History:
The Northeastern chapter of SHPE was chartered in 1992 by a group of Latino students who sought an engineering-focused support structure. One of the founding members was the organization’s first president, Mr. Sergio Zavala.
In 1994, SHPE members realized that there were many similarities in the business and engineering fields, therefore the organization decided to invite the business students to join the organization. With this new combination of students, the name of the chapter was changed to the Northeastern University Hispanic Business and Engineering Society/Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (NUHBES/SHPE).
In 1995, NUHBES/SHPE decided to further open its doors to all fields and stress professionalism and leadership. Thus, once again, the name of the organization changed into the Northeastern University Professional Latino Society/Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (PLS/SHPE).
Over the years, the chapter began to fall apart as member participation started to decline. In June of 2002, the last members of PLS/SHPE graduated. The outgoing president then elected an up-and-coming Middler Engineering student, Ms. Vivian Lobaton, as President of the organization. She then recruited a Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. With the memory of PLS/SHPE leaving the campus with the graduating class of 2002, it was the duty of this new executive board to rebuild the chapter, starting from scratch.
During the 2002-2003 school year, the chapter underwent many changes. First off, the official group name was changed to the Northeastern University Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (NU-SHPE). Next, a mission statement and the chapter’s by-laws were conceived. Finally, the chapter’s structure was redefined, which resulted in the formation of 5 different committees.
Since then, NU-SHPE has become an integral part of Northeastern’s network of minority organizations and the student groups within the College of Engineering. The chapter’s membership and participation level continually grow in hopes that its legacy will forever continue. This will make the organization of NU-SHPE become a significant resource for both its members and alumni, alike.
SHPE Org History:
The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) was founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1974 by a group of engineers employed by the city of Los Angeles. Their objective was to form a national organization of professional engineers to serve as role models in the Hispanic community.
The concept of Networking was the key basis for the organization. SHPE quickly established two student chapters to begin the network that would grow to encompass the nation as well as reach countries outside the United States. Today, SHPE enjoys a strong but independent network of professional and student chapters throughout the nation.
Founding Fathers - 1974
Founding Fathers
President: Rodrigo T. Garcia
1st Vice President: Americo Garza
2nd Vice President: George Esquer
Secretary: Andres SantaMaria
Treasurer: Alex Vidaurrazaga
N/A: William E. Nuanes*
* Did not hold office in 1974
