Student Organizations
Our student organizations are the heart of the Grainger Engineering community. Everyone benefits when individuals from different personal, cultural, and disciplinary perspectives are working together. To help you thrive in college and find a supportive community, we provide programs for underrepresented students that provide professional development, mentorship, and other resources.
College Community Programs
Academic Redshirt in Science and Engineering (ARISE)
ARISE is a 5-year program that provides academically talented students coming from low -income backgrounds support and preparation to successfully earn their engineering degrees from the University of Illinois.
Morrill Engineering Program (MEP)
Morrill Engineering Program (MEP) empowers African American, Hispanic, and Native American engineering students, supports their success as scholars, and leverages a community of students, staff, and alumni to achieve excellence in engineering. MEP hosts a variety of activities throughout the year to enhance the student experience.
Women in Engineering (WIE)
Women in Engineering (WIE) is a college-wide program dedicated to providing a welcoming and supportive environment for students in the College. WIE offers a supportive community, professional development resources, and outreach to young perspective engineers.
Accelerating Women And underRepresented Entrepreneurs (AWARE)
AWARE is programmed through the EnterpriseWorks incubator at the University of Illinois Research Park. The program exists to support entrepreneurship training, counseling, and networking.
Student Societies
Society of Women Engineers
The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) aims to develop a diverse network of women in pursuit of engineering and science, providing them with mentoring relationships and professional development opportunities, and advocating for the future pursuit of careers in engineering.
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) changes lives by empowering the Hispanic community to realize their fullest potential and impacts the world through STEM awareness, access, support and development. SHPE's vision is a world where Hispanics are highly valued and influential as the leading innovators, scientists, mathematicians and engineers.
National Society of Black Engineers
The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) is a group of young engineers whose main goal is to increase the number of culturally responsible Black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally, and positively impact the community, and to encourage minority students on and off campus to pursue majors and careers in the STEM field.
Women in Computer Science
Women in Computer Science (WCS) is a non-profit, educational, student group. The organization is dedicated to supporting the efforts of young women, who are pursuing a career in computer science or show an overall interest in technology.
Women in Electrical and Computer Engineering
Women in Electrical and Computer Engineering (WECE) aims to not only to encourage women to pursue a degree in ECE, but to also be a source of assistance in reaching academic and career goals. The WECE organization provides members with opportunities to make social connections within the department, advance technical skills, and network professionally.
Engineering Student Leadership
Engineering Council (EC)
Engineering Council is where students can find their voice. This organization oversees the 60+ professional and honor societies, host the Employment Expo and Engineering Open House, works with college administrators, and leadership and networking opportunities.
Engineering Ambassadors (EA)
Engineering Ambassadors helps inspire the next generation of STEM students. These ambassadors serve as role models of engineering to those who are classically underrepresented and underserved in engineering fields. These well-trained ambassadors seek to change the conversation about what it means to be an engineer by focusing on how engineers are positively impacting the health, happiness, and safety of our world.
Engineering Student Alumni Ambassadors (ESAA)
Engineering Student Alumni Ambassadors plan and host events and programs to increase student-alumni relations. This provides valuable networking experiences and helps students becomes engaged alumni after graduation.
Office for Technical Consulting Resources (OTCR)
Office for Technical Consulting Resources is a non-profit consulting organization run by extremely bright and technically proficient students. This entirely student-run delivers, outstanding solutions to clients for their unique business challenges, accelerates learning in a high-energy environment to prepare our students to become leaders in a variety of different careers. OTCR is comprised of 50 top students, primarily from the Colleges of Engineering and Business, and has advised clients ranging in size from Fortune 500 corporations to small businesses in a variety of industries and practice areas for over 10 years.