Image by courtesy President of the campus chapter of the IEEE honor society Marietta Arakelian ’25, ’26 says the Outstanding Chapter award recognizes the group’s service and impact on campus.
UMass Lowell’s chapter of the international honor society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu (IEEE-HKN), has won national recognition for its activities and impact on campus.
Epsilon Zeta, UMass Lowell’s IEEE-HKN chapter, was one of 30 worldwide that were recognized with Outstanding Chapter Awards for 2024-2025. The award recognizes the top 10% of IEEE-HKN chapters in the world; chapters are evaluated on several criteria, including service and activity, growth and sustainability, and engagement, according to IEEE.
The award comes on the heels of Key Chapter recognition that the group received from IEEE-HKN in 2023 and 2024, which took into account the student group’s service, engagement and outreach.
After a period of post-pandemic rebuilding, membership in the honor society has grown to about 50 students, says Marietta Arakelian ’25, ’26, the chapter’s president, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical and computer engineering. A key benefit of the group is the sense of community that it has fostered for students, she says.
“We try to put together events to bring in employers so members can learn what companies do. We host movie nights. People bring their homework. It’s a way to be together,” Arakelian says.
Chapter members also participate in community events at the Lawrence Lin MakerSpace and host tours.
“I’m really proud of these students, especially our current chapter leadership,” says Associate Professor Seung Woo Son, the chapter’s advisor. “I am confident this is only the beginning of a series of prestigious awards our chapter will achieve as it continues to expand and excel.”