Professional Societies and Competition Teams

The College of Engineering offers opportunities for active engagement in professional societies and competition teams as early as their freshmen year, aiming to foster a comprehensive experience and cultivate expertise within your field of study.

students posing in the water with a canoe at the concrete canoe competition

ASCE

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

Lipscomb's ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) Student Chapter received its charter in Spring 2012 and is continually building our student involvement in the community and the club. ASCE hosts social events such as cookouts and golf outings and participates in State and Regional ASCE Competitions. Every month, we welcome a technical speaker to talk about a specific field in Civil Engineering. ASCE is a great networking tool for students and professionals.

Mission: To provide essential value to members, their careers, partners, and the public; facilitate the advancement of technology; encourage and provide the tools for lifelong learning; promote professionalism and the profession; develop and support civil engineers.

Competition Teams

Concrete Canoe Competition

Student Steel Bridge Competition

American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Student Steel Bridge Competition (SSBC)

The Student Steel Bridge Competition is an annual competition that challenges student teams to develop a scale-model steel bridge. The team must determine how to fabricate their bridge and then plan for an efficient assembly under timed construction at the competition. Bridges are then load tested and weighed. The bridge must span approximately 20 feet, carry 2,500 pounds, and must meet all other specifications of the competition rules. Bridge aesthetics are also judged and considered in the final results of the competition.

In 2018, the College of Engineering at Lipscomb began competing in the American Institute of Steel Construction's Steel Bridge Competition developing a 20-foot, scale-model steel bridge able to carry 2,500 pounds.

Steel Bridge Competition

Surveying Competition

The ASCE UESI Surveying Competition’s educational and professional goals include a recognition of the importance of basic surveying principles to all civil engineering projects. Students will be required to use standard field and office equipment and procedures to solve common problems encountered in industry. A clear understanding of and ability to apply basic surveying principles will assist the graduate civil engineer in communicating and working with the surveying professionals on the job site and during the design process.

Surveying Competition

ASME

American Society of Mechanical Engineers

Our ASME chapter offers tutoring: Junior and Senior Mechanical Engineering students tutor underclassmen in calculus, physics and statistics. This type of servant-leadership is part of what separates Lipscomb Engineering from other engineering programs. ASME also promotes the engineering profession to the larger Nashville community. Each February during National Engineers Week, we support outreach activities for young students, including our rocket car derby.

Mission: Advancing engineering for the benefit of humanity.
Vision: The premier resource for the engineering community globally.

Competition Teams

Baja SAE

Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)

Baja SAE is a collegiate competition sponsored by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). The competition simulates real-world engineering design projects and their related challenges. Baja SAE is a great opportunity to apply skills learned in the classroom to the real world. Students who participate in the project gain valuable experience in mechanical design, construction, and testing.

The Baja SAE competition has much to offer team members, more than the experience of building and racing a vehicle. The program is a learning experience where students can realize the essentials of professional engineering in an extracurricular setting. The highest priority is the development of team cooperation skills. As in real-world engineering, communication between team members is necessary to eliminate errors that would undoubtedly waste time, effort, and money.

Students also have the opportunity to develop leadership skills. The skills and techniques developed throughout the different stages of the competition include project management, design, fabrication, resource scheduling, and budgeting.

Baja SAE

NASA Student Launch Initiative

Rocket Team - NASA University Student Launch Initiative

Our students compete in the NASA Student Launch Initiative where they design, test, and launch high powered rockets and functional payload systems. This initiative is a research-based, competitive, experiential exploration activity. It strives to provide relevant, cost-effective research and development of rocket propulsion systems.

This project offers multiple challenges reaching a broad audience of middle and high schools, colleges, and universities across the nation.

NASA Launch

IEEE

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) is an internationally known professional society. IEEE is known for setting multiple standards across the electronic and communications fields. Members of IEEE not only include Electrical and Computer Engineers, but also physicists, mathematicians, computer scientists, and many more professionals. Lipscomb IEEE student branch members also develop and host activities for K-12 students as part of our STEM outreach efforts. We participate in IEEE and VandyHacks Hackathons, attend professional society meetings, and socialize together on IEEE Game Nights.

Student Chapter Mission: The goal of the student chapter at Lipscomb is to help improve a student's experience in their technical field.

Vision: IEEE will be essential to the global technical community and to technical professionals everywhere and be universally recognized for the contributions of technology and of technical professionals in improving global conditions.

Competition Teams

Southeast Con

Southeast Con - Our students attend the annual IEEE Region 3 Technical, Professional and Student Conference (Southeast Con) where they compete in the autonomous robotics student competition, as well as networking, software, and ethics competitions. This conference brings together Computer Scientists, Electrical, and Computer Engineering professionals, faculty, and students to share the latest information through technical sessions, tutorials, and exhibits.

Southeast Con

Southeast Con Members

ASHRAE

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)

Founded in 1894, ASHRAE is a global society advancing human well-being through sustainable
technology for the built environment. Its members focus on building systems, energy efficiency,
indoor air quality, refrigeration and sustainability within the industry.

Mission: To serve humanity by advancing the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration and their allied fields.

Vision: A healthy and sustainable built environment for all.

ACM

Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)

ACM is a professional organization focused on computer science and technology. College students interested in computing can join ACM to access educational resources, research publications, networking events, and career development support. It's a valuable platform for staying updated and connecting with others in the field.

Mission: ACM is a global scientific and educational organization dedicated to advancing the art, science, engineering, and application of computing, serving both professional and public interests by fostering the open exchange of information and by promoting the highest professional and ethical standards.

Vision: ACM will continue to be the premiere global computing society.

SWE

Society of Women Engineers (SWE)

Our students may also participate in SWE which is a globally recognized society that advocates for inclusion and success for women in engineering. The SWE hosts study tip sessions and SWE east events just to name a few. SWE is open to all, regardless of gender.

Mission: Empower women to achieve their full potential in careers as engineers and leaders; expand the image of the engineering and technology professions as a positive force in improving the quality of life, and demonstrate the value of diversity and inclusion.

Vision: A world with gender parity and equality in engineering and technology.

Raymond B. Jones College of Engineering, Admin

Erin Ferree
Director of Professional Dev
(615) 966-5039
erin.ferree@lipscomb.edu

Professional Societies

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)
Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)