Pi Tau Sigma wins national recognition

Last month, the University of Illinois chapter of Pi Tau Sigma has been awarded the Outstanding Performance Award and Outstanding Service Award at the fraternity’s national convention.

Pi Tau Sigma, the mechanical engineering honor society, was founded at Illinois in 1915 with a mission to create better engineers through commitment to academic excellence and dedication to service. Of the 180 international chapters, the Illinois chapter is one of the largest and most active. Research Professor and Professor Emeritus Pratap Vanka currently serves as their faculty advisor.

PTS has a tightly knit group of students due to its numerous projects, service opportunities, meetings, and social events.

The society participates in Engineering Open House each year with four projects—an original open-ended project, an original design project, a siege weapon project, and an entry in the Midwestern Robotics Design Competition. This year, the open-ended project is fluids based, and the design project is an arcade style, vacuum-based candy dispenser.

Philanthropically, the society works with Booker T. Washington Elementary School for a six-week educational outreach program in which the members of the society introduce school children to fun science-based projects, such as 3D printing challenges and gum drop towers. In addition to this, PTS helps organize and facilitate Engineering Weekend at the elementary school, an event similar to the University’s Engineering Open House, but smaller in scale.

The society also holds fundraisers each semester, with proceeds often going to nonprofit organizations.

Professionally, the society holds general meetings, hosting companies that can present information regarding their work to the members. The companies are then welcome to view a portfolio the society compiles featuring resumes of members in the society, and contact them regarding employment opportunities.

Pi Tau Sigma holds numerous social events as well, with the goal of promoting networking among its members.