By James Laird | Reporter
The Society of Asian Scientist and Engineers is in its first year as an officially chartered club at Baylor. The clubs main mission is to create a community that celebrates Asian heritage, promote professional development for its members and create a community for Asian students in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics field.
Founded last year by a small group of students and faculty, the group has maintained steady membership and continues to grow. Houston senior Tony Bui, president of SASE and founding member, said a unique part of their club compared to other SASE chapters is combining the STEM aspects of the club with Baylor’s Christian values.
“I think what’s unique about Baylor is that there is that fourth component that I think all organizations should start with, just incorporating the faith throughout whatever we are doing,” Bui said.
SASE aims to provide students with a community of support for Asian heritage STEM students and give them professional and academic development opportunities. SASE is connected to a national network of other SASE chapters that meet together for regional and national conferences.
“Our hope is to pretty much promote that sort of awareness that you can start research –– even in your undergraduate –– and if you like it, you can work with the professors throughout your graduate school,” Bui said.
A big aspect of SASE is fostering community and the celebration of Asian heritage, Bui said. This culminates in the national convention which is one of the main events SASE participates in.
“It’s a three day event where pretty much all SASE chapters will come together, celebrate and do some cultural and personal development workshops,” Bui said.
SASE faculty sponsor Dr. Vincent Leung, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, said that he was driven to help start the club by the founding members’ enthusiasm. Leung said that he hopes SASE can help students grow in their interpersonal skills.
“I’m actually thinking a society like this would actually help engineers to communicate, to socialize and share common issues and interests and solutions,” Leung said.
Leung believes that SASE provides many opportunities for Asian heritage students to see what the STEM industry has to offer and how to better integrate into that workforce.
“We have amazing industry around here and and also the Central Texas [region], if we include Austin and Dallas, so there are just limitless of opportunities that SASE can grow and to be a society really be beneficial to engineering students, science students and anyone who are interested in the STEM,” Leung said.
