Student News
Pi Tau Sigma: Reviving a MechE Tradition Students, Alums, and Faculty Join to Revitalize Honors Society
T
he Carnegie Iota chapter of Pi Tau Sigma—the In- ternational Mechanical Engineering Honor Society— was founded in May 1930. For decades, the MechE student chapter was a vibrant part of the Department, sponsoring picnics, holding seminars for new students, and even publishing a newsletter. Many alums have fond mem- ories of their involvement in Pi Tau Sigma, but unfortunately the MechE chapter lost momentum several years ago. Today, an energetic group of MechE students is reviving the chapter, with the help of Faculty Advisor Jon Malen and Alumni Advisors Kim Lord (B.S. 2007, M.B.A. Tepper 2011) and Robert Keelan (B.S., M.S. 2009), who is currently a doctoral student in the Department. Both Lord and Keelan were past presidents of the Carnegie Iota chapter, and have been serving as consultants to the chapter’s new officers. Current chapter President and MechE junior Huan “Steve” Qin was eager to get involved when he heard of the efforts to revive the defunct Pi Tau Sigma chapter. Qin was especially interested in leveraging the chapter to engage MechE students in philanthropic activities. “Carn- egie Mellon and the Department of Mechanical Engineering have done so much for me in providing me with so many great educational opportunities, including study abroad and an upcoming summer internship,” says Qin. “I want to give something back—and I know many of my fellow students feel the same way.”
Other newly elected chapter officers include Erin Hurbi
(Vice President), Jillian Wollenberg (Secretary), and Joseph Barbish (Treasurer). The chapter, which currently has 15 members, is open to students who represent the top 35 percent of MechE seniors and the top 25 percent of juniors, based on academic performance.
BRINGING NEW ENERGY AND FOCUS Steve Qin and his fellow Pi Tau Sigma leaders are confi- dent that membership will continue to grow as the revived chapter gains ground. In early March, Qin and chapter member Andre Sutanto traveled to San Jose, California, for the 2012 Pi Tau Sigma National Convention. There, they attended seminars and presentations, as well as meeting students from active Pi Tau Sigma chapters across the United States. “The convention was a great opportunity to learn what other chapters are doing to benefit their commu- nities,” notes Qin. “It was very inspiring.” The Carnegie Iota chapter has already begun engaging in its own outreach efforts back home. In February, the or- ganization worked with the student chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) to host a “Breakfast with the Recruiters” (see related story on page 15). On April 11, the Pi Tau Sigma chapter provided essen- tial support for the annual “Different Color Hair Day” event initiated by Professor Bill Messner as a fundraising effort (see Carnegie Mech, Fall 2011). This year’s proceeds will be donated to World Relief, which provides disaster relief, health care, agricultural assistance, and advocacy for impoverished regions. Eventually, Qin would like to engage Pi Tau Sigma mem- bers in more charitable efforts and professional networking events, as well as providing outreach to local high school students who are interested in engineering careers. “There are so many opportunities to get involved, both
here on the Carnegie Mellon campus and in the larger Western Pennsylvania community,” says Qin. “I hope in just a few years we will look back with pride on our efforts to get the Pi Tau Sigma chapter going again. I hope this is the beginning of a renewed focus on the chapter here at MechE.”•
Left to right: Assistant Professor Jonathan Malen with Pi Tau Sigma officers Steve Qin, Joseph Barbish, Erin Hurbi, and Jillian Wollenberg.
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CARNEGIE MECH
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