Getting involved while not on campus can seem like a daunting task. However, for this class of first-years or anyone else who just wants to get more involved, NC State’s Get Involved page is a great resource and starting point. Campus organizations are a great way to meet people and start forming those necessary networks. Below is a list of some, but definitely not all, of the clubs and professional organizations on campus that plan to function through the fall 2020 semester virtually.  

NC State Professional Organizations

Every college on campus has a page dedicated to endorsing professional organizations and clubs on campus relating to the majors that they offer. This is a great way to filter out organizations according to your interests. 

The Poole College of Management focuses on business-related organizations, and their page is hosted here. The College of Education prioritises values such as leadership, and you can find them here. The College of Humanities and Social Sciences centers around diversity and community service and hosts their page here. The student organizations affiliated to the College of Design can be found here. 

The College of Engineering has an organization page dedicated to most of their majors:  electrical and computer engineering, computer science, civil engineering, mechanical and aerospace engineering, biological engineering and nuclear engineering. 

Similarly the College of Sciences has student organization pages for biology, chemistry and Mathematics. 

A lot of these organizations provide interdisciplinary experiences as well. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is the world’s largest technical professional society. Functioning across over 160 countries, it focuses on advancing the theory and practice of electrical, electronics and computer engineering and computer science.

Aravind Venkatraman, a third-year majoring in computer engineering and the vice president of company outreach for IEEE at NC State, describes the opportunities they have to offer. 

“Our primary goal is to foster meaningful connections with companies; our latest representatives were from Facebook,” Venkatraman said. “We aim to provide the student body a method of access to latest industry knowledge through workshops and technical talks.”

The National Organization for Rare Disorders at NC State is a student chapter that advocates for those with rare diseases. It provides research and technical opportunities for all biological fields within the rare disease space.

Liquid Rocketry Lab (LRL) is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the primary goal of launching a rocket that passes the Kármán line (100 km). 

Renzo Benavides, a third-year majoring in mechanical engineering, is the chief executive officer at LRL. 

“Our team consists of nearly 70 people and our collective focus right now is our pilot project, which is to build a liquid-fueled rocket designed to reach the Kármán line,” Benavides said. “Our long term goal is to build a [NASA Jet Propulsion Lab]-style research lab. We are working towards bridging the gap between the aerospace industry and the student-research community.”

Alexander Allen, a fourth-year majoring in electrical and computer engineering, is the chief engineer on the project. 

“This is an ambitious project; our engineering subteams range from programming, structures, propulsions and avionics,” Allen said. “We have projects for every engineering major on campus and the demographics of our team reflects that. Our mobile test stand gives us an edge, acting as a foundation for our team to develop propulsion systems and to test components, such as our engine and control systems, that will eventually end up on the launch vehicle.”

LRL provides ample on-field opportunities for business majors as well. Sagnik Nayak, a third-year in computer science, is the vice president of business at LRL. 

“The business team primarily works to finance the operations of the engineering team,” Nayak said. “We find sponsors, market, recruit and work on the legal ramifications of a project on this scale. When recruiting for our team, we look for individuals with initiative and an inclination to learn.”

NC State Student Media

For opportunities pertaining to writing, design, marketing, photography and DJing, Student Media is a great place to start. This outlet has a multitude of publications, including two newspapers, Technician and Nubian Message; Agromeck, the yearbook; Windhover, NC State’s literary and arts magazine; Roundabout, NC State’s quarterly magazine; and WKNC, the school’s radio station. 

The interest form for all of Student Media can be accessed here. 

NC State Music 

NC State’s Department of Music boasts choral and instrumental ensembles. The latest addition, an a capella group called Chordination, was recently covered by Technician. Another noteworthy group is Jawaani, a growing fusion a cappella group on campus. Marissa Koshy, a fourth-year majoring in psychology, functions as the group’s captain. 

“What makes us unique is that we fuse different music from across genres and languages,” Koshy said. “A lot of our members are South Asian; we expect new recruits to be musically inclined even if they are not overly experienced. Our priority at this time is the health and safety of our members. We will be meeting virtually and recording audio as well as videos. We are constantly looking for opportunities to collaborate with other groups on campus and across the country.”

Reach out to @ncsujawaani to be involved in their group during the spring semester. Chirag Gunjal, a third-year in computer science with a minor in music composition, will be Jawaani’s music director this year. 

“To all the freshmen, or anyone else who is trying to figure out how you fit into a college environment, there is a lot to be learnt outside of the classroom, and the more you explore, the more you will make of your college experience,” Gunjal said.