Why Join Tau Beta Pi?

With all of the demands of school, work, and some semblance of a social life, you are probably wondering: “Why would I want to cram yet another honor society into my busy schedule?” Simply put, because Tau Beta Pi is not just another honor society.

As the only national engineering honor society, Tau Beta Pi (or TBP for short) has a prestigious history that the University of Utah Alpha chapter proudly upholds. Perhaps more importantly, “It’s a great way to pack your resume,” according to former vice-president Spencer Colson.

Indeed, TBP is one of the most impressive extracurricular clubs that engineering students can participate in. TBP members are known not only for their academic excellence, but also for their excellent character and leadership qualities. Moreover, the engineering industry is filled with TBP members, so employers know from experience that members make good employees. Former president, Chris Winstead, agrees: “People will hire me . . . because I’m a fellow Tau Beta Pi-an.”

Another benefit to joining TBP is the plethora of leadership opportunities available to interested members. With a number of different leadership positions available on the chapter level, just about anyone who is willing to put in a little extra time can get elected. And, of course, the only thing that looks better on your resume than being a member of an honor society is being president of an honor society.

Even if you have no interest in holding a leadership position, the social aspect of TBP makes membership worthwhile. “The greatest thing about TBP is the association with other dedicated engineering students,” said member James Travis Bergstrom. During the course of the year, TBP hosts various district conferences, and the U of U chapter holds an annual social with the local chapter of the Society of Women Engineers.

TBP is about more than just resume-building and socializing, however: service also forms a vital part of the TBP creed. TBP members participate in several service projects, such as painting a room in a women’s shelter, working at the Food Bank, or teaching elementary school kids about engineering. One of the favorite service activities is the annual Elementary Engineering Week, at which TBP show kids the fun side of engineering.

At Elementary Engineering Week, TBP traditionally hosts the Fish Blitz. In this event, students make fish out of clay and race them for prizes. Says graduate member Brenda Farmer, “This is the third year I’ve done [the Fish Blitz], and I come back every year because it’s so fun to be with the kids. I think they get a kick out of it, too.”

So if you have been contacted about joining Tau Beta Pi, consider the many benefits that accompany membership. And if you have not been contacted, work hard and get good grades: next year you could be invited to join the U of U’s most prestigious engineering honor society!

Requirements for Joining Tau Beta Pi

Membership in Tau Beta Pi is by invitation from our collegiate engineering chapters.

Undergraduate students must be in the top 1/8th of the junior class or top 1/5th of the senior class to be scholastically eligible for membership. The second requirement of exemplary character is determined by the chapter.

Graduate students must meet the top 1/5th requirement or have a letter of recommendation from their primary advisors plus have completed at least 50% of their coursework including research.

If you have already graduated, you would need to have graduated in the top 1/5th.

If you feel you meet our scholastic requirement you are encouraged to contact the local chapter president of Tau Beta Pi.

Finally, participation in service projects, payment of membership dues, and attending meetings and the initiation ceremony are final requirements at the University of Utah.

If you would like to be included on our mailing list for upcoming service projects, events, and activities, email us here at tbp.utah.alpha@gmail.com.