American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)
Students attend the AIAA Aerospace Symposium meeting in Dayton, Ohio each year. While at the symposium, they tour the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Museum. Other activities involve touring the Corvette plant in Bowling Green and having guests on campus from GE Aviation at Madisonville, KY.
In September 2008, AIAA hosted an on campus lecture/presentation by a retired Air Force colonel who piloted the SR-71 Reconnaissance Aircraft. The presentation was not only for AIAA members but also the general public.
In the past, students have attended regional conferences in Madison, Wisconsin, Cincinnati, Ohio, and West Lafayette, Indiana, and hosted the 2003 AIAA Region III conference. Past Paducah students David Jones and Adam Cook won third place in the undergraduate paper presentation category in 2004.
Faculty Advisor: Vincent Capece
American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
The UK Paducah student chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers gives students an opportunity to interact with students and practicing engineers from around the country, serve their community, and learn more about their chosen profession. Activities are scheduled throughout the academic year. In 2003, the chapter won the national Chem-E Car design competition in Indianapolis. Students have attended conferences at places ranging from San Francisco to San Juan.
The UK Paducah student chapter has been named an AIChE Outstanding Chapter each year since receiving its charter in 2001. Other chapter activities include outreach to area schools and Girl Scout troops, social activities, and service to the engineering program.
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Students attended the ASME District C Student Leadership Seminar at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in fall 2007, and the District C Spring Student Conference at the University of Missouri-Columbia in spring 2008. Past Paducah student Brandon Travis won the Old Guard Speech contest for District C at the student conference at The University of Missouri-Rolla in spring 2007. Past Paducah students, Jennifer Dowell, Carrie Williamson and Michael Chronister have won the Regional Outstanding Student Leader Award. Steve Trimble and Lance Trammell won second place in the student design contest in 2005. The Paducah chapter hosted the 2002 Regional Student Leadership seminar for ASME Region VI.
Faculty Advisor: Dr. John Baker
Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)
Baja SAE is an international collegiate design competition sponsored by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). Engineering students are tasked to design and build an off-road vehicle that will survive the severe punishment of rough terrain.
Learn more about Baja SAE
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Y. Charles Lu
Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
The UK-Paducah Society of Women Engineers (SWE) student section was chartered in August of 2001. The section provides a support structure for women in the engineering program, and receives unprecedented support from engineering professional women in the area. One of our top priorities is outreach aimed at making K-12 female students more aware of engineering as a career choice. We recently developed an aggressive outreach program that involves visiting local schools to talk about engineering and providing the students with hands-on demonstrations of engineering phenomena. The section also sponsors events during the annual UK-Paducah Engineering Day in the Spring.
Advisor: Denise Brazzell
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Bill Murphy
TAU BETA PI (National Engineering Honor Society)
Tau Beta Pi is the honor society for all engineering disciplines. Eligibility is limited to the top 20% of the student class. Membership in Tau Beta Pi is recognized universally for outstanding academic achievement and high integrity. Paducah students are members of the Kentucky Alpha chapter at the University of Kentucky.
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Bill Murphy
OMEGA CHI EPSILON (Chemical Engineering Honor Society)
Omega Chi Epsilon is the honor society for chemical engineering. Eligibility is limited to the top 25% of the student class. Membership in Omega Chi Epsilon is recognized in the chemical engineering profession as a symbol of outstanding student achievement. Paducah students become members of the Upsilon Chapter at the University of Kentucky.
Paducah contact: Dr. David Silverstein
PI TAU SIGMA (Mechanical Engineering Honor Society)
Pi Tau Sigma is the honor society for mechanical engineering. Eligibility is limited to the top 25% of the student class. Membership in Pi Tau Sigma is recognized in the mechanical engineering profession as a symbol of outstanding student achievement. Paducah students become members of the Pi Lambda Chapter at the University of Kentucky.
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Bill Murphy