Embry-Riddle Beta Mu

In Fall 2017, a group of mechanical engineering students driven by a desire to serve the mechanical engineering community and ensure recognition for top students petitioned the national Pi Tau Sigma office to start a chapter at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The petition was accepted and the chapter was formally initiated at the national convention in Miami, FL, on February 24, 2018.

The chapter works to serve mechanical engineering students and the department. Chapter activities include touring students for Open House, organizing activities for E-week, and hosting the popular “Pi a Professor” contest.

ANNUAL SUMMARY REPORTS

2019-2020 Andrew A. McClary, President

This year the Embry-Riddle Beta Mu chapter has been relatively quiet. In the spring, we initiated two new members, one an undergraduate, and a graduate. The on-campus bone marrow drive initiative that was started the year prior has found a permanent place in the universities on-campus clinic allowing students to sign up year-round. In addition to the permanent bone marrow drive, five tabling events were hosted conjunction with other organizations on campus. Through our efforts, over 200 new people were added to the national bone marrow registry. While more activities were planned for the fall semester, the university abruptly transitioned to an online-only format due to COVID-19. Due to the university's abrupt transition and all the students relocating, the decision was made to defer the fall induction ceremony to the following semester. This decision was made in order to help ease the student's transition to this new format.

2018-2019 Andrew A. McClary, President

The Embry-Riddle Beta Mu chapter hosted two activities this year. One fundraiser to raise funds for the chapter, the event pi a professor, allowed students to vote on a professor that they wish to see have a pie thrown at them. For this event professors from both the mechanical engineering and engineering fundamentals departments volunteered. The second event the chapter hosted was a campus-wide bone marrow drive. The bone marrow drive was conceived after our president's younger brother, Nicholas McClary, passed away from cancer. The national bone marrow registry is vitally important for patents, both young and old, that develop blood cancer. The bone marrow registry gives them hope for a cure if a genetic match is able to be found in time. The event coincided with the university's family weekend and lasted three days. Collaborating with DKMS and Salute to Life, both civilian and military students were able to sign up. On-campus we worked with multiple departments and organizations. Including health services, the Volunteer Network, and Touch-N- Go Productions (the on-campus media group). Overall 66 students registered during the three-day event. It has also inspired Nicholas parents to start a foundation in his name, Caring like Nicholas, to help promote bone marrow drives and we are working on allowing students to sign up for the bone marrow registry year-round on campus.