First Electrical Engineering Honor Society Cohort Inducted at Purdue Northwest
Several PNW IEEE-HKN members attended IEEE-HKN's 2023 Student Leadership Conference at the University of Houston.
Purdue University Northwest’s College of Engineering and Sciences proudly facilitated the induction of 13 founding student members into the university’s first engineering honor society chapter of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering-Eta Kappa Nu (IEEE-HKN).
The Nu Theta chapter at PNW welcomes high-achieving Electrical and Computer Engineering students who promote excellence in the Electrical Engineering discipline, scholarship, character, attitude, professional accomplishment, service to others and leadership development.
Eta Kappa Nu (HKN) is an honor society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE), a professional association for electrical and electronics engineers.
I am so pleased to see the formation of Eta Kappa Nu at PNW to recognize and honor the students’ high academic performance in their computer and electrical engineering degree programs.
Bruce Berdanier, Dean of the College of Engineering and Sciences
Students who have applied and joined as founding members are among the top students academically in the College of Engineering and Sciences. Honor society members will serve as peer mentors to other PNW Electrical and Computer Engineering students, facilitate workshops, attend professional conferences, and complete outreach activities to local high schools and other community service activities. As an example, students will also have the chance to collaborate on building an electrically-powered go-kart, with the goal of participating in Purdue West Lafayette’s annual evGrand Prix.
“IEEE is the largest engineering professional society in the world,” said Bruce Berdanier, dean of the College of Engineering and Sciences. “I am so pleased to see the formation of Eta Kappa Nu at PNW to recognize and honor the students’ high academic performance in their computer and electrical engineering degree programs. This type of high impact engagement at the undergraduate level will lead to higher retention of students in our degree programs, and I believe in their engagement with PNW during their careers as professional engineers.”
Thirteen PNW students were inducted as inaugural members of the new Eta Kappa Nu electrical engineering honor society Nu Theta chapter. Ryan Bales, Principal Research Engineer with the Georgia Tech Research Institute’s Sensors and Electromagnetic Applications Lab, officiated on behalf of IEEE-HKN. Bruce Berdanier, dean of the College of Engineering and Sciences, and Lizhe Tan, chair of the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, provided additional formal remarks.
“I am very excited and proud that the Electrical and Computer Engineering department is implementing this honor society chapter,” said Lizhe Tan, chair of the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and IEEE-HKN member. “This will help the students foster collaboration, a positive attitude and scholarly excellence, as well as grow the department. Participation in Eta Kappa Nu delivers impactful results that are true to the values of PNW. Students in this organization will be appealing to employers by their recognized academic excellence and student organization initiatives.”
Anhviet Le, fourth-year Electrical and Computer Engineering double major, and Oona Kintscher, third-year Computer Engineering major, joined Tan and other student members in attending the HKN Student Leadership Conference in early November at the University of Houston. While there, the students networked with other peers from other universities, made connections with industry professionals and attended workshops on industry trends and cutting-edge technology.
Le and Kintscher are serving as the inaugural president and news secretary, respectively, for PNW’s HKN chapter.
This will help the students foster collaboration, a positive attitude and scholarly excellence, as well as grow the department. Participation in Eta Kappa Nu delivers impactful results that are true to the values of PNW.
Lizhe Tan, chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and IEEE-HKN member.
“It was an amazing experience at the conference,” said Kintscher. “I didn’t know the extent of Eta Kappa Nu with how large and international it is, and how many opportunities we can benefit from. I feel honored to be a part of the honor society.”
“The conference had top engineers from around the world and international students from different countries,” said Le. “There are many notable professionals who are Eta Kappa Nu members, like former Google CEO Larry Page, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, and astronaut Sandra Mangus. It’s great to work with other peers and engineers and be equals.”
Le and Kintscher see PNW’s HKN chapter as a great resource for students to build connections not only with each other, but also with community members and local industries. In their view, members will have a valuable internal community to grow together with and develop their professional skills for future careers.
PNW has done a lot for me in helping me secure internships and benefit my career path, and I want to leave a footprint here. I want to bring students on board to HKN and leave it in good hands. One day I want to be able to come back and show my (future) kids.
While PNW did have an existing IEEE chapter on campus, Le says it was a longtime goal to institute an HKN chapter to complement it. The group aims to earn a Key Chapter designation for exemplifying best practices.
Le is a 4+1 student who has begun Electrical and Computer Engineering master’s level courses. He envisions a future career in renewable energy or as an astronaut. Kintscher, as a tennis student-athlete, wants to combine her Computer Engineering knowledge with data science and sports medicine.
PNW IEEE-HKN members pose with a banner during the IEEE-HKN’s 2023 Student Leadership Conference at the University of Houston.
“Engineers work as a team, and it takes a diverse set of minds to complete a project,” said Le. “In many ways there can be a sharing of knowledge to help those that are up and coming and give something back. PNW has done a lot for me in helping me secure internships and benefit my career path, and I want to leave a footprint here. I want to bring students on board to HKN and leave it in good hands. One day I want to be able to come back and show my (future) kids.”
“HKN should act as a stepping stone,” said Kintscher. “We want you to progress in your profession. After student members graduate, they can eventually come back to PNW and show students the possibilities and how they can follow in their footsteps. That support is what it’s all about. You learn networking is one of the most important things you can do, no matter what field, so being part of an honor society helps.”