Guanajuato Beta Theta

The Guanajuato PTS chapter was formed under the leadership of Professor Abel Hernandez-Guerrero. With the advice of Drs. Victor Goldschmidt and James Welty, past presidents of Pi Tau Sigma, and persistence of Salvador Botello-Aceves, Dr. Hernandez submitted a petition to the national office for a new charter. Guanajuato Beta Theta was officially chartered as the 176th chapter of Pi Tau Sigma on February 28, 2015, at the national convention held at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne, during the centennial celebration of the founding of Pi Tau Sigma. Dr. Hernandez became the chapter adviser while C. Ulises González-Valle, who was initiated at the convention, became its first president. Guanajuato held its first initiation on March 9, 2015, in Salamanca, Mexico, presided by the National Secretary-Treasurer Dr. Alex Moutsoglou, where eleven student initiates and two honorary members, Drs. Abel Hernandez-Guerrero and Elias Ledesma-Orozco, were inducted. 

Pi Tau Sigma students are actively involved with the ASME student chapter, one of the premier sections of the ASME District E.

ANNUAL SUMMARY REPORTS
 

2023-2024, Evelin Jazmin Guadalupe Sanchez-Rodriguez, President.

All the events we held were carried out successfully. Conferences, Meetings, Contests, Social Programs and Cultural Events are some of the activities that our Guanajuato Beta Theta Chapter carried out during this academic year.

Membership

During this period, our chapter faced significant challenges that affected the initiation of new members. We begin by identifying outstanding students with potential in leadership, academic skills, and professional ethics. Candidates are invited to participate in chapter activities to integrate and become familiar with our values and goals. Once the invitation is accepted, candidates enter a one-year probationary period, during which they must actively participate in chapter activities, contribute their skills, and engage with the student community. This period not only evaluates academic performance and participation, but also the ability to adapt to the culture and dynamics of the chapter. At the end of the probationary period, candidates who have demonstrated strong commitment and significant contributions are considered for full membership. Recognizing that the previous invitation time (seventh semester) may have been late, we adjusted the process to begin in the fifth semester. We are currently evaluating 10 candidates, with the initiation ceremony planned for July 2024.

Service

Our main service projects were: The Annual Science and Technology Fair for Elementary Children (E3-Fair), which has been running for eight years in a row. The Women in Engineering event, where we promote the engineering careers that are taught at our university to high school girls. The Mechanical Engineering Week where various activities are carried out (competitions to develop skills, conferences with successful graduates of our university, as well as others, etc.), so that students visualize the importance of mechanical engineering and learn about job opportunities. Much of the members of our chapter offer to teach, as every semester, courses on different software to students to improve their skills and technical knowledge. In addition, the planning of different service events has begun: hair donation for girls and women with cancer, visits to nursing homes with various recreational activities, donations of provisions, and blood donations for hospitals in our community and others.

Social

During this year, some of the social activities carried out by our Chapter were:

• Student day events. Contests, prizes, meetings and conferences celebrating the day of the student.
• General culture knowledge contests for undergraduate students vs. graduate students.
• Knowledge contests for mechanical engineering students.
• Fundraising events for major events such as E3-Fair and Women in Engineering.

Professional Development 

• Conferences, workshops and courses: part of Mechanical Engineering Week, providing professional development to students.
• Engineering software courses: training in tools relevant to your professional training.
• Scientific Poster Event: exhibition of student research, promoting academic exchange.
• Technical visits to companies in Guanajuato: provided practical experience and connections with the industry.
• Conference with MABE: focused on recruiting students for its Global Engineers program, facilitating job opportunities.

2022-2023, Evelin Jazmin Guadalupe Sanchez-Rodriguez, President.

During this academic year, our chapter was finally able to resume all activities in person. All the events we held were carried out successfully. Conferences, Meetings, Contests, Social Programs and Cultural Events are some of the activities that our Guanajuato Beta Theta Chapter carried out during this academic year.

Membership

Like every year, having new members is the biggest challenge of our student chapter. For us, being a Pi Tau Sigma member goes beyond being a good student. In the new member selection process, students are selected for their academic record, leadership and ethical behavior. During this last year, we incorporated four new members. Currently, we have a total of 12 candidate members, who will be evaluated during this year. Our members are constant participants in each of the activities.

