Student Organizations Offer
Broad Opportunities to our
Engineering Students

For students interested in joining an engineering-oriented organization, the University of Delaware offers more than two dozen options, including a fraternity and a sorority, honor societies, discipline-specific organizations such ASCE and ASME, and groups with general appeal such as the National Society of Professional Engineers.

The Office of Engineering Student Affairs (OESA) develops and implements policies and programs to enhance the College infrastructure and thereby foster successful student outcomes in an increasingly diverse engineering environment. Among other things, OESA provides College-level advisement to all engineering student organizations in order to maximize cooperation, coordination, and participation in College-wide student developmental activities.

“Student involvement in College-based student organizations is a critical element of success in engineering,” says Michael Vaughan, Assistant Dean for Engineering Student Affairs. “Engineering is a team sport, and, in my opinion, one of the ways that students learn to play effectively and win is to develop the ability to work productively with a diversity of people in different scenarios. It is clear to me that students who also take on leadership roles in these organizations have the potential to develop a skill set that can serve as a good foundation to more successful careers in industry and academe.”

“I have had a chance over the years to work very closely with our student leaders and the organizations that they serve,” he continues, “and I am convinced that student organizational involvement can greatly enhance the formal educational process. The College values our broad offering of student organizations and encourages all of our students to take advantage of this rich developmental resource.”

Two of the most popular and active student organizations on the UD campus are aimed at providing support for underrepresented minorities in engineering: the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE).

Founded in 1974, NSBE is the largest student-managed organization in the country. Its mission is “to increase the number of culturally responsible Black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community.” NSBE comprises more than 270 chapters on college and university campuses, 75 alumni extension chapters, and 75 pre-college chapters.

SWE, which was established in 1950, is aimed at establishing engineering as a highly desirable career aspiration for women and empowering them to achieve their full potential in careers as engineers and leaders.

For Cherish Wilford and Lindsey Argust, these organizations have provided an opportunity to gain leadership experience, to establish valuable networks of contacts in their fields, and to mentor and be mentored.

Wilford, a mechanical engineering major from Delaware and President of the UD chapter of NSBE, knew that she wanted to be active in a student organization as soon as she arrived on campus as a freshman. At a conference she attended through her involvement with a step dance team, she participated in workshops on women in engineering, diversity, and career choices. Wilford also had the opportunity to network with alumni and meet people from other schools.

“It was a great opportunity, so I decided to get involved,” she says. “I saw that NSBE offered a great support system and provided opportunities both to be mentored and to reach back and help others.” With activities at the pre-college, university, and alumni levels, the organization includes people at various stages of their careers.

Wilford is particularly excited about the programs for high school students, which have given her the chance to be a role model while providing younger students a forum for learning what engineering is all about and deciding whether it’s the right major for them.

Sometimes the mentoring occurs at the institutional level: the UD chapter recently helped Delaware State University activate their chapter of NSBE and also facilitated reactivation of the Wilmington alumni chapter.

With 60 active University members and about 50 high school members, the UD NSBE chapter sponsors a number of activities, including social events, study sessions, and travel to the national convention. The group also links alumni with collegiate members and has formed a good partnership with the Black Achievers Programs to facilitate interactions with high school students.

SWE’s activities are very similar to those of NSBE. The organization sponsors social events and workshops, promotes mentoring, contributes to the events of UD’s Engineering Week, and facilitates involvement with the parent organization at the national level.

“The organization provides an atmosphere where you feel that you’re not alone, that there are others going through the same things you are,” says SWE President Lindsey Argust, a chemical engineering major from New York. She has found great value in the various activities offered by SWE, ranging from an internship workshop held here at UD to participation in national conferences in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Anaheim, California.

“This year, we took 12 students to the national conference in Anaheim,” she says. “Two came away with job offers, and many others made great contacts for the future.”

Argust has also valued the opportunity to interact with engineering students from other majors as well as both older and younger students. “I’ve met a lot of people that I wouldn’t have met otherwise—in class, we’re pretty much with the same people all the time,” she says.

Another helpful component of her involvement with SWE has been the Women in Engineering program. “This is a great program,” she says, “and while lots of students participate, there are many more who could benefit from it.”

Wilford, who is currently job hunting and would like to begin working on an MBA, says that she couldn’t have asked for a better organization than NSBE. “The networking was phenomenal, and the experience helped make me more well-rounded. I found that there are always people who are willing to help because they’ve been in your place.”

Argust has the good fortune to have a job offer in hand already from GE Plastics. As a participant in their Operations Management Leadership Program (OMLP), she will rotate through four six-month assignments during her first two years with the company before being placed in a “permanent” position. She is looking forward to the variety of experiences offered by the OMLP.

Her advice to students who are thinking of joining a student organization or mentoring program: “Do it. It’s never too late to get involved.”

by Diane Kukich