The student branch of The University of Texas at Austin Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) group has been recognized as the Outstanding Student Branch of branches with 50 people or more in Region 5.

The UT Austin IEEE branch is the largest student organization in Texas ECE and is composed of 188 student members. Their aim is to "bring ECE students of all years together to learn from each other and build a community within the department."

We spoke with Mohit Gupta, chair of the IEEE UT Austin student branch, to discuss the challenges they have faced in keeping together a community when we are all being kept separated.

Has the UT Austin branch won this award before that you are aware of?

To the best of my knowledge, our branch has not won this award previously. IEEE UT (established 1947) is approaching 75 years of existence, so we are proud to add this accolade to our organization's long history at UT.

Why is it important for students to create and form their own community within the department?

Having a supportive community within our department improves every aspect of the college experience. Most importantly, it turns classmates into friends. College can be a daunting challenge for any one person alone, but the camaraderie that forms from struggling and succeeding together with classmates both inside and outside of classes leads to the friendships that shape our experiences in college and beyond. The feeling of constantly being surrounded by friends rather than strangers makes all the difference - classes, recruiting, and personal growth all become a communal effort rather than solo endeavors. More than anything, the IEEE community provides a sense of belonging within our major that is tough to find elsewhere.

What challenges have you had to face in the wake of the COVID era and how have you managed to keep your community together and active?

It is no secret that student org culture is fueled by food and friends. In a normal semester, a chance for a free meal and an evening with friends drives event attendance year-round. COVID and virtual learning pulled that foundation out from under us, leaving very little precedent going into the fall of 2020. Over the past year, our branch confronted the challenge of building an online community head-on. We increased the frequency of general meetings from biweekly to weekly to provide more opportunities for members to connect. We rolled out new event after new event, including a career prep series, a professor panel, alumni panels, mental health talks, countless events with corporate sponsors, socials, game nights, and so much more. To fill the void of our normally vibrant social scene on campus, we established the FamilIEEE system, a joint family system with IEEE RAS, PES, CS, and WECE.

This year, IEEE did far more than just survive. Our community grew rather than shrinking, and our energy and passion for our organization are higher now than ever before. In no small part because of our dedicated, tireless, and compassionate officer team, IEEE came to life online this year, and we are excited to be back, bigger and better than ever, next fall.

What is your favorite part of being involved with the IEEE student group?

Working with this year's officer team has been the honor of a lifetime. I had never previously encountered a group of 16 people who were so selfless, empathetic, and driven, and I never imagined such a group could possibly exist until this year. The struggle for college students to simply survive and stay afloat over the last 12 months has been immense. I cannot express how lucky I feel to have worked with a group that did not only that, but also found it in themselves to support our ECE community and constantly show grace and compassion toward others no matter the situation. The one thing that I didn't think would be possible during virtual college was to genuinely have fun, but I doubt any other group could have laughed harder and smiled more than our officer team did this year despite the difficult circumstances. The memories I have with our officer team are some of my most unforgettable college experiences, and I will be eternally grateful for them.