Joint chapters of IEEE’s Power & Energy Society (PES) and Industry Application Society (IAS) combine the strengths of both groups, offering students an avenue to study resilient electric power systems and learn about real-world engineering applications. At GW Engineering, students in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) established a joint chapter in 2018, demonstrating their initiative and investment in shaping their academic and professional futures.
Since its founding, GW’s IEEE PES-IAS Joint Student Branch Chapter has organized a wide variety of activities, including technical talks, speaker series, site visits to companies like Honeywell and Duke Energy, and social events that foster mentorship and engagement among students at all levels.
Particularly in the last two years, with Nazneen Ahmed as Chair, the chapter has increased its activities, culminating in winning the “2024 Outstanding Joint SB Chapter Award.” In June 2025, the chapter’s sustained efforts were recognized on an international stage when it received the “Outstanding Joint IAS SB Chapter Award” at the IEEE IAS Annual Meeting in Taiwan. Vice Chair Ben Vergara, a Ph.D. candidate in electrical engineering, accepted the award on the chapter’s behalf.
“I am incredibly proud of GW’s IEEE PES-IAS Joint Student Branch Chapter for receiving this award,” said ECE Professor Payman Dehghanian, the chapter’s faculty advisor. “This recognition highlights the dedication, passion, creativity, and leadership of our students in driving impactful technical activities, mixed with a welcoming, vibrant community of different cultures.”
One standout example of that community was the chapter’s ‘Engineers Across Borders: Grad Bites and Global Favors’ event, hosted in December 2024. Dressed in traditional attire, members proudly showcased authentic dishes representing eight countries while sharing stories about their academic journeys and the traditions that have shaped their identities.
Vergara credits this cultural celebration with helping set GW’s chapter apart. Grad Bites' goal was to promote cultural exchange within the engineering community, which he said aligned closely with the global themes of the IEEE IAS Annual Meeting.
Like many others, Vergara joined GW’s chapter to build connections within GW Engineering and across the broader power and energy industry. He found a similar motivation among his peers at the conference. “They all associate it as part of their education, and not just something extra that they participate in,” he said.
During the conference, Vergara also participated in chapter leadership training and learned how other student chapters integrate activities with coursework and capstone projects, creating even stronger pipelines for mentorship and engagement.
“Coming on the heels of the 2024 PES High-Performing Chapter Award, this dual recognition by both IEEE PES and IAS is a testament to the exceptional commitment of our chapter in advancing power and energy education, industry collaboration, and student engagement,” said Dehghanian. “I look forward to seeing our students represent GW locally and globally and continue pushing the boundaries of what student leadership can achieve.”