Chemical Engineering Societies
AIChE
The
American
Institute of Chemical
Engineers
(AIChE) has a student chapter at UMD. The
goal of the AICHE Student Chapter is to
foster professional and personal
development as a chemical engineer. It
meets weekly during the academic year.
Chemical engineering students at all
levels are encouraged to join the AIChE
UMD Student Chapter. It serves as the
conduit for receiving important
information from the department, such as
job information and openings, internship
announcements, and departmental policies
that affect chemical engineering students.
The Student Chapter hosts speakers from
industry and has an active itinerary of
plant or industrial facility visits spread
throughout the year. The Chapter has
active intramural sports teams, such as
broomball and softball, and plans a
variety of social functions throughout the
year. Membership in the local UMD Student
Chapter cost $20 annually. The national
membership entitles the student to a
quarterly subscription to Chapter One, an
AIChE publication for students, seven
issues of th monthly flagship magazine,
Chemical Engineering Progress, a free cop
of the AIChE Pocket Handbook (a valuable
quick reference and conversion table
source), and one volume of the AIChE
Modular Instruction Series. The student
members elect their own officers including
the president, vice president, secretary
and treasurer, once a year. A Chemical
Engineering faculty member acts as the
faculty adviser to the chapter.
| Top |
Omega Chi Epsilon
Omega
Chi Epsilon is the national chemical engineering honor
society. The society promotes scholarship, encourages original
investigation in chemical engineering, and recognizes the
valuable traits of character, integrity, and leadership.
The society granted UMD the Beta Zeta chapter in 1995. Membership
is by invitation and limited to chemical engineering juniors
and seniors who have displayed academic excellence and leadership.
Each fall, the qualified engineering seniors and juniors
are invited to join the society. There is a one time initiation
fee for joining Omega Chi Epsilon. Chapter activities promote
chemical engineering in the department, on the campus of
UMD and in the Duluth community. The chapter encourages
new students, offering tutoring and providing tours of the
department's facilites. The chapter elects its own officers
and is advised by a chemical engineering faculty member.
| Top |
Tau Beta Pi
Tau
Beta Pi
is the national honor society for
engineers. UMD was granted the Minnesota
Beta chapter by the society in 1996. The
first purpose of Tau Beta Pi is to "mark
in a fitting manner" engineering students
of distinguished scholarship and exemplary
character. They are also responsible for
encouraging a spirit of liberal culture in
the engineering departments, and expect to
undertake several projects over the years
in that direction. The projects are
designed to serve the organization,
campus, or community. They are in
practically any area in which there is a
need. In addition to service projects,
social functions are also held. Membership
in the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor
Society is by invitation only. Every fall
and spring terms, the qualified
engineering seniors and juniors are
invited to join the society. There is a
one time initiation fee for joining the
Tau Beta Pi engineering society. The
chapter is advised by faculty members from
each of the engineering disciplines at
UMD.
| Top |
Order of the Engineer
The
Order of the
Engineer
was initiated in the U.S. to foster a
spirit of pride and responsibility in the
engineering profession, to bridge the gap
between training and experience, and to
present to the public a visible symbol
identifying the engineer. The first
ceremony in the U.S. was held on June 4,
1970 at the Cleveland State University. At
the ceremony, graduate engineers are
invited to accept the Obligation of the
Engineer and to wear a stainless steel
ring on the little finger of the working
hand. The Obligation is a creed similar to
the oath generally taken by medical
graduates and which sets forth an ethical
code. Initiates, as they voluntarily
accept the obligation, pledge to uphold
the standards and dignity of the
engineering profession and to serve
humanity by making the best use of Earth's
precious wealth. The Order is not a
membership organization. There are never
any meetings to attend or dues to pay.
Instead, the Order does foster a unity of
purpose and honoring of one's pledge
lifelong. The Obligation of the Order of
the Engineer is similar to the Canadian
"Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer"
initiated there in 1926. The extension of
the Ritual outside Canada was prevented by
copyright and other conflicting factors.
UMD is an official Link (local section) of
the Order of the Engineer. It was the
first university in Minnesota to have
initiation of its graduate engineers on
campus. The initiation is held at the end
of each term. All engineering graduates
are invited to join the Order of the
Engineer. There is a one-time only
initiation fee of $10 for the paper work
and a stainless steel ring, which is worn
on the little finger of the working
hand.
University of Minnesota Campuses