Student Organizations
Our campus offers many student organizations to help you make meaningful connections, get involved, and develop a variety of skills on your path to a fulfilled and successful future.
Chemical Sciences Organizations
ChBE Graduate Student Advisory Council (GSAC)
The Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department Graduate Student Advisory Committee (ChBE GSAC) is a representative body of graduate students that acts as a liaison between the graduate students and the administration of the department. We organize events such as the annual Graduate Research Symposium, providing students with a platform to showcase their research and enhance scholarship. We also assist with graduate student recruitment and arrange social events, such as academic networking, welcome week, and recruitment weekends to provide bonding opportunities for students. Moreover, we organize outreach events such as Toys for Tots and a food drive, among others, to create and foster a sense of community service.
Learn more
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Founded in 1876 and chartered by the U.S. Congress, we are one of the world’s largest scientific organizations with more than 155,000 members in 150 countries. Our mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and its people. Our vision is to improve people’s lives through the transforming power of chemistry.
Chemical Sciences through Community (C2)
C² aims to foster excellence in chemical sciences at Illinois. Undergraduate chemistry and chemical engineering majors from underrepresented groups (African American, LatinX, and Native American) are encouraged to apply. By partnering with graduate student mentors and engaging in monthly networking and professional development events, C2 brings together faculty and students from the School of Chemical Sciences to build a community of scholars in which diversity and excellence thrive.
Monthly professional development workshops and networking events are combined with one-on-one peer mentorship, and student affiliates are also eligible to apply for Summer Research Scholarships sponsored by the 3M Corporation and competitive Travel Awards to present their research at national conferences such as NOBCChE, SACNAS, and ABRCMS.
Engineering Organizations
Graduate Society of Women Engineers (GradSWE)
GradSWE is a support community and advocate for graduate women in engineering and for undergraduate women interested in pursuing graduate studies in engineering. We encourage women to pursue graduate school, support them throughout their graduate education, and help prepare them for their future careers after they complete their degree. GradSWE provides events that cater to the needs of graduate students and undergraduate students interested in pursuing graduate school.
National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
The mission of NSBE is to increase the number of culturally responsible Black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally, and positively impact the community.
NOBCChE is a non-profit professional organization dedicated to assisting black and other minority students and professionals in fully realizing their potential in academic, professional, and entrepreneurial pursuits in chemistry, chemical engineering, and allied fields. We invite you to browse our website, engage with us on social media, talk to our members, attend our programs and discover the NOBCChE spirit for yourself.
Retention, Inclusion, and Support Efforts for Underrepresented Persons (RISE-UP)
RISE-UP stands for Retention, Inclusion, and Support Efforts for Underrepresented Persons. We are a student-powered initiative that strives to improve the experience of underrepresented persons at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. We seek to build an inclusive community for STEM students that identify as members of any underrepresented group, be it racial/ethnic identity, gender identity, sexual orientation, etc.
We are supported by the Grainger College of Engineering IDEA Institute GIANT grant (#GIANT2020-07).
Society for Advancing Chinos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)
We are the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Student Chapter of the Society for the Advancement of Chicano/ Hispanic and Native Americans in the Sciences (SACNAS) and Friends. We are an all-inclusive chapter and we welcome the participation of all individuals who support the mission of SACNAS. One of our goals is to promote diversity in STEM by encouraging and providing students with resources to succeed in the sciences. We believe in being inclusive of all people in order to promote diversity in the sciences. Thus, we have added “Friends” to our chapter name in order to reflect the welcoming of individuals who are interested in joining our cause as our allies. It is our intention to foster a sense of community to students of all backgrounds.
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)
SHPE changes lives by empowering the Hispanic community to realize their fullest potential and impacts the world through STEM awareness, access, support and development. SHPE's vision is a world where Hispanics are highly valued and influential as the leading innovators, scientists, mathematicians and engineers.
Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
For more than seven decades, SWE has given women engineers a unique place and voice within the engineering industry. Our organization is centered around a passion for our members’ success and continues to evolve with the challenges and opportunities reflected in today’s exciting engineering and technology specialties.