Northwestern SHPE Receives Gold Chapter Award

Northwestern’s chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) has received the SHPE’s 2023 Gold Chapter Award, the society’s highest honor bestowed upon university chapters.

Gold Chapter Awards recognize chapters for demonstrating excellence across all four of SHPE's core values: Familia, Service, Education, and Resilience. Gold Chapter recipients have continuously led and executed impactful services and programs for people in their community and serve as a model for other SHPE chapters.

Out of more than 300 chapters nationwide, Northwestern SHPE was one of four undergraduate chapters to receive the Gold Chapter Award. More than 40 Northwestern SHPE members attended the SHPE National Convention in Anaheim, Calif., in November to be formally recognized. 

“Northwestern SHPE winning the Gold Chapter Award reflects the cumulative efforts and growth of our past and present members in advancing Hispanics and Latines in STEM,” said Steph Maynez, a senior biomedical engineering major and Northwestern SHPE president. “This honor also recognizes the crucial support of our adviser, Ellen Worsdall, in our chapter’s journey. As proud as we are of this milestone, it marks only the start of what I believe will be a legacy of continued excellence by future SHPE generations.”

To be eligible for the Gold Chapter Award, a chapter must submit an outline of hosted events over the course of a semester. Submissions are judged and graded based on event metrics, event goals, and how the events align with SHPE's mission. Chapters that are graded 90 percent or higher following judging qualify for Gold Chapter status.

“I’m very proud of all the work and accomplishments our executive board has achieved over the years, not just this year’s executive board, but also last year’s,” said Vianey Guadian, a senior environmental engineering major and Northwestern SHPE vice president. “This award is a result of that work. More broadly, this means a lot for the Hispanics and Latines in STEM here at Northwestern and at other predominately white institutions. It shows we’re making a difference, making our voices heard and creating space for future generations to come."

SHPE was founded in 1974 by a group of engineers employed by the city of Los Angeles and now has 11,000 members with 375 collegiate chapters. The Northwestern chapter, founded in the mid-1990s and currently with 65 active members, helps Hispanics get support, recognition, and representation within STEM while promoting the advancement of all ethnicities, majors, and backgrounds in education, employment, and society.

Throughout the academic year, Northwestern SHPE stages events and initiatives for personal and professional development, welcomes alumni for panels, and provides mentorship programs for new members to learn from more senior counterparts. The group is developing a series of lesson plans and practice rounds to support students from nearby Evanston Township High School as they prepare for the Regional Science Bowl.