The UALR chapter of the national honor society Tau Alpha Pi welcomed 14 new members during a recent induction ceremony held Friday, April 4, in the Engineering and Information Technology building.

Membership into the national honor society is open by invitation only to top students in college engineering technology programs. At UALR, students may major in either mechanical engineering technology or electronics and computer engineering technology.

According to Jonathan Levesque, chapter president, induction into the society “not only represents a reward for past accomplishments but also implies promise for future growth.”

Dr. Wenle Zhang, an associate professor in the Engineering Technology Department at UALR, serves as the incoming faculty advisor for the student organization, which was recently revitalized following a period of dormancy.

In the ceremony, Zhang lit the first candle and described the purpose of the society as the promotion and encouragement of scholastic achievement.

UALR College of Engineering Dean Dr. Eric Sandgren described the personal and intellectual qualities required for membership and explained meanings behind the Society’s emblem and motto.

Each student received an honorary certificate of induction and a Tau Alpha Pi medallion, created this year using the engineering department’s solid model printer.

Dr. Swaminadham Midturi, outgoing advisor, joined Dean Sandgren and other engineering faculty to congratulate new members. The induction ceremony was followed by a buffet dinner in the atrium of the EIT building.

UALR’s newest Tau Alpha Pi members:

• Amanda Axelson
• Alex McDonald
• Carson Seelinger
• Clinton Maddox
• Dylan Branstetter
• Daniel Torres
• Elliot Mcdonald
• Hector Loya
• Jonathan Silen
• Jonathan Levesque
• Miguel Alvarez
• Travis Honea
• Tanner Hand
• Trevor Gray

For more information on the UALR chapter of Tau Alpha Pi, contact Dr. Zhang at wxzhang@ualr.edu or 501.569-8222.