Student Organizations

Today’s world needs leaders who can communicate, can seek answers beyond traditional academic boundaries, and can understand the social and ethical consequences of their work. The department is facing this challenge by providing experiences that encompass both academic and extracurricular opportunities. This means offering our students opportunities to participate in the community and to take part in leadership development programs. Our goal is to show our students that we are committed to their success and to help them understand that they belong to a larger international community.

Our former students assist us in furthering our students academic and extracurricular activities. The Plank Endowment for International Awareness encourages and supports student international awareness by funding the ASME Mexico Exchange Program, and the Carolyn and Joe Merritt ‘63 Endowment for Student Programs is funding student activities such as the Formula SAE Race Car team, Pi Tau Sigma trips and other student activities.

ASME

ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) was founded in 1880 as a forum for engineering professionals. Today, ASME International consists of over 125,000 members worldwide and serves the professional community as a nonprofit educational and technical organization.

The Texas A&M student ASME section hosts several programs that link students with engineering professionals. Tours, conferences, and speakers not only expose members to the inner workings of industry, but highlight employment opportunities for graduates. One of ASME’s most successful programs is the Mexican Exchange Program. The interaction between A&M students and their Mexican counterparts promotes international awareness and industrial experience.

ASHRAE

The Texas Chapter of ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air–Conditioning Engineers) was chartered in 1937. Its goals are the advancement of heating, refrigerating, and air-conditioning engineering and related sciences; the continuing education of the members and other interested persons through lectures, demonstrations, and publications; and the rendering of career guidance to students of the sciences.

The Texas A&M student chapter of ASHRAE offers monthly speakers and plant trips, as well as providing student members the opportunity to apply for student awards, scholarships, Washington Internships for students of engineering, grants-in-aid, and student society activities.

SAE

SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) is a non-profit educational and scientific organization dedicated to advancing mobility technology to better serve humanity. The Texas A&M student chapter of SAE provides opportunities for students to learn about transportation industry challenges and opportunities, and also offers students the chance to gain real-world design experience by participating in the Formula SAE student design competition. Students design, construct, test, and compete with a small race car with guidance and financial support from both Texas A&M and industry.

Materials Advantage

The Department of Mechanical Engineering has revived its student chapter and is actively recruiting new members. Materials Advantage has three to four meetings per semester, and each fall the chapter takes a plant trip to a local manufacturing plant. Materials Advantage has combined with The American Ceramics Society (ACerS) and The Metallurgical Society (TMS) to form a student group called Materials Advantage. The students hold membership to all three societies and access to their publications

MEGSO

The Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student Organization (MEGSO) promotes positive communication within the Mechanical Engineering Graduate Program at Texas A&M University by providing a forum for communication between faculty and the graduate student body as well as promoting the Mechanical Engineering Graduate Program at Texas A&M University. Another important role of MEGSO is helping the department in recruiting prospective graduate students. Monthly speaker meetings are held so members can get together and promote social and professional interaction.

Pi Tau Sigma Honor Society

The Pi Tau Sigma Honor Society recognizes outstanding achievement of undergraduate students in mechanical engineering. By participating in the pledge process and other chapter activities, students are able to serve their community as well as interact with leaders in industry. Pi Tau Sigma promotes faculty/student interaction. Since Pi Tau Sigma membership is for life, over 20 faculty members in the Department of Mechanical Engineering share a common membership with current students. Pi Tau Sigma also promotes leadership in engineering by keeping members informed about opportunities in industry and in graduate programs across the nation.