IEEE Names University of Pittsburgh Eta Kappa Nu as One of 2022-2023 Outstanding Chapters
The Beta Delta Chapter of IEEE-HKN at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering was selected as one of 21 around the world to receive the organization’s 2022-2023 Outstanding Chapter Award. This prestigious award is presented to IEEE-HKN Chapters in recognition of excellence in their Chapter administration and programs.
“Receiving this award is a huge honor for us. It is a testament to the hard work, leadership, and care that our officers over the years have invested in cultivating our chapter, and to the involvement and support of our members, faculty advisors, and department,” said Sabrina Helbig, president and long-time officer of the HKN Beta Delta Chapter and PhD student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. “I am proud of the growth that our chapter has accomplished, and I am excited and optimistic to see how it continues to evolve now and in the future."
According to IEEE-HKN, chapters are selected based on their activities, community service and outreach, and the impact they have had on the Department, the University, and the community. Of vital concern to the Outstanding Chapter Awards evaluation committee are activities that advance professional development; raise instructional and institutional standards; encourage scholarship and creativity; provide a public service; and generally further the established goals of IEEE-HKN. In 2023, HKN Chapters performed close to 80,000 hours of activities of which 46,000 were dedicated to service/education and outreach.
During the 2022-23 academic year, Pitt's Beta Delta Chapter:
- Hosted its first event on the Professional Engineering (PE) license to expose students to this credential and provide information on how and why they may pursue one
- Held its first induction ceremony for graduate students
- Organized with the Sigma Chapter at Carnegie Mellon University and the Epsilon Chapter at Pennsylvania State University to bring students together for an interchapter day of events in Pittsburgh, featuring a Radio Frequency (RF) foxhunt (scavenger hunt), sponsored by Keysight Technologies and TestEquity, and a social outing to Dave & Buster’s
- Volunteered in the community at a local farmer’s market and in support of middle school and high school STEM at the Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair (PRSEF)
- Collaborated with the IEEE and IEEE PES-PELS Clubs at the University of Pittsburgh to present broader social and mentorship opportunities to students in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
A ceremony to present award plaques will be held on Sunday, March 17, as part of the 2024 Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Head Association Annual Conference being held 15-18 March 2024 in Tucson, Arizona.
The 2022-2023 outstanding chapter award recipients are:
| Beta | Purdue University |
| Epsilon | Pennsylvania State University |
| Mu | University of California, Berkeley |
| Beta Delta | University of Pittsburgh |
| Beta Eta | North Carolina State University |
| Beta Mu | Georgia Institute of Technology |
| Gamma Beta | Northeastern University |
| Gamma Theta | Missouri University of Science and Technology |
| Delta Omega | University of Hawaii, Manoa |
| Epsilon Sigma | University of Florida |
| Kappa Omicron | State University of New York, New Paltz |
| Kappa Psi | University of California, San Diego |
| Lambda Beta | California State University, Northridge |
| Lambda Zeta | University of North Texas |
| Lambda Tau | University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez |
| Mu Alpha | UCSI University - Kuala Lumpur |
| Mu Beta | Arab Academy For Science & Tech - Alexandria |
| Mu Mu | Wentworth Institute of Technology |
| Mu Nu | Politecnico Di Torino |
| Nu Gamma | The College of New Jersey |
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Founded as Eta Kappa Nu in 1904 at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, then changed to IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu (IEEE-HKN) following a merger with IEEE in 2010, IEEE-HKN is the academic honor society for those studying the IEEE fields of interest, including electrical and computer engineering.
IEEE-HKN annually inducts more than 2,000 students, faculty, and professionals and has more than 200,000 alumni. The Society has chapters at more than 230 colleges and universities in the United States and around the world. Membership for students is by invitation only to those that possess outstanding academic achievement, character, and attitude.
IEEE-HKN’s mission is to be the catalyst for the development of the “Complete Technical Professional.” Notable members include co-founder of Apple Inc. Steve Wozniak, “father of the Internet” Vint Cerf, and co-founder and Chairman Emeritus of Intel Corporation Gordon Moore.
For more information about IEEE-HKN, please visit www.hkn.ieee.org.