The Beta Epsilon chapter of Eta Kappa Nu, which is U-M’s student chapter of the national Electrical and Computer Engineering Honor Society, is a recipient of the Outstanding Chapter Award for 2005-06, the second year in a row it earned this prestigious honor.

Pictured above are the officers for the Winter 2006 term. Andrew Myrick, the president, led efforts to strengthen ties with HKN alumni and industry, and reached out to current students with mentoring activities. The chapter also revised their bylaws and committee structure for the first time in more than a decade. One additional committee, the Vision  Committee, acts in advisory capacity to recommend ideas and plans for the short and long-term good of the chapter.

In addition to running the very popular Donut Stand, HKN students participated in 3,200 service hours through the course of the year. They served the community in service and educational events, their fellow students through a variety of activities such as tutoring and peer mentoring, and their members by providing fun events and a congenial environment to help offer a buffer to the pressure of coursework.

Last year’s leadership had the unique opportunity to impact the planning of the EECS renovations. HKN and the other societies housed in the EECS building will be receiving a different type of office space due to the building renovations currently underway, and they have already begun to collaborate with other groups, in particular IEEE, to work more closely together. In addition, they continue to expand and strengthen their relationship with industry through Tech Talks, when representatives from the wide variety of companies that represent the interests of EECS students come to campus and talk to the students about issues facing technology companies, and discuss job opportunities. They are continuing to broaden the subject areas of these talks to address the wide variety of interests among HKN members.

Myrick, currently a graduate student in Computer Science and Engineering at U-M, said, “I am truly honored to be a part of an organization whose members take such an interest not only in each other, but also in the community around them.  The members of Beta Epsilon Chapter continually distinguish themselves as leaders in the College, and it is only through their hard work and dedication that the Outstanding Chapter Award is possible.”