Societies

The department sponsors student sections of four professional organizations, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES). The Society for the Advancement of Materials and Process Engineering (SAMPE) is sponsored jointly with the School of Technology. These organizations are members of the college organization, the Engineering and Technology Joint Council (ETJC), along with student sections from other departments. The college also sponsors the engineering honor society, Tau Beta Pi, and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE).

These societies provide many interesting programs during the year such as lectures form practicing engineers and field trips to local industries. They also provide social activities such as the annual fall departmental steak fry which ASME organizes. ASME always sends representatives and participants to the ASME Regional Student Conference and other societies have similar activities. The big event for ETJC each year is the engineering week program in which all member societies participate.

An important function for societies is to provide leadership training for society members. Each society has elected officers and many committee chairs and members. This gives all students an opportunity to participate at any level they desire.

All students are welcome to join these societies, except for Tau Beta Pi, which is by invitation only, and ETJC, which is composed of student society representatives and elected officers.