Pi Tau Sigma, the mechanical engineering honor society

Some students may not know that the UIUC branch of Pi Tau Sigma (PTS), the international honor society for mechanical engineers, is the founding (alpha) branch of the organization. In PTS, which has 182 branches internationally, students can network with other honors students as well as companies and learn about mechanical engineering as a field.

Every two weeks PTS hosts a general meeting and invites a company representative to come in to speak. Students are able to meet recruiters, get career advice, and apply to positions within the company itself. They also host a series of social events every semester including a Curtis Apple Orchard visit in the fall, a pig roast in the spring, and numerous happy hours throughout the year.

In addition to social events, PTS has multiple sub-teams or committees including two design teams, which work during the fall semester to design a project and construct it during the spring semester. One design team is building a siege weapon and the other is working on a drone, which they’ll compete in a national competition at the end of the year.

Typically, the service team would go to Booker T. Washington, a local middle school, biweekly to do hands-on events with the students there. Because of COVID restrictions, they are no longer able to do this. Now, however, they’re focused predominantly on fundraising, including organizing events with local vendors on Green Street to raise money.

Just like many RSOs last year, PTS had to switch to an entirely virtual set-up during the pandemic, hosting Zoom study hours or game sessions as well as virtual general meetings. Now that some restrictions have been lifted, they’ve been trying as best they can to have in-person events following COVID guidelines.

Interested in joining? Members must have a GPA of over 3.5 and taken 60 credit hours, before being invited to initiate.

PTS president Kamden Damrow said, “PTS is a great way to network with upperclassmen as well as gain professional connections to the organization. Fun events are hosted weekly in conjunction with professional development workshops and meetings. It is a great resume booster and provides countless opportunities that make initiation worth it!”