Purpose
Alpha Omega Epsilon promotes ideals and objectives to help further the advancement of female engineers and technical scientists, while at the same time encouraging bonds of lifelong friendships among members. Alpha Omega Epsilon members value "friendship, leadership, and professionalism."
Friendship lies at the heart of every activity in which Alpha Omega Epsilon members participate.
Leadership opportunities at the chapter and international levels are available to Alpha Omega Epsilon members.
Professionalism is integral to promoting the purpose of Alpha Omega Epsilon; the sorority is dedicated to educating the community on the importance of women in technical fields and encouraging young women to pursue technical careers.
History
1980 to 1990
In the early 1980s, the Little Sisters of both Sigma Phi Delta and Triangle Fraternity at Marquette University, started meeting in hopes of forming an organization to increase the number of women in engineering. They decided to form a sorority, and Alpha Omega Epsilon was founded by 27 female engineering students on November 13, 1983.[1]
| Alpha Omega Epsilon Founding Members
|
| Margaret Denzin (EECS)
|
Maureen Kerrigan (CE)
|
Lisa MacIsaac (BE)
|
Patricia Rogers (EE)
|
Sheri Weber (EE)
|
| Marie Ferris (BE)
|
Susanne Koth (EE)
|
Ann Mahnke (BE)
|
Victoria Schlicht (EE)
|
Teresa Williamson (EE)
|
| Brenda Kay Herold (EECS)
|
Linda Kresmer (EE)
|
Kathy Rectenwald (EE)
|
Kristin Schneider (EE)
|
Susan Wimmer (EE)
|
| Deborah Hoffman (ME)
|
Lou Ann Lathrop (EE)
|
Eileen Robarge (EE)
|
Lori Ann Sienicki (EE)
|
Carmen Valazco (ME)
|
| Kimberly Hubbard (EECS)
|
Catherine Lewis (BE)
|
Felice M. Roberts (EE)
|
Mary Ruth Szews (EE)
|
Lily Ying (EE)
|
|
|
Chris Ludwig (EE)
|
|
Tu Quynh Tran (EE)
|
|
Four months later on March 22, 1984, it became a recognized organization on the Marquette University campus.[1] The first Alpha chapter candidate class was initiated in the fall of 1984.
1990 to 2000
In 1990, four members from the Alpha and Beta chapters–Cindy Majcher (Alpha), Kathy Rectenwald (Alpha), Julie Whalen (Alpha), and Michelle Rohr (Beta)–established the National Executive Board (NEB as the governing body for the future national organization. The NEB was composed of the executive director, expansion officer, financial officer, and interchapter relations officer. Majcher was elected the first executive director.[4]
In 1991, procedures to incorporate the organization in the state of Wisconsin began, and the national organization’s constitution and bylaws were drafted. Additionally, the then-local sorority Alpha Sigma Kappa at the University of Minnesota was accepted as the Epsilon Prospective chapter, but withdrew the following year to form its own new national.[5] During this, time Alpha Omega Epsilon’s scope increased from solely promoting women in engineering to promoting women in both engineering and technical sciences.
In 1992, the NEB’s structure was changed, replacing the executive director with a president, the expansion officer with a vice president, the financial officer with a treasurer, and the interchapter relations officer with the secretary. The sorority's first National Convention was held in Rapid City, South Dakota during the summer of 1992 with the Alpha, Beta, and Gamma chapters in attendance. In late 1992 the NEB decided to join the Professional Fraternity Association (PFA). In 1993 the National Constitution and Bylaws were ratified and a decision was made to incorporate as a social organization, rendering the sorority both a social and professional organization (due to the NEB's affiliation with the PFA). Articles of Incorporation for Alpha Omega Epsilon, Inc. were filed in Wisconsin.[4]
In November 1994, Alpha Omega Epsilon, Inc. received 501(c)(7) designation as a tax-exempt organization from the Internal Revenue Service. In 1996, a fifth office was added to the NEB, the interchapter relations officer whose duties included overseeing the activities of the chapters. This allowed the secretary to focus on sorority history and risk management.
On February 21, 1998, the Eta chapter was installed at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia marking the first international chapter of the sorority. In March of that same year, the Alpha Omega Epsilon National Foundation received 501(c)(3) designation as a tax-exempt charitable organization from the IRS, retroactive to the date of founding. On December 4, 1999, a prospective chapter of Alpha Omega Epsilon was established at Trine University in Angola, Indiana.
