We are Aggies, we are electrical engineers, and we want to give back and help as many people as we can.
Eta Kappa Nu (HKN) is the national honor society for electrical and computer engineering students. Affiliated with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), HKN has over 200 chapters from universities worldwide. The student organization encourages and recognizes excellence in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
“Our mission is to empower students,” said Deepanjali Chowdhury, a senior electrical engineering student. “Our specific chapter really aims to be a place where electrical and computer engineering students have the opportunity to talk about academics and be social.”
Gamma Mu, Texas A&M University’s HKN chapter, recently won a key chapter award at the annual Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers HKN Student Leadership Conference for their exceptional work over the 2022-2023 school year. Over 250 students assembled at the University of Houston for the three-day conference with discussions, sessions, workshops, meetings and a recruitment fair featuring 35 companies, graduate schools and IEEE societies.
“We’ve won the award before, but this is the first time we’ve accepted this award in person within the last five years,” said Chowdhury, the president of Gamma Mu. “We wanted to put our face back out in the HKN international events. People from HKN chapters around the world come together. It was an amazing time for our chapter to be recognized and for people to know who the Texas A&M Gamma Mu chapter actually is.”
Adding to their list of achievements, the HKN national director, Nancy Ostin, came to Texas A&M’s campus and personally helped the Gamma Mu chapter host the IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE).
“Nancy's dedication to HKN has been instrumental in propelling the Gamma Mu chapter’s growth. Her efforts in promoting our name are truly appreciated, and we couldn't be more grateful,” Chowdhury said.
The chapter doubled its membership from 50 to around 100 members this semester and continues to grow. The top 20% of the sophomore class, 25% of the junior class, and 33% of the senior class of electrical and computer engineers are invited to join. However, the organization has biweekly meetings that are open to everyone.
The chapter supports the community by attending Aggie traditions such as the annual Bonfire Memorial. Every semester, they give members multiple opportunities to volunteer at events and non-profit organizations such as The Brazos Valley Food Bank. Candidates participate in events as part of their requirements to get inducted, and members can attend events that benefit them the most.
“Most of our events allow our students to network and take advantage of HKN’s resources,” Chowdhury said. “We had corporate talks with Goldman Sachs and Texas Instruments. We also had an event recently to celebrate our HKN Founder’s Day, where we played HKN Jeopardy. It was just fun bonding over organization trivia.”
Next semester, the chapter plans to host more corporate talks for students to network and open a mentorship program.
“We are Aggies, we are electrical engineers, and we want to give back and help as many people as we can.”