Randy Ortanez '82

Randy Ortanez is a distinguished telecom entrepreneur and a proud founding donor of the E.A. Fernandez IDEA Factory.

Randy studied at the University of Maryland, graduating in 1982 with a BSEE in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Bio-Medical Engineering. Soon after graduation, he worked at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in Washington, D.C. and at the FCC Laboratory in Columbia, MD where he tested personal computers and other telecommunication devices for compliance with the FCC’s technical rules and requirements.

In 1989, Randy established PCTEST Engineering Laboratory in Columbia, MD on the cusp of the wireless revolution. Randy envisioned that automation with top security in mind would be the key to leadership in the wireless world. PCTEST lab became the premier R&D testing facility for leading manufacturers of cellular phones, tablets, wearables, and other telecommunication devices world-wide. In 2016, PCTEST was awarded a U.S. Patent in techniques for testing Hearing Aid Compatibility of wireless communication devices.

With his dreams of entrepreneurship fulfilled, Randy sold PCTEST in 2019, shifting his emphasis to future opportunities in entrepreneurship and giving back. With great gratitude for his engineering education, he established a merit-based scholarship for undergraduate engineers, with preference for those who are veterans or have a physical disability.

Randy enthusiastically sponsored both the IDEA Factory ‘Innovation Bridge’ and the ‘Outdoor Terrace’ to help “transform other students’ wildest imaginings into reality” providing students an innovation bridge to their boundless future.