Service

Our main service projects were: The Annual Science and Technology Fair for Elementary Children (E3-Fair), which has been running for seven years in a row. The Women in Engineering event, where we promote the engineering careers that are taught at our university to high school girls. The Mechanical Engineering Week where various activities are carried out (competitions to develop skills, conferences with successful graduates of our university, as well as others, etc.), so that students visualize the importance of mechanical engineering and learn about job opportunities. Much of the members of our chapter offer to teach, as every semester, courses on different software to students to improve their skills and technical knowledge. In addition, the planning of different service events has begun: hair donation for girls and women with cancer, visits to nursing homes with various recreational activities, food donations to low-income people, and blood donations for hospitals in our community and others.

Social

During this year, some of the social activities carried out by our Chapter were:

• Student day events. Contests, prizes, meetings and conferences celebrating the day of the student.
• General culture knowledge contests for undergraduate students vs. graduate students.
• Knowledge contests for mechanical engineering students.
• Fundraising events for major events such as E3-Fair and Women in Engineering.

Professional Development 

The main events oriented towards this goal during 2022-2023 were: From my Experience, where successful women are invited to give conferences to promote the role of women in science to students of our university, Pi Tau Sigma Courses, taught to engineering students during each semester (Programming, Secondary Languages, Specialized Software for Engineers), and the Mechanical Engineering Week, which takes place each semester, where guests from all over the world give lectures about their work and the latest advances in engineering. field of mechanical engineering.

1^st initiation October 24, 2022

Initiated: Felipe Antonio Torres-Cano, Jorge Zamudio-Martinez, Daniel Antonio Mendez-Garcia.

2^nd initiation June 16, 2023.

Initiated: Osvaldo Ivan Meza Jr.-Hernandez.

2021-2022, Miguel Serafin Nunez-Aguayo, President.

During this academic year, our chapter experienced a transition period between online and presential activities. All our members put in an extra effort to keep organizing activities, despite the quickly changing conditions of our campus. All the events that we proposed were carried out successfully, with special care to all the sanitary measures required by the authorities and achieving an acceptable participation from the alumni. Conferences, Meetings, Contests, Social programs, and Cultural events are amongst the activities that our Chapter, Guanajuato Beta Theta, carried out during this academic year.

Membership

Due to COVID-19, our university was still carrying out classes in an online and hybrid manner during most of this year. Recruiting new members was the greatest challenge to our student chapter, while the gradual return to presential activities was occurring. During this last year, we inducted 7 new members: five of them in the spring and two in the fall of 2022. At the beginning of this year, we made our goal to promote the Student Chapter of Pi Tau Sigma to the alumni. Our efforts paid off and we had an increase in the number of candidates interested in joining our fraternity. Currently, we have a total of 10 candidate members, whom will be evaluated during this year. Our returning full members continued participating constantly before and after going back to presential activities.

Service

Our main service projects were: the Annual Science and Technology Fair for Elementary School Kids (E3Fair), which was held virtually in 2021 and in person in 2022. Suicide Prevention Conferences, where professional psychologists are invited to talk about how to identify and provide help to someone in danger of committing suicide, held in cooperation with a local organization. The Women in Engineering event, where we promote the engineering careers taught at our university to high school girls. The first Mathematics Fair, where our members are invited to elementary schools from the region to teach mathematics with fun games to children. My College Friend, science advisory and promotion program for high school students in danger of dropping out of school.

Social

During this past year, some of the social activities that our Chapter carried out were:

• Recommend me a Book. Book day themed event where students promote reading by making videos talking about their favorite books and authors and uploading them to the social media of our chapter.
• Student day events. Contests, prizes, meetings, and conferences celebrating the student day.
• Second Annual Music Festival. End of the year celebration where students, professors, and graduate students participate by playing an instrument, singing, or performing any other musical talent.

Professional Development

The main events geared toward this goal during 2021-2022, were: From My Experience, where successful women are invited to give conferences to promote the role of women in science to students from our university, Pi Tau Sigma Courses, imparted to engineering students during each semester (Programming, Secondary languages, Specialized Software for engineers), and the Mechanical Engineering Week, held each semester, were guests are invited from all over the world to give conferences about their work and the furthest developments in the field of mechanical engineering.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1^st initiation June 17, 2021

Initiated: Martin Antonio Vargas-Cendejas, Miguel Angel Badajoz-Velazquez, Victor Manuel Vega-Gutierrez, Josue Uriel Villalpando-Hernandez, Victor Manuel Hernandez-Montecillo. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2^nd initiation December 17, 2021

Initiated: Evelin Jazmin Sanchez-Rodriguez, Angel David Toledo-Galvan.

2020-2021, Jessica Pamela Martinez-Vega, President.

