“It was tedious and took a while since there were only four of us and no funding at first.”
That’s how Debrup Chakraborty describes rebuilding the University of South Carolina’s chapter of the Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (SAMPE) after it went dormant during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now, just a year later, the same student group has been named SAMPE Student Chapter of the Year – an honor awarded among 49 chapters across North America. The team will receive a $1,500 award and be recognized during the national SAMPE conference in Seattle, April 27-30.
For Chakraborty, a mechanical engineering Ph.D. candidate and the chapter’s president, the award reflects how quickly the group has grown—from a small, struggling restart to a thriving organization of about 40 members.
“But now, we attend the SAMPE conference, participate in competitions, and do outreach programs,” he says.
SAMPE focuses on materials and process engineering, and at USC, the chapter is open to both undergraduate and graduate engineering students. Members get hands-on experience through workshops, outreach and competitions that connect what they learn in class to real-world applications. For the annual award, chapters were evaluated on membership engagement and growth, innovation, and local STEM outreach.
What impresses me most is the passion the students have for hands-on composite manufacturing, and the commitment from student leadership to keep improving the chapter.
- SAMPE Faculty Advisor Subramani Sockalingam
Aerospace engineering major Amanda Sark currently serves as secretary of SAMPE USC. She says that her involvement has enhanced her learning by providing her with the opportunity to apply classroom learning to real engineering problems.
“Concepts from my engineering courses make more sense when I can see how they are used in practice,” Sark says. “All of the experiences through SAMPE have helped connect theories to actual materials and design challenges.”
In addition to being recognized at the SAMPE national conference, USC members will also compete in a composite I-beam competition. Students will be required to design, build and test a miniature structural bridge using specific materials.
“Working on our bridge and pickleball paddle competitions has not just given me an avenue to apply my modeling skills I have learned in my coursework, it has also allowed for a greater understanding of the complexities of manufacturing parts with carbon fiber,” says SAMPE USC chapter project coordinator and aerospace engineering student Evan Wey.
Chakraborty has also been recognized individually as one of seven students across North America to receive the SAMPE Student Leadership Experience Award. He’ll present his research at the conference as well.
Still, he sees the chapter’s success as a shared effort.
“This prestigious award recognizes the dedication of our students,” he says. “They’re not just representing the chapter but also the excellence of USC students.”
SAMPE USC continues to expand its industry engagement through outreach and partnerships. The chapter received a donation of carbon fiber materials, which are used in competitions and other activities from Hexcel. Members also attended the SAMPE Carolinas Fall Expo with the largest regional student participation and recently toured Menzel LP in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Vice President and mechanical engineering major Ruby Voortmeyer says those experiences have made a lasting impact. “Each event gives us the chance to learn, grow and connect with new ideas,” she says. “It’s helped me expand my knowledge and take important steps toward my future in this field.”