Tennessee Tau Eta

Interest in Pi Tau Sigma at the University of Tennessee was recognized by the late Professor R. W. Manin in 1949. After consulting the faculty, Professor J. F. Bailey corresponded with the National Council and encouraged the student body in their preparation of a petition. The charter was granted by the National Council and active chapters. In April 24, 1950, Tennessee Tau Eta Chapter was formally installed by National President B. H. Jennings.

The foremost aims of Tennessee Tau Eta are to promote a closer student-faculty relationship and to encourage outstanding scholarship in mechanical engineering. In order to accomplish the latter objective the chapter recently purchased a plaque on which is placed the name of the senior who graduates with the highest average in mechanical engineering. The award is appropriately named after Joel F. Bailey who served as the Mechanical Engineering Department head during the period of 1952 to 1973.

ANNUAL SUMMARY REPORTS

2018-2019   Savannah David, President 

           The 2018- 2019 academic year was fantastic for the Tennessee Tau Eta Chapter of Pi Tau Sigma, as the organization successfully worked and connected with the other societies within the College of Engineering including Tau Beta Pi. At UTK, Tau Eta participated  in Engineer’s day, an event where the Tickle College of Engineering hosted high school students for competitions in robotics and design as well as inform them of the opportunities an engineering degree has to offer from UT. We contributed by setting up a booth and creating a display to answer questions and highlight different areas of mechanical engineering at the University of Tennessee. Similarly, we were able to showcase different research projects performed by UTK students which poses to solve significant real world problems. A benefit of attending this event, was that it provided our chapter an opportunity to broadcast the ideals of Pi Tau Sigma to other relevant organizations in the College of Engineering. This exposure resulted in leaders of these other organizations reaching out to us about partnering in volunteer events around the community. Overall, the experience grew our network which will help us to have a greater impact in future events. During the Fall 2018 semester we conducted the fall initiation for the Tennessee Tau Eta Chapter of Pi Tau Sigma. We initiated three new members into our chapter. We also conducted a Spring 2018 initiation where we inducted nine students into our chapter and some have proceeded to become next year’s officers. The president for next semester is Vincent Gambuzza and the secretary/treasurer for next year is Marcos Escudero. Our chapter was also responsible for selecting the “Excellence in Teaching” award for the Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Department (MABE). This was done by creating a survey of all the teaching professors in the MABE Department and sending this survey out to all juniors and seniors within the MABE Department. The previous three winners of the award were not included on the survey due to the orders of Dr. Matthew Mench, the head of the MABE Department. After collecting a reasonable amount of responses, the winner was Dr. Robert Bond. Our current president attended the MABE Department banquet and gave the “Excellence in Teaching” Award to Dr. Robert Bond on behalf of the Tennessee Tau Eta Chapter of Pi Tau Sigma. Additionally, the leaders of Pi Tau Sigma gained much leadership experience from serving this organization. From organizing events, leading spring and fall initiation, and interacting with students and faculty, our leaders have developed invaluable skills that can be transferred to their professional lives.

2017-2018  Ashley John, Vice President 

    The 2017- 2018 academic year was groundbreaking for the Tennessee Tau Eta Chapter of Pi Tau Sigma, as the organization successfully worked and connected with the other societies within the College of engineering including the ASME and the Society of Women Engineers. One of the most rewarding experiences was participating in Engineer’s day, an event where the college hosted high school students for competitions in robotics and design as well as inform them of the opportunities an engineering degree has to offer. We contributed by setting up a booth and creating a display to highlight different facets of mechanical engineering at the University of Tennessee. Similarly, we were able to showcase research performed by UTK students which poses to solve significant real world problems, such as manufacturing of prosthetic limbs through 3D printing and manufacturing a more fuel efficient sports car. Additionally, we were able to promote a new dual discipline degree to teach business acumen along with a technical engineering knowledge. This program emphasizes the importance of not cutting corners in safety just to save money. A further benefit of attending this event, was that it provided our chapter an opportunity to broadcast the ideals of Pi Tau Sigma to other relevant organizations in the college of engineering. This exposure resulted in leaders of these other organizations reaching out to us about partnering in volunteer events around the community. Overall, the experience grew our network which will help us to have a greater impact in future events. During the Fall 2017 semester we conducted the fall initiation for the Tennessee Tau Eta Chapter of Pi Tau Sigma. We initiated twelve new members into our chapter and some helped with volunteering for Engineer’s Day. We also conducted a Spring 2018 initiation where we inducted nine students into our chapter and some have proceeded to become next year’s officers. The president for next semester is Savannah David and the secretary/treasurer for next year is Zachary Slessman. Our chapter was also responsible for selecting the “Excellence in Teaching” award for the Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Department (MABE). This was done by creating a survey of all the teaching professors in the MABE Department and sending this survey out to all juniors and seniors within the MABE Department. The previous three winners of the award were not included on the survey due to the orders of Dr. Matthew Mench, the head of the MABE Department. After collecting a reasonable amount of responses the winner was Dr. Chad Duty. Our current president attended the MABE Department banquet and gave the “Excellence in Teaching” Award to Dr. Chad Duty on behalf of the Tennessee Tau Eta Chapter of Pi Tau Sigma. Additionally, the leaders of Pi Tau Sigma gained much leadership experience from serving this organization. From organizing events, leading spring and fall initiation, and interacting with students and faculty our leaders have developed invaluable skills that can be transferred to their professional lives.