Auburn establishes INCOSE student chapter

Published: May 29, 2024 11:35 AM

By Carla Nelson

An International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) student chapter has recently been established at Auburn University to provide engineering students with more opportunities for professional growth, networking and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Founded in 1990, the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) is a not-for-profit membership organization and professional society in systems engineering.

Edward Huang, associate professor of industrial and systems engineering, helped establish the Auburn University chapter and will serve as the chapter advisor.

“I’m delighted to observe the presence of the INCOSE student division at Auburn University,” Huang said. “This division serves as a crucial conduit for our students, offering invaluable insights into the practice of systems engineering and bolstering their career progression. Such initiatives undoubtedly enrich our students’ educational journey at Auburn University.”

Emily Kalifa, a senior studying industrial and systems engineering, will serve as chapter president. Kalifa is currently working at her second internship with Lockheed Martin and the exposure to systems engineering has intrigued her.

“I really like the systems engineering aspect of bringing all of the branches of engineering together,” Kalifa said.

Kalifa said her goals for the organization include the opportunity for members to attend professional conferences, making industry and alumni connections and bringing awareness of systems engineering to all engineering disciplines.

“My goal is to expose engineering students to people working in the systems engineering field so that they can learn more about the field and the different career opportunities available,” Kalifa said.

The organization recently named the INCOSE officers, including software engineering student Gabriella Hawkes as vice president, Ellary Hackworth as secretary and Ella Steed as treasurer — both industrial and systems engineering students.

“Systems is all about the big picture,” Hawkes said. “It requires a broad understanding of many fields. As someone who’s always interested in anything engineering-related, that stood out to me. It inspired me to look into Systems Engineering and join INCOSE. I’m excited to see what the future holds for the organization.”

Media Contact: Carla Nelson, carla@auburn.edu, 334-844-1404
Founded in 1990, the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) is a not-for-profit membership organization and professional society in systems engineering.

Founded in 1990, the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) is a not-for-profit membership organization and professional society in systems engineering.