Student Groups & Councils

Dartmouth Engineering students have a wide range of opportunities to explore their passions, expand their networks, develop their leadership skills, and have a little fun in student-led groups or professional organizations.

Student Councils

Students have opportunities to take part in student-led councils that support and advocate for Dartmouth Engineering's graduate student communities.

  • Thayer Council

    The Thayer Council is a student-run umbrella organization for all Dartmouth engineering students. Its mission is to guide student social life, foster communication among different student groups, and promote equity and diversity. The council acts as the student voice in communications with faculty and administration. Fully committed to the "service" aspect of the Thayer educational philosophy, the council promotes student involvement in campus service organizations that carry classroom learning out into the community.

    Contact: thayer.council@dartmouth.edu

  • MEM Student Council

    The Master of Engineering Management (MEM) Student Council (MEMC) works closely with both Thayer and MEM leadership to enact initiatives, plan events, and facilitate program development to support prospective and current MEM students. The MEMC strives to leverage student diversity to enhance the collaborative learning environment of the program.

    Contact: MEM Student Council

  • Graduate Student Council

    The Graduate Student Council (GSC) is the graduate student governing body that works to improve the quality of life for all graduate students at Dartmouth. The GSC sponsors social and content-driven events, provides financial support for student organizations, and supports college-wide initiatives that affect graduate students such as the Student Wellness Check-in program. The council consists of representatives from each graduate program/department of the Arts and Sciences, including Thayer and The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice.

    The GSC has many recognized student groups including Dartmouth Graduate Women in Science and Engineering (GWISE). The central purpose of GWISE is to develop a community of women from a variety of disciplines in science and engineering that will provide a place for women to both gain support during their graduate careers and to develop skills that will empower them in their professional occupations. The group's activities are geared toward professional development, outreach, and building a social network of women in the sciences at Dartmouth. Although the group is oriented toward supporting women, they welcome all graduate students. The advisor for the group is Professor Megan Romano.

    Contact: graduate.student.council@dartmouth.edu / GWISE@dartmouth.edu

Student Groups & Professional Organizations

Dartmouth chapters of professional engineering organizations, as well as other student groups, provide professional development support, mentoring, and networking opportunities for Dartmouth Engineering students. In many instances, Dartmouth Engineering helps fund student travel to and participation in national conferences for a variety of organization to support their professional growth.

  • American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES)

    The American Indian Science and Engineering Society's (AISES) mission is to increase representation of American Indian and Alaskan Natives in engineering, science and related disciplines. AISES was founded in 1977 by American Indian scientists, engineers and educators. In view of the high dropout rates and low college enrollment and graduation rates of American Indians compared with all other ethnic groups in the US, and the severe under-representation of American Indians in the science and engineering fields, these Native professionals resolved to create an organization that would identify and remove the barriers to academic success for Native students. The Dartmouth chapter of AISES is on Facebook and on Instagram @dart.aises.

    Contact: hayden.a.campos.22@dartmouth.edu

    Advisor: Nicholas Reo, Associate Professor of Indigenous Environmental Studies and Jessica Kinzie, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Staff Advisor to Student Groups

  • Association of Medical Physics Students (AMPS)

    The Dartmouth Association of Medical Physics Students (AMPS) is a student-run organization for graduates enrolled in the CAMPEP-accredited Medical Physics Education Program. The group aims to help prepare students for professional certification exams, residency applications, and developing clinical exposure. Additionally, AMPS seeks to develop and maintain a social network of medical physics students and alumni in the broader Dartmouth community.

    Contact: amps@dartmouth.edu

  • Dartmouth Aerospace Engineering Club

    The Dartmouth Aerospace Engineering Club seeks to empower students with the skills and knowledge necessary to improve life on Earth and beyond. We are currently developing a competitive sounding rocket, an autonomous farm computer, and an Arduino-powered RC aircraft.

    Contact: rockets@dartmouth.edu

  • Dartmouth Formula Racing (DFR)

    The student-run Dartmouth Formula Racing (DFR) team designs, builds, and tests a high performance hybrid or electric race car. The DFR team initiated the annual Formula Hybrid+Electric™ competition, which is run by Thayer. The team receives advice and equipment from Thayer faculty and staff, but DFR members raise most of each year's budget from corporate sponsors and personal donations.

    Contact: dartmouth.formula.racing@dartmouth.edu

    Advisor: Raina White, Engineering Laboratory Instructor

  • Dartmouth Humanitarian Engineering (DHE)

    Dartmouth Humanitarian Engineering (DHE) — formerly Humanitarian Engineering Leadership Projects (HELP) — exists to organize and support service initiatives all over the world. DHE's goal is to improve a community's quality of life with solutions that are fully sustainable using local materials. Projects seek to provide clean water, improve sanitation, and reduce environmental impact through the implementation of appropriate technologies that are socially conscious, economically feasible, and fully sustainable. Current initiatives include improved cooking technologies and alternative fuels in Tanzania and hydropower sites for off-grid areas in Rwanda.

    Contact: dartmouth.humanitarian.engineering@dartmouth.edu

    Advisors: Professor Charles Sullivan and Holly Wilkinson, Assistant Dean for Academic and Student Affairs

  • Dartmouth Society of Engineers: Student Chapter

    Every engineering student is automatically a member of the student chapter of the Dartmouth Society of Engineers (DSE). The Student Chapter serves as a forum for matters pertaining to the welfare of engineering students at Dartmouth, as well as a liaison between the engineering student body and the DSE Parent Chapter, Thayer faculty and staff, and Dartmouth. The Student Chapter also serves as a coordinating organization for social events and philanthropic initiatives. These include a weekly Friday gathering and the annual Steak and Champagne dinner. In addition, the DSE organizes a Graduation Reception that is open to students, faculty, staff, and the families of graduating students. The DSE Student Chapter also works with other Thayer organizations to plan and organize additional activities to enrich the lives of Thayer students.

