Photos courtesy of the University of Guam SAME Student Chapter: (From left) Maegan Catahay, former president of the University of Guam Society of American Military Engineers Student Chapter; Shahram Khosrowpanah, former dean of the UOG School of Engineering and former chapter adviser; and Sean Lee, president of the UOG SAME Student Chapter. ()
The University of Guam Society of American Military Engineers Student Chapter is one of two chapters in the nation to win the 2020–2021 Distinguished Student Chapter Award from the national SAME association. The UOG chapter tied with the chapter at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
“Our chapter is not just a student organization — it is a family of Tritons committed to the professional development and growth of its members,” said Sean Lee, president of the UOG SAME Student Chapter. “We are incredibly proud of this award because it communicates that the national organization sees value in the work we have done.”
This is the second time UOG has won the award since its chapter was founded in 2016.
The award recognizes student chapters that actively mentor and support their members toward future careers in engineering.
“We really encourage students from the UOG School of Engineering to network with professionals from industry firms, the government, and the SAME Guam Post,” said Ujwalkumar Patil, associate professor of civil engineering and the chapter’s faculty adviser. “And we work hard to connect them with internships and opportunities that will give them a head start in the workforce after graduation.”
The chapter helps arrange field trips and activities to give its members exposure to the industry and opportunities to engage with professional engineers. The chapter also arranged the School of Engineering’s first capstone conference on March 31. The conference allowed the university’s first batch of civil engineering students to present their final design projects for their degree to the UOG community and industry professionals.
“We hosted the event in the hopes that it would help students build networks and obtain mentorship with professional engineers in their respective fields,” Lee said.
Lee said he hopes this award will motivate more students to join their student chapter.
“Since I have been elected president for this academic year, I have learned that this chapter is built by the determination of members who want to be part of something greater than themselves,” he said.
Students interested in joining the UOG SAME Student Chapter can contact Sean Lee at (671) 858-6945 or email here.