2000 to 2010
In April 2000, the Iota chapter of Alpha Omega Epsilon was founded at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. In November 2000, a prospective chapter petition was received from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, but additional members were needed in the interest group before the petition could be approved.
During the summer of 2001, a constitutional change was approved which changed references in the National Constitution and Bylaws from “national” to “international” to recognize the sorority’s status as an international organization due to the installation of the Eta chapter at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.[4] In conjunction with this change, the NEB became the International Executive Board (IEB).
In April 2002, the Trine Prospective chapter was disbanded due to low membership numbers. The Trine Prospective chapter was re-established on February 14, 2002. During the 2004 Convention, the IEB structure was modified to include a sixth position, the alumnae relations officer, whose main responsibilities included the creation and oversight of alumnae chapters. The first ARO was appointed in January of the following year.
The Bradley University Prospective chapter was established on November 12, 2005. The 2005 convention was held in Vancouver, Canada, marking the first convention in an international location.[4] On February 26, 2006, the Trine Prospective chapter was disbanded for a second time due to low membership numbers. Also in February of that year, the Kappa chapter was deactivated due to waning membership.
The 2006 Convention was held jointly with Sigma Phi Delta Engineering Fraternity in Chicago.[4] During that convention the IEB structure was changed to modify the duties of the vice president to include outreach to other Greek and engineering organizations and learning the duties of the president, to transfer the vice president's duties of expansion to the director of expansion, and to add the director of publications to oversee all of the sorority’s website, newsletter, and standardization of materials. Regions and regional advisors were added to the interchapter relations officer’s responsibilities. Each chapter was assigned a region.
In February 2007, the Bradley prospective chapter was disbanded due to waning membership. On March 8, 2008, the first alumnae chapter was chartered as the Alumnae chapter of the Delta chapter of Alpha Omega Epsilon. On November 13, 2008, the sorority celebrated its 25th anniversary.[6] A weekend of activities in Milwaukee was attended by actives and alumnae from eleven chapters across the United States. At the 2009 convention, the IEB presented the sorority’s strategic plan which laid the groundwork for the long-term goals of the sorority.
2010 to present
On April 24, 2010, the sorority's first double-lettered chapter, Beta Alpha chapter, was installed at Texas Tech University. The sorority added 22 chapters between 2010 and 2019. In 2018 the organization celebrated its 35th anniversary in Indianapolis. In 2019, the IEB became the board of directors (BOD). The sorority chartered its 49th chapter as James Madison University on August 1, 2020. The organization chartered its 50th chapter at the University of Tennessee on March 20, 2021.
Symbols
The sorority's colors are royal blue, white, and silver. Its jewels are the blue sapphire, pearl, and diamond. Its flowers are the white carnation for candidates, the white rose for active members, and the calla lily for alumnae. Its symbol is the dolphin.
The Alpha Omega Epsilon motto is "Friendship. Leadership. Professionalism."[7] Its publication is The Angle.
Philanthropy
On December 5, 1996, the Alpha Omega Epsilon National Foundation was established as a nonprofit organization by four members of the sorority—Cindy Benske (Alpha), Julie Whalen (Alpha), Julie Heinrich (Beta), and Michelle Vondenkamp (Beta).[8] Benske was the first chairman. of the foundation's board of directors.[4] The foundation primarily focuses on academic development programs, professional and leadership development programs, volunteer development programs, and organizational grants.[8]
In February 2003 the Degree Recognition Committee was formed as a joint effort between the sorority and the National Foundation to ensure that all technical science majors accepted for admission into the sorority qualified for the scholarships the National Foundation awards to engineers and technical scientists.[9] The National Foundation opened its Rings of Excellence Scholarships to sorority members and their families in Canada.
On April 16, 2007, tragedy struck both the Virginia Tech campus and the sorority. Virginia Tech prospective chapter founder, Maxine Turner was killed during the Virginia Tech Massacre. In honor and remembrance of the sorority's fallen Sister, the National Foundation established the Maxine Shelley Turner Memorial Scholarship,[10] and the Rho chapter created a philanthropic event called Take it to the Max.[11]
