50 Engineering clubs help ‘get a foot in the door’
Five clubs join the college’s growing list of student organizations.
‘We are very excited to have a club where we can work and play with drones,’ says Andrew Vanderah, club president of the U of A Drone Racing Club.
The annual College of Engineering clubs showcase invited students to explore shared interests and connect with peers from diverse academic backgrounds, regardless of their major.
On Sept. 9, 2025, club leaders packed the University of Arizona's Bear Down Gym, united around shared goals – attracting members from various disciplines to build a thriving student community focused on finding jobs while having fun and making friends.
Five clubs expanded the college’s offerings of student organizations to an all-time high of 50.
Design, build, compete
The U of A Drone Racing Club made its debut with a clear message: members will design, build and race drones competitively.
“Our main goal is to have club members compete in collegiate championships, but most importantly, it's a great place to share our love of drones,” said club president Andrew Vanderah.
Vanderah, a mechanical engineering junior, said four teams will tackle different specialties: engineering and building, software and AI integration, flight and testing, and media and logistics.
Together, they will pilot a drone around the Collegiate Drone Racing Association obstacle course, pushing to advance to the in-person semifinals in spring for a chance to win a cash prize and national recognition.
“We are looking forward to learning from each other and hopefully winning big at the next CDRA competition,” Vanderah said.
Another competition club asked students to set their sights even higher – outer space.
The U of A NASA RASC-AL Launch Club recruited members to join their mission in developing concepts for planetary exploration.
NASA’s Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts - Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) Competition challenges undergraduate and graduate students to compete for $112,000 in prizes. The RASC-AL Launch Club will choose from four themes and create a concept that advances scientific research on Mars and the moon.
Members can design communication technology for the Martian surface, an operations model for lunar sample return, or infrastructure for a lunar economy and power management, said club president Ata Kolanci.
“It’s not every day that students get a chance to be involved in space exploration projects, especially as freshmen,” said Kolanci, an aerospace engineering junior. “We want every club member to feel engaged so they can do research and be a part of something cool.”
NASA will choose 14 teams for phase 2, each winning $7,000 to travel to the RASC-AL Competition Forum in Cocoa Beach, Florida, for a head-to-head showdown with other finalists. The top two teams will earn additional monetary prizes and invitations to present their winning concepts at a major aerospace conference in 2026.
“People who are enthusiastic, collaborative and eager to practice multidisciplinary solutions are welcome to join us.”
Clubs: having fun, landing jobs
Beyond competition-focused clubs, engineering students can forge industry connections in professional organizations like the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, National Society of Black Engineers or Women in Mining.
“SHPE focuses on two things, community and professional development for our members,” said Layla Falcon, vice president for SHPE’s annual La Familia outreach event. “It’s a great club for meeting professionals but also for making friends outside of our majors.”
Falcon, a sophomore in mining engineering, initially joined the club to build professional connections but quickly discovered it offered much more – lasting friendships and meaningful community outreach.
As vice president of La Familia, Falcon will invite community members, especially seniors, to campus for free workshops that teach technological skills with smartphone apps or artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT.
SHPE bolsters professional development for its members with mock interviews, resume workshops and a mentorship program in collaboration with W.L. Gore and Associates and Bank of America.
“All are designed to set our members up for success,” Falcon said.
Women in Mining is another club that bridges the gap between campus and career.
The club’s exclusive guest speakers help members expand professional networks, and local mine tours offer real-world industry exposure.
“I joined to get my foot in the door,” said Sam Bonaparte, club treasurer and mining engineering senior.
Club members also attend the Women in Mining National Conference, which will be hosted at the Tucson Convention Center from April 21-23.
“We do a lot of networking with industry mentors to tell us about internship or career opportunities,” said Bonaparte.
