Campbell Engineering to launch Tau Beta Pi chapter this spring

Campbell University and the School of Engineering have been approved to launch a chapter of Tau Beta Pi, the prestigious international engineering honor society representing all engineering disciplines. Campbell's chapter, to be designated as the North Carolina Theta Chapter, will hold its inaugural induction ceremony this spring.

Founded in 1885 at Lehigh University, Tau Beta Pi currently has 257 active college chapters. The organization did a campus visit in January of last year to consider Campbell's request to join. Executive Director Curt Gomulinski said the society is "thrilled" to welcome Campbell to its ranks.

"The inspection team that visited Campbell earlier this year was thoroughly impressed with the facilities available to Campbell engineering students and the close community environment fostered by the faculty and administration," Gomulinski said. "Likewise, our Petitions Committee and the Convention body overwhelmingly voted to grant a chapter to Campbell University after a detailed presentation to both groups."

"[Engineering student] Sarah Cribb and [Associate Professor] Dr. [Alison] Polasik represented the university well, and Tau Beta Pi was delighted to be able to initiate Sarah as the first member of the North Carolina Chapter during our model initiation at the Convention. We look forward to the installation of Tau Beta Pi's 259th active chapter in 2026."

Campbell's initiation has been set for this spring - with all current eligible students and alumni from the School's own engineering honor society invited to participate. Tau Beta Pi's mission is to provide leadership and professional development training for engineering students and alumni, recognize those who confer honor on their alma mater through distinguished scholarship and exemplary character and promote lifelong alumni member involvement and cultivating a community of "dedicated high achievers."

The School of Engineering at Campbell enrolled its first students in 2016 and has developed a unique hands-on, project-based curriculum for an ABET-accredited engineering degree in four concentration areas: chemical/pharmaceutical, electrical, mechanical and electromechanical systems engineering.

"We are just thrilled to have been granted a Tau Beta Pi chapter here at Campbell," Founding Dean Dr. Jenna Carpenter said. "It allows us to grant lifelong national recognition to our top students. Moreover, Tau Beta Pi membership provides them with access to a wonderful array of professional development and mentoring opportunities, as well as the ability to apply for scholarships."

[Link]

Campbell Engineering

Campbell University's School of Engineering held its first classes in the fall of 2016, and in just 10 years, the school has grown to become a leader in hands-on, project-based engineering education. The School is home to an ABET-accredited Bachelor of Science Engineering degree program that includes four concentration areas: chemical/pharmaceutical, electrical, mechanical and electromechanical systems engineering.

The college is led by founding Dean Dr. Jenna Carpenter, a national expert and thought leader on issues impacting STEM education, innovative STEM curricula and student success as it correlates to diverse communities of students, faculty and staff in STEM fields. Carpenter is president of the Mathematical Association of American, commissioner and member of the ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission, past president of the American Society for Engineering Education and past president of the Women in Engineering ProActive Network.

The School of Engineering's Bachelor of Science Engineering program earned accreditation from ABET in 2022, two years after seeing its first graduating class in 2020. In 2019, Campbell Engineering was recognized as one of the most inclusive engineering schools in the nation by the American Society for Engineering Education, and today, 60 percent of the School's faculty is made up of women (three times the national average). Also in 2019, Campbell Engineering became the 45th program in the nation to be accepted as a Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network institution.

While the school has earned several accolades in its 10 years, 2025 was perhaps the program's finest to date. In the spring, Campbell's team of student engineers placed first in NASA's Human Exploration Rover Challenge in Huntsville, Alabama. Competing for just the seventh time since 2019, Campbell took top honors at the HERC competition, which draws more than 500 students from 35 colleges and universities and 40 high schools from 20 states, Puerto Rico and 16 other countries. The rover challenge is one of NASA's eight Artemis Student Challenges reflecting the goals of the Artemis campaign, which will land Americans on the Moon while establishing a long-term presence for science and exploration, preparing for future human missions to Mars.

In the fall, Campbell student engineers were tasked with drawing up a plan to power the City of Raleigh over the next 30 years while cutting down costs for residents and improving the environmental impact. The Future City Fellowship, in its pilot year, is an extension of the Future City Competition from DiscoverE, a nonprofit committed to sparking students' interest in engineering, strengthening their STEM skills, and deepening their knowledge. The team developed 10-, 20- and 30-year plans to electrify Raleigh using solar panels, electric vehicles and small modular nuclear reactors.

Campbell was the only pilot collegiate program in this year's fellowship program, by invitation. They'll be joined by two other universities in 2026.

And as the School continues to grow, it is mindful of its future as well. In January of 2026, Campbell announced the launch of a three-week summer engineering program for high-achieving high school students thanks to a $100,000 gift. The Bob Barker Engineering Camp for Future Innovators, slated to begin this July, will welcome 24 of the brightest high school students to campus for an immersive, hands-on experience designed to introduce engineering, professional skills and college preparation.