UC Riverside's Bourns College of Engineering's Honor Society (EHS) has been unanimously approved to become a chapter of Tau Beta Pi, the oldest national engineering honor society in the country and one of the most recognized such societies in the nation.

Tau Beta Pi will hold a formal induction ceremony on February 12, 2005 at the UC Riverside campus. At that time current and past members of EHS will have the opportunity to become members of Tau Beta Pi's California Alpha Beta chapter.

"EHS's unanimous acceptance into this prestigious national honor society signifies that the hard work and contributions of its members represent excellence in the field of engineering," said Mark Matsumoto, interim dean of the Bourns' College of Engineering.

EHS was established in February 2000. Its effort to affiliate with Tau Beta Pi was a two-and-a-half year process that began with the submission of a preliminary petition in May 2002. A preliminary inspection took place in October 2002 and another a year later. A final petition was submitted in May 2004. At the annual Tau Beta Pi convention in October 2004, the delegates unanimously approved EHS's request to become a chapter.

Founded in 1885, Tau Beta Pi recognizes students for distinguished scholarship, exemplary character and services to the profession, community, and college. Tau Beta Pi has collegiate chapters at 228 U.S. colleges and universities, active alumnus chapters in 16 districts across the country and a membership of 471,488. Students who are among the top fifth of seniors and the top eighth of juniors from all engineering majors are eligible to join Tau Beta Pi.

EHS members support and participate in the UCR's annual Engineers Week and other outreach and community service projects, including a peer mentor program. The group volunteered more than 50 hours to help high school students build a robot to compete in a statewide contest. New inductees donated many hours at an engineering carnival for children and for Habitat for Humanity.

UC Riverside's Bourns College of Engineering was established in July 1988. With 1,517 undergraduate students, 320 graduate students and 68 faculty, it is the fastest growing engineering school in the UC system. A student enrollment of 3,000 and a faculty of 120 is projected by the end of the decade. The College is comprised of four departments: Chemical & Environmental Engineering, Computer Science & Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.