BROOKINGS – The top three officers in the South Dakota State University chapter of Tau Beta Pi each earned $2,000 scholarships through the national organization.
Selected along with 279 other engineering honor students from throughout the United States were senior mechanical engineering majors Joseph Eickman, chapter vice president; Evan Steers, president; and Matt Stoel, treasurer.
Tau Beta Pi is the only engineering honor society representing the entire engineering profession and the nation’s second-oldest honor society, founded at Lehigh University in 1885. The scholarships are awarded on the competitive criteria of high scholarship, campus leadership and service and promise of future contributions to the engineering profession.
The SDSU selections:
• Eickman – The son of Mark and Beth Eickman of Salem, he is a 2017 graduate of McCook Central High School. Eickman plans to graduate from SDSU in December 2021 and then pursue graduate school with the aim of landing a job at NASA. He carries a 4.0 GPA and also is involved in intramural sports.
• Steers – The son of Bob and Diane Steers of Miller, he is a 2017 graduate of Miller High School. Steers plans to graduate from SDSU in May 2021 and then pursue a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from SDSU. He carries a 3.9 GPA and also is involved in Pi Tau Sigma.
• Stoel – The son of Leon and Tammy Stoel of Sioux Falls, he is a 2017 graduate of Sioux Falls Washing-ton High School. Stoel plans to graduate from SDSU in May 2021 and then work as a substation engineer for Ulteig Engineers in Sioux Falls. He carries a 4.0 GPA and is president of the campus chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and is involved in the Navigators campus ministry.