    Contact: dartmouth.society.of.engineers@dartmouth.edu

    Advisor: Holly Wilkinson, Assistant Dean for Academic and Student Affairs

  • Graduates in Need of Decompression

    Graduates in Need of Decompression (GrIND) is a student-led group at Thayer that seeks to promote general health and wellness among all graduate students. Maneuvering through graduate school can be a difficult proposition—learning how to manage your time effectively, making new friends, getting along with your advisor, learning your way around a new area or culture, writing a thesis, finding time to exercise or spend time with your family, etc.—these can all be significant factors affecting your overall outlook on life and your academic performance. Through GrIND, we hope to provide students with a local network of peer-based moral support as well as a structured and healthy approach to managing day-to-day graduate school life.

    Contact: grind@thayer.dartmouth.edu

    Advisors: Jessica Moody

  • Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

    The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is a professional society of engineers and scientists whose mission is to promote "the engineering process of creating, developing, integrating, sharing, and applying knowledge about electro and information technologies and sciences for the benefit of humanity and the profession."

    The student chapter of IEEE at Dartmouth sponsors activities, guest lectures, competitions, and other events relevant to students in engineering and computer science.

    Advisor: Professor Paul Meaney

  • National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)

    The mission of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) is to increase the number of culturally responsible black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally, and positively impact the community. Dartmouth's NSBE chapter, comprised of 45 undergraduates, is open to all minority students and focuses on supporting academic work, professional development, and connecting students to available resources.

    Contact: national.society.of.black.engineers@dartmouth.edu

    Advisors: Professor Kofi Odame and Jessica Kinzie, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Staff Advisor to Student Groups

  • Sigma Xi

    The Dartmouth Chapter of Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, sponsors the Christopher Reed Science Competition for senior honors students, and supports other activities that recognize and honor the research achievements of Dartmouth students.

    President: Professor Dean Wilcox, Chemistry Department

  • Society of Automotive Engineers

    The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) is a professional engineering society that specializes in transportation technology. A multi-disciplinary group, it encompasses mechanical, electrical, and chemical engineering. See also Dartmouth Formula Racing.

    Advisor: Professor Laura Ray

  • Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)

    Members of Society of Hispanic Professional Engineering standing in front of Thayer School of Engineering motto.

    Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) changes lives by empowering the Hispanic community to realize its fullest potential and to impact the world through STEM awareness, access, support and development. SHPE, including the Dartmouth chapter, seeks to create a world where LatinX individuals are highly valued and influential as leading innovators, scientists, mathematicians, and engineers.

    Contact: society.of.hispanic.professional.engineers@dartmouth.edu

    Advisors: Jessica Kinzie, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Staff Advisor to Student Groups and Professor Petra Bonfert-Taylor

  • Society of Women Engineers (SWE)

    A member of Society of Women Engineers at Dartmouth Engineering smiling in front of a poster presentation.

    The Dartmouth chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) includes women and men, faculty, students, and staff. The group sponsors a variety of activities ranging from workshops for local schools to course advising sessions and luncheons with prominent women in a variety of fields of engineering. SWE students are often active in the Women in Science Project (WISP).

    Contact: swe@dartmouth.edu

    Advisor: Holly Wilkinson, Assistant Dean for Academic and Student Affairs

  • SPIE Dartmouth Student Chapter

    The International Society of Optics and Photonics seeks to connect researchers, educators and industrialists to collaborate upon and advance optical light-based research and technologies. The Dartmouth student chapter aims to link these various disciplines of research amongst the faculty and students. In addition, our goals include outreach to the Upper Valley community, and to utilize the partnership between Dartmouth graduate and undergraduate students to create opportunities for younger students to appreciate how light is utilized both in our laboratories and in their own every day experiences.

  • SPIE Dartmouth Student Chapter

    The International Society of Optics and Photonics (SPIE) seeks to connect researchers, educators and industrialists to collaborate upon and advance optical light-based research and technologies. The Dartmouth student chapter aims to link these various disciplines of research amongst the faculty and students. In addition, our goals include outreach to the Upper Valley community, and to utilize the partnership between Dartmouth graduate and undergraduate students to create opportunities for younger students to appreciate how light is utilized both in our laboratories and in their own every day experiences.

  • Tau Beta Pi

    The New Hampshire Beta chapter of Tau Beta Pi, the national engineering honor society, was installed in February 2002. Tau Beta Pi membership is open to top engineering students with distinguished scholarship (the top 12.5% of senior Engineering Sciences majors and the top 20% of B.E. students), exemplary character typified by integrity, a wide range of interests, adaptability, and interest in participating in community and volunteer activities.

    The national office of Tau Beta Pi offers student chapters a variety of programs including scholarships, fellowships, training projects, tools for career development, and support for chapter service projects. Initiation into Tau Beta Pi brings lifelong membership.

    Contact: tau.beta.pi@dartmouth.edu

    Advisor: Professor Douglas Van Citters

  • Thayer Gear

    Thayer Gear is a student-run apparel store in which Thayer students can put theoretical knowledge to practical use by running a business and developing new products and strategies.

    Contact: thayer.gear@dartmouth.edu

Create an Official Student Group

If you are interested in obtaining official recognition of your group or club, please complete the "Petition for Club Recognition" form and submit it to Thayer Council for approval. All officially recognized clubs will be granted a Dartmouth email address, have a presence on the Thayer website, and have the opportunity to apply for Thayer Council funding for events and programs.

Questions? Contact Holly Wilkinson, Assistant Dean for Academic and Student Affairs