During this academic period, our world experienced change in all areas of daily life. However, in this report is recognized the effort, commitment and tenacity of the members and candidates of the Guanajuato Beta Theta Chapter for carrying out the various activities presented below.

Due to the pandemic, we made a social media campaign to promote the use of the mask with #WearAMaskChallenge. This campaign had a reach of 980 people.

We collaborated with the ASME-SOMIM society of the University of Guanajuato in the organization of the Virtual Mechanical Engineering Week, which included an International Symposium, a presentation by a collaborator of the SpaceX® Falcon 9 program, a forum where the impact of COVID-19 on the lives of students was addressed, and 4 recreational activities for participants, where they tested their skills in "Impromptu Design" and their knowledge in "La Batalla Final".

To encourage children to continue with their studies, the "E3-FAIR VIRTUAL" (Science and Technology Fair for Children) was held. Through a digital platform, 36 science-related videos were broadcasted, reaching approximately 4,000 children.

Mexico is a country full of culture and tradition; therefore, our Chapter organized activities related to the Day of the Dead, starting with the "Concurso de Disfraces" and the "Concurso de Alebrijes" where the imagination and skill of the participants were put to the test, and they made costumes and figures of fantastic animals with recycled materials.

The "1er Festival de Musica" was held virtually. Fourteen musicians participated and approximately 2,830 spectators enjoyed two nights of live music by our participants, special guests, and colleagues.

The contest "Arte Abstracto muy Abstracto" was held in which participants recreated famous paintings and sculptures but personifying them in a comical way with materials they had at home.

The chapter offered five free virtual courses: programming in MATLAB®, Python®, writing and programming in Latex®, CAD modeling in SolidWorks®, and introduction to the Japanese language. A total of 136 people were trained.

In commemoration of Women's Day, we recognized two great female doctors and researchers from our campus in the event "Desde mi Experiencia", where two virtual conferences were held to inspire future generations to follow their dreams.

The social media campaign "Súmate a la Causa Pi Tau Sigma" was carried out. For two weeks an image was posted daily with ideas and recommendations with the aim of raising environmental.

In commemoration of the Day of the Book, we called for participation in the virtual campaign "Recomiéndame un Libro”. Whit all the submissions, eight videos were shared in social media and more than 20 books were recommended. This activity had a reach of about 8,000 people.

During the period 2020-2021, two virtual initiations were held (September 30, 2020 and December 15, 2020), with a total of 6 initiates.

1^st initiation September 30, 2020 

Initiated: Marco Antonio Duran Camacho y Maricela Yadira Parkins Ortega. 

 

 

2^nd initiation December 15, 2020 

Initiated: Esteban Daniel Jaime Rosales, Denilson Nava Sosa, Miguel Alejandro León Villaseñor y Adam Hernández Miranda. 

 

2019-2020, J. Eliseo B. Regla-Felix, President.

During this academic year, our chapter organized activities focused on supporting society in general and the university community. All our events and activities were made possible thanks to the collaboration and teamwork of the active members of our chapter.

After detecting problems in our community, events and activities were proposed that would help some of these problems. It was observed as high school students deserted their studies after finishing this stage, which does not help the progress of our nation. For this reason, the program "My College Friend" was carried out with the support of the directors and our advisors were able to make agreements to develop this program. The students of our university community were also key since many university students were needed. The objective is that through 5 visits per semester, the perspective of continuing studying will be changed for children who show indicators of not continuing with their studies. 

Due to the low percentage of women who are studying engineering, a program called "women in engineering" was held, in which female high school students are invited to our campus. During this event, different activities are held, such as conferences by women engineers with high positions, games involving ingenuity, tours of the laboratories and workshops, and presentations of the different academic programs available on campus. It is expected that after this event more women will be interested in engineering.

Also thinking about the elderly, we made a program where 5 visits are made in the semester to the nursing home, during these visits we play with them  and tell us anecdotes, the idea is that they spend a good time with us, besides that in these visits we help with what they need. Another event that took place in the nursing home was a social gathering with some students, we bought typical Mexican food, played board games, and a female music group from the University of Guanajuato played some songs.

Among our activities is also the academic decathlon, which promotes knowledge of general culture through fun, this event is open to all audiences, teams of 5 students are formed. Different rounds are held, and the teams respond, at the end, the one who responds more correctly is the winner of a prize.

An event that is held every year by our student chapter, is the E3 Fair, although everything was already planned, this year due to the pandemic was not achieved. In this event we show projects made by students from our school to elementary children.

