Pam Apotheker, a senior IE major, won $50 last month for polishing a Tau Beta Pi (TBP) “bent,” a small replica of the honor society’s symbol.
The task was part of her initiation into the Michigan Kappa Chapter of TBP, the national engineering honor society that was founded in 1885 and that now boasts more than 477,000 members.
During Fall 2005 semester, Apotheker and two other IE seniors – Kayla Goostrey and Elizabeth “Libby” Evans – joined 27 other engineering students as new “Tau Bates.” The trio were also welcomed into the honor society by IE seniors Erin Brown, from Fenton, and Michael Hoonhorst, from Wyoming.
Parkview Campus display of Pam Apotheker’s bent as “the shiniest,
smoothest [Tau Beta Pi] key”
All three IE initiates came to WMU as undecided engineering majors. Kalamazoo native Apotheker wanted a career that would enable her to use her math skills. “I didn’t want to teach, and I knew I wanted to be an engineer, she said. Her choice of IE as her major was based on a recommendation of an older brother. “There’s so much you can do with industrial engineering,” she said. “I like IE a lot because it’s people related.”
Although she is seeking a career in the service area, Apotheker had a summer internship last year at Cook Nuclear Power Co. “It wasn’t exactly industrial engineering, but it was fun,” she said.
Goostrey, from Gobles, tried several majors before coming into the industrial engineering program. When she graduates in April, she plans to join Innotec, in Zeeland, where she had a summer internship.
Evans joined the IE program as a junior. She was inspired by IME professor Dr. Azim Houshyar. When she graduates in April, the Centerville native plans to continue her education at either grad school or law school. She had an internship at Bradford White Corp. in Middleville.
Posing next to the Tau Beta Pi symbol at the entrance of the Parkview Campus are (left to right standing) IME professor Dr. Bob White, IME department representative on the Tau Beta Pi board, IE honors students Mike Hoonhorst, Elizabeth “Libby” Evans, and Kayla Goostrey, and MAE professor Dr. Phil Guichelaar, advisor to the Tau Bates. Left to right, seated, are Pam Apotheker and Erin Brown
According to Dr. Phil Guichelaar, MAE professor and TBP adviser since August, Western’s chapter is about 15 years old. He acknowledged IME emeriti professor Dr. Frank Wolf and ECE Chair Dr. John Gesink as key people who “had a lot to do with making TBP happen and making it successful.”
The honor society, which usually has about 40 members, has planned two community service projects for next semester. In January TBP will set up Martin Luther King projects at the Bernhard Center for Kalamazoo Public School students.
In March, TBP members will be paired with Comstock High School students for career shadowing day. The college engineering students will showcase engineering projects and labs.
TBP membership is limited to engineering students who are in the top 1/5 of the senior class and the top 1/8 of the junior class, and membership is by invitation only.
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