One thing about Viterbi students is that they are always, always, seeking out ways to get involved with some opportunity on campus. The well-rounded student body that comprises the Viterbi School of Engineering includes driven students who are looking to expand their knowledge in every way they can. Some ways through which students achieve this are by joining student organizations related to and unrelated to engineering as well as pursuing research opportunities. What sets Viterbi students apart, however, is the passion with which they demonstrate in engaging in these activities.
Beginning with the most common form of student involvement, student organizations are the predominant method for students to find a community of like-minded individuals within Viterbi. Student organizations, often called clubs, are a perfect way for students to find their cohort of students with similar interests and academic goals. I’ve found that surrounding myself with students who share the same academic and professional objectives as me propels me to produce better work or to put more effort into achieving whatever it is I am looking to do. For example, three of the largest student organizations within Viterbi are the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, or SHPE, the Society of Black Engineers, or NSBE, and the Society of Women Engineers, or SWE. These clubs offer students the chance to find other students who also identify with the groups that each club represents. I’ve personally found a home within SHPE, meeting and getting to know students of Hispanic and Latino heritage. Seeing that students like myself have a place in a field where we are generally underrepresented is rewarding and beyond motivating. The cherry on top of just finding a group of students that offer a sense of comfort and belonging amidst a larger program and university is that these clubs offer professional opportunities to students as well. With workshops ranging from resume reviews and mock interviews, company information sessions, and sponsoring students to attend national conferences, these clubs provide students with a perfect balance between social and professional development.
However, these are only some of the clubs that many students find themselves joining. Viterbi is home to several other clubs that we commonly know as design teams, where a student-led team works toward a cumulative end product by designing and building some sort of project. These clubs allow students of all different disciplines to mingle and get to know each other and build on Viterbi’s emphasis on incorporating a hands-on approach to engineering alongside the theory we learn in the classroom. I am part of several design teams under USC’s branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers, ASCE, like Steel Bridge, Concrete Canoe, and Timber Strong. For these clubs, teams meet multiple times a week, normally at the Baum Family Makerspace, a student hub for innovation and design, and strategize the design and construction of their project. Being more project-focused organizations, collaborative skills like teamwork and communication are sharpened through involvement in these clubs. Additionally, passive qualities like time management and commitment are also strengthened by participating in these clubs.
One final form of student involvement that I want to touch on is undergraduate research. Although this form of student involvement may not be as popular as the ones I mentioned above, it is still a highly sought after academic endeavor. Students who wish to delve deeper into the application of what they have learned in lectures often choose to seek out labs within Viterbi that offer undergraduate research opportunities. There are several ways that students go about finding these labs including cold emailing professors who conduct research that interests them or applying through official research-pairing programs like the Center for Undergraduate Research in Viterbi Engineeirng, or CURVE. Both methods are valid but vary only in the initial application phase. Otherwise, students are able to reinforce their theoretical knowledge they learn in class to real world topics that professors are actively researching. I conducted research in two labs throughout my time at USC thus far, and I ultimately found that research was not something I particularly wanted to pursue further. Both experiences were phenomenal because I was able to see how to apply what I’ve learned, but, ultimately, I thought that I was more well-suited for the industry route. Regardless, research is an excellent way for students to gauge whether they want to pursue higher education like a PhD or if they want to try working in the industry post-graduation.
The spectrum of opportunity provided by USC seems boundless. From clubs to research, students are involved in anything you can think of. I didn’t even have the chance to speak about the extracurricular activities that students engage in unrelated to engineering because that’s another can of butterflies completely. But I can confidently say that any student can find their group of people and their niche within Viterbi. It may take exploring several clubs, whether professional or design-oriented, but in the end, everyone chooses an organizaton that will ultimately serve as a tigh-knit community that they can count on providing them an enriching engineering experience.
