Engineering students at Tarleton State University can now join a collegiate chapter of the Texas Society of Professional Engineers (TSPE) on their own campus, thanks in part to the efforts of BHB Civil Engineer and Tarleton alumna Skylar Wierzbicki. Part of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), this chapter is the ninth student chapter of TSPE in the state of Texas.
Skylar serves as a chapter liaison with the help of TSPE’s education committee head Brian LaFoy and Assistant Professor at Tarleton State University Dr. Kartik Venkataraman; the process began in the fall of 2019 with a presentation to the students explaining the organization, licensure, and what TSPE can offer. Moving forward, Skylar will use her industry knowledge and connections to help the group find speakers for their monthly meetings.
Being able to help engineering students at her alma mater means a lot to Skylar. “Tarleton has a pretty special place in my heart in general,” she says, glad to see the new engineering building and expansion of the program helping to put their name at the forefront in the engineering community.
Having a TSPE chapter on campus will help students understand the licensure process and the value it will play in their careers. “Predominately, TSPE is networking, professional development, and education on the more personal side of engineering—a lot of those skills are things that you can’t learn in school,” says Skylar. Students are eagerly planning future meetings, volunteer opportunities, and ways to network with engineers from all backgrounds next semester.
Many BHB engineers have valued their membership and participation in TSPE over the years, including Konstantine Bakintas, BHB President, who currently serves as Executive Vice President of the organization on the state level, and Austin Baird, Principal, who is President-Elect of the Fort Worth Chapter. We encourage engineering students at any institution to take advantage of a free NSPE national student membership: click here to learn more.