies

Former Utah State University electrical engineering faculty member Paul Andrew Wheeler died March 24. 

Wheeler was born in Ogden on April 21, 1946 and according to Jacob Gunther, USU electrical and computer engineering department head, Wheeler retired from USU roughly 10 years ago. 

Scott Budge, associate professor and associate department head of electrical and computer engineering at USU, said, “Paul Wheeler was a very energetic and positive kind of a person. He was one of the best teachers in the department. His classes were not easy, but they were classes that the students enjoyed.” 

Budge said he has been at USU for almost 35 years and met Wheeler when he first started working there.  

“One of his personality quirks was that he was always full of puns, and so he would make jokes with puns quite often,” Budge said.  

Todd Moon, fellow professor in the electrical and computer engineering department, feels similar to Budge about Wheeler’s sense of humor.  

“He was pleasant, he was fun, he had a little kind of quiet, dry sense of humor,” Moon said.  

Moon said Wheeler was an accomplished professor, as well as a kind and gentle man.   

“I think the students felt that, and appreciated that, and you know, he was good to have around,” Moon said.   

Budge said Wheeler cared deeply for his students. He said he had a couch in his office where students felt comfortable to visit and chat with him.  

“Even though he was an engineer, it was almost like his psychologist couch,” Budge said.   

Charles Swenson, a USU engineering professor, said Wheeler had a good reputation of teaching well in class and caring about his students.  

Budge said the department can continue Wheeler’s legacy by looking at how they treat students and trying to be like he was.   

“Probably the thing that stands out the most is caring for students. He always tried to make sure that things were going well for them beyond just school — he cared for them as people,” Budge said.  

In order to continue his legacy, Moon said the department can continue teaching well.  

“He always considered himself a teacher. He considered that giving these skills to the students were important and so you know, we wouldn’t want to let the traditions that he had established slip away,” Moon said.  

Moon said he served closely with Wheeler in his church as well as working with him at Utah State.  

In his service for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Moon said Wheeler was careful, kind and conscientious. 

According to the Herald Journal, Wheeler served a mission in the Brazilian South Mission and served as a bishop in a young married student ward. He also served with his wife in the Toronto East Mission in Canada, and they later served as Area Technology Specialists in the Brazil Area. 

He also served his country in the 25th Infantry during the Vietnam war as an SP-5.  

During his time at USU, Wheeler contributed greatly to the structure of the electrical engineering program.  

Swenson said Wheeler took it upon himself to improve the teaching at Utah State in the electrical engineering department by putting together detailed flow diagrams in the mid 90s.  

“We’re still effectively using Paul’s diagrams today that have been just updated as time has gone on,” Swenson said.  

Swenson said something he thinks when thinking about Wheeler is his commitment to making the electrical engineering program at USU something students can enjoy and succeed in. 

-Kate.Stewart@usu.edu