While in Atlanta for the National Society of Black Engineers national convention, the College of Engineering hosted a reception for NSBE members, alumni and attendees of the conference.

More than 100 Purdue students from the mother chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers attended the NSBE annual convention in Atlanta in March 2024.

Purdue Engineering’s graduate programs, Minority Engineering Program, Purdue for Life Foundation, Black Cultural Center, Center for Career Opportunities, College of Science, Center for Innovative and Strategic Transformation of Alkane Resources, Scalable Asymmetric Lifecycle Engagement and Advancing Sustainability through Powered Infrastructure for Roadway Electrification collaborated in the preparation for and participation in the four-day event.

Several Purdue students received awards and scholarships at the convention. Mozen Mertami, Purdue's NSBE president, received the Edward E. Barnette Jr. Community Impact Scholarship. The scholarship honors the contributions of Edward E. Barnette Jr., one of two Purdue students in 1971 who sought to support Black engineering students when attrition was high. Chapters nominate candidates within their local NSBE community for the scholarship and recipients receive $5,000.

Mertami said the scholarship “reinforced the importance of service and mentorship, echoing the legacy of Edward E. Barnette Jr. and the founding principles of NSBE.”

Purdue NSBE chapter’s treasurer Kirunda Kunyiha and academic excellence chair Tienne Mensah were “Seven Seconds of Fame” scholarship honorees. Graduate student Abasiafak Ndifreke Udosen won first, with a prize of $1,500, in the research competition, and Andree Kolliegbo received third place in the research poster competition.

Purdue University took three teams to the convention's Boeing Flight Competition. Teams were tasked with building a glider constructed from a single sheet of balsa wood that could fly the farthest. Boeing guaranteed entry to the first team to apply from each university and waitlisted additional teams. Students from the Schools of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, Industrial Engineering and Mechanical Engineering and the First-Year Engineering Program participated.

The Purdue Skywalkers with members Yasar Dambo (ChE), Nicolas Konoma (AAE), Kaleia Maxey (IE) and Mertami (BME) placed fourth in the flight distance component and third in the technical presentation competition, earning $400 for placing in the presentation component.

Mertami said their success was the result of teamwork and guidance.

“Professor (Bill) Crossley played a crucial role in our success by providing us with a structured framework where we could explore various aerodynamic concepts, conduct trials and refine our design,” she said. “This was immensely beneficial, especially for someone like me coming from a biomedical engineering background.”

The Boiler Wings with members Muyiwa Arowolo (AAE), Andrew Cuello (AAE), Olanrewaju Sodunke (ME) and Patrick Thomspon (AAE) finished seventh in the flight distance component and second in the technical presentation component, earning a $600 prize.

The Glidermakers team that included Adam Bullock (AAE), Everett Lamberson (ME), Sam Morales (AAE) and Julian Torres-Corral (FYE) constructed a glider and prepared a presentation but were unable to compete on the short notice they were given.

This was the first time Purdue student teams participated in the competition. Crossley, Uhrig & Vournas Head of Aeronautics and Astronautics, discovered the Boeing Flight Competition when he attended his first NSBE convention in 2023. He suspected students may have wanted to participate but were unsure where to start, so he reached out to students and Virginia Booth Womack, director of MEP, and heard back from 12 interested students. Crossley created a directed project for a one-credit, eight-week course so all students would receive credit for their work, even if their teams weren’t selected.

“We did a little aeronautics and aerospace engineering and (had) a lot of fun,” Crossley said of the process.

While Mertami credits Crossley for the team’s success, Crossley said their ability to place in the technical presentation was a result of the Purdue Engineering experience.

“The experience they get here at Purdue, working in teams, giving presentations, it’s incredible they came in with nothing to use as previous examples, in a field of 20 teams, and got second and third,” Crossley said.

The College of Engineering participated in the conference in several capacities: hosting an exhibitor booth at the career fair, semiconductor panel and alumni community event and offering graduate student research presentations. Purdue for Life engaged with alumni and industry partners at the conference. The graduate education team talked to  over 175 participants interested in attending graduate school at Purdue, the No. 2 engineering graduate program among the nation’s top public universities (U.S. News & World Report), and postdoctoral fellow Brandon Harrison-Smith shared information about the B-Xcellent Podcast. Three engineering faculty members attended and engaged current graduate students and postdocs interested pursuing a faculty career, sharing information about Trailblazers in Engineering workshops this summer.

MEP connected with elementary, middle and high school students intent on attending Purdue for their undergraduate studies. During the conference, Mertami spoke with Pre-Collegiate Initiative middle and high school chapter students.

“It was inspiring to see their engagement and enthusiasm for STEM fields,” Mertami said.

Dean Arvind Raman with NSBE participants. The Dean said: “Great to be with Boilermaker Engineering students and alumni at the reception in Atlanta! So proud of NSBE - NSBE started at Purdue in 1975 and today has become one of the largest student-governed organizations on the planet. Look forward to a future filled with continued growth and success.”

The convention brought together 18,000 participants representing over 90 universities and 240 companies. This far exceeded the 48 students, representing 32 schools, at the first NSBE Convention held in April 1975.

Booth Womack was the first female national chairperson and served two terms (1978-1980), during which she led the chartering process for new chapters and saw the organization grow to over 50 chapters in her first year. Booth Womack gave the welcoming address at the 50th NSBE Convention Golden Torch Awards ceremony.

“As a biomedical engineering student who has been involved with NSBE since my freshman year, I feel an immense pride for Purdue's pioneering role as the founding NSBE university,” Mertami said.

“NSBE has been so much more than a student organization; it's been a lifeline, providing invaluable networking, mentorship and a sense of belonging. As a proud member of both Purdue and NSBE, I am honored to be a part of this legacy by actively contributing to the NSBE community, supporting and mentoring future generations and advocating for diversity and representation in STEM.”

Students checking in to NSBE.