The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering’s (SOE) Joint Engineering Student Council (JESC) received the Most Outstanding Small Council Award at the National Association of Engineering Student Councils’ (NAESC) Midwest Regional Conference Oct. 19-20 at the University of Notre Dame. JESC President Holly Liebel, of Liberty, Mo., and Vice President Shawn Gilles, of Troy, Ill., accepted the award.
The Most Outstanding Small Council award recognizes the achievements of a student council serving a school of engineering with enrollment of less than 2,000 undergraduate students. The JESC is comprised of delegates from each of the more than 30 SOE student organizations and provides a forum for those organizations.
“Our Joint Engineering Student Council leadership team has made significant efforts to advance student welfare and engagement this year,” said Chris Gordon, PhD, SOE associate dean, professor in the Department of Construction and JESC advisor. “This recognition reflects the wide range of contributions that our JESC team has made to raise awareness of opportunities for students in the School of Engineering and to participate in the School’s continued progress.”
“JESC’s most significant achievements from this past year included organizing events for Engineer’s Week and broadening our students’ professional skills by hosting a panel for women in STEM Fields and several guest speakers,” Liebel said.
Gordon also pointed to the students’ feedback on the development of the Grady Family Foundation Innovation Loft as another major contribution.
The NAESC provides a platform to share best practices among engineering student councils nationally. It seeks to advocate for engineering students and schools across the nation, collaborate with councils to learn how to serve students, and lead and develop skills to become a well-rounded engineer.
Photo: SIUE JESC Vice President Shawn Gilles with the NAESC Most Outstanding Small Council Award.