Graduate Engineering Mechanics Society
The Graduate Engineering Mechanics Society (GEMS) aims to better the experience of EM graduate students through three main areas: professional development, social interaction, and community outreach. GEMS’ professional development branch provides networking events and programming seminars for free, among other professional opportunities. Our social branch puts on events such as game nights and happy hours at local bars and restaurants. The outreach branch focuses on community education, as well as alumni and undergraduate relations. We are student-led and welcome new members at any time!
ABOUT US
PROFESSIONAL
GEMS provides a series of professional events in which students, professors, and industry leaders have an opportunity to network with one another. Our events focus on building resumes and CVs, interviewing skills, and writing dissertations. We also have monthly mini-workshops in which students in the department share a particular skill they have with others, whether it's using LaTeX for producing professional documents, or performing advanced image processing using MATLAB.
SOCIAL
Work hard play hard is a motto the GEMS social team strives to achieve. We organize fun events throughout the year ranging from casual happy hours to year-end blowouts celebrating the close of another semester. Our events offer an informal setting for students and faculty alike to get to know each other outside the academic setting, and encourage a mental break from classes and research. With a variety of exciting events, there's something for everyone to enjoy!
OUTREACH
The Virginia Tech motto Ut Prosim is Latin for "That I May Serve." As an engineering society, we believe it is our duty to serve our community through education and outreach programs. We aim to conduct fun activities and experiments for kids at different school levels to introduce them to various realms of basic engineering. We also aim to assist the aspiring Engineering Mechanics colleagues to smoothly transition into the Hokie family. Serving back the community is the motto of our outreach.
LEADERSHIP TEAM
GEMS is comprised of six officers with various roles in the organization. Within the outreach program, there are also student ambassadors, which you can meet here.
PRESIDENT
Dong Ho Justin Kim
B.E. Mechanical Engineering, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
Research Interests: Multi-scale damage prediction of composite materials
Advisor: Dr. Romesh C. Batra
VICE PRESIDENT
Vamsi Meesala
B.Tech. Engineering Science (specialization: Mechanical Engineering), Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad
Research Interests: Acoustic Energy Transfer, Wave manipulation, Nonlinear dynamics, Vibrations, and Acoustics
Advisors: Dr. Shima Shahab, and Dr. Muhammad Hajj
TREASURER
SOCIAL CHAIR
OUTREACH CHAIR
Eighdi Aung
H.B.S Mechanical Engineering, B.S Physics, Idaho State University
Research Interest: Modelling multi-agent dynamical systems
Advisor: Dr. Nicole Abaid
PROFESSIONAL CHAIR
EVENTS
We have so much room for activities!
Check out our Events page for more details and add the calendar to stay up-to-date on the latest events!
CONTACT
Norris Hall, Virginia Tech
495 Old Turner Street
Blacksburg, VA 24061