In our campus there is little musical development, due to the lack of support in spaces and instruments. Therefore, through many efforts we were able to buy a piano which we donated to our engineering division, for the use of events that promote music, as well as for students who want to practice or learn.

2018-2019 Bruno Perez-Aguilar, President.

During this academic year our chapter focused on improving some aspects of our university community and society in general. We carry out different activities and events to foster creativity, collaboration between students and arouse interest in science in different sectors of the population.

After a long social and economic analysis, we decided it would be helpful to direct our activities for children, seniors, college students and the environment.

In this way, to encourage children of public elementary schools in the city of Salamanca, each year we hold a science and technology fair, in which engineering students present scientific projects in an easy and fun way. We bring concepts of physics, chemistry and mathematics to children between 11 and 13 years.

On the other hand, to improve the quality of life of the elderly, we make periodic visits to the old people's home in the city. Thanks to this, they can spend a pleasant time in the company of students who can take care of them for a few hours. This project has been a complete success, highlighting the social tasks involved.

In addition to this, most of the activities that our chapter does are directed especially to university students (engineering or not) through conferences, competitions, academic courses in engineering software, among others. This has given our chapter a good reputation. More and more students know the type of activities we do and are interested in participating.

Regarding the care of the environment, it is not new that we are going through a severe environmental problem and to reduce our ecological footprint, we decided to carry out a reforestation in the green areas of our campus. Again, we had a great response from the students, who planted, irrigated and took care of the trees for several weeks.

It is important to mention that these activities have been the result of great teamwork on the part of the members of the Guanajuato Beta Theta Chapter of Pi Tau Sigma. Without a doubt it is merit to be part of this society and the best way to demonstrate it is by helping in the organization of the events that take place annually. We can say that our chapter has a great participation by its members, as well as we received a great interest from the other engineering students.

This year it served us to learn methods of teamwork and collaboration among members. We hope to take advantage of our skills so that our events benefit an increasingly larger sector of society. We want to help more people, inside and outside the university, since our commitment to people has no borders.

Finally, it is important to mention that our chapter had the opportunity to attend 98th Pi Tau Sigma National Convention February 15th & 16th, 2019 hosted by the Tau Psi chapter from the Colorado State University. We are very grateful to this chapter and to Pi Tau Sigma for making this possible.

2017-2018 Ana L. Gallardo-Gutierrez. President.

As part of the activities organized a technical visit to MMVO planned (for short, Mazda Mexico Vehicle Operation) in order to introduce them to students of Engineering Mechanical and Mechatronics processes carried out at the plant, technology used and the activities staff. The course was attended by 44 students and 2 teachers of the División.

• Food collection

During this year, a series of earthquakes in several states occurred in our country, leaving many people without homes. The chapter organized at the school to help a collection of food items such as food, water, medicines, clothes, etc.

• Elementary School Visit
• Women in Engineering
• Academic Decathlon:

The objective of this event is to encourage competition among engineering students, testing their learning in basic areas of knowledge. The dynamic is simple. Teams of four people answer questions about mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, economics, geography, history, art, film and music. The three teams with the most successful answers reach the next round. At this point, a short break is granted to the three teams that will face each other to win the first place. Competition resumes and after many questions and answers a winner is selected. This event helps students rediscover basic concepts they may have forgotten. The participation of the contestants in team mode was a great stimulus for the discussion of ideas and the ability to agree with others.

• Science and Engineering Congress

This congress was held for showing the undergraduate students the different areas of research in the engineering division of the University of Guanajuato. For this reason, researchers from the same division were invited to hold one-hour conferences. Great student participation was achieved thanks to the great advertising work of Pi Tau Sigma members; Posters were shared through social networks. In addition, a web page was designed to store the records of conference attendees. Twelve conferences took place, related to: Fractional differential equations and their applications, materials science, refrigeration and air conditioning systems, innovation in the automotive industry of Guanajuato, photovoltaic solar cells, quantum computing, bioengineering, composite materials and other interesting topics.

• E3 Fair

Students of the Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Mechanics, Computer Systems, and Electronic Engineering career of the Irapuato - Salamanca Campus participated in the second edition of the "E3 Fair" Science and Technology Fair with the exhibition of 50 scientific projects in a didactic and fun way, in the House of Culture of Salamanca. The exhibition was organized by Pi Tau Sigma Guanajuato Beta Theta and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), which is headed by the concept of "Science for
Children". About 900 sixth grade students in public elementary school made the tour of the stands and participated in the dynamic.