Community Mission
The College Outreach Community leads collaborative efforts between SAME and academia to identify and resolve national security infrastructure-related challenges and supports Post’s efforts to mentor and develop future STEM professionals at the collegiate-level. The community serves as a bridge between academia, Posts, government (military and civilian), and the private sector. The community provides guidance to the network of student chapters across the Society, promotes internship opportunities from SAME sustaining members, and will establish a new engineering competition for students designed to address the nation’s grand challenges.
Overview
The SAME College Outreach Community strives to organize programs and present opportunities to future military and civilian members of the A/E/C profession that will foster networking within their professional community, build leadership skills, and provide job opportunities to recent graduates. Additionally, students with an active membership within SAME have at their disposal a wealth of knowledge and experiences from professionals throughout the A/E/C community of practice.
Executive Community Structure
Vice Chairs
Danielle Hughes, Communications
Jeffrey Allen, Academia Engagement
Staff Liaison
Sarah Feighery, Program Manager
2026 SAME Undergraduate Innovation Design Challenge
Submissions for the 2025-26 SAME Undergraduate Innovation Design Challenge are due by February 6, 2026. This competition, led by the College Outreach COI, evaluates design projects that are being developed by student members as part of their degree curriculums and highlights the innovative thinking of the next generation of STEM professionals.
Learn more about the Innovation Design ChallengeUpcoming National Webinars
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The Hidden Cost: Why Schedule is the Biggest MILCON Premium
Military construction (MILCON) cost discussions often focus on dollars per square foot, but one of the most significant portion of the overall cost is time. Every month added to a project can increase costs through -
- Webinar
AI as Load Shock: Rethinking Energy Security and Mission Assurance
The rapid expansion of AI computing, electrification, and mission-critical digital infrastructure is fundamentally altering the energy security landscape. While AI is often discussed as a software capability or data challenge, its most immediate national security impact is physical: unprecedented, concentrated, and inflexible electrical demand that stresses grid infrastructure and traditional resilience assumptions.
Related TME Articles – College Outreach
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Powering Operations at Hill AFB
A temporary boiler plant installed at Hill AFB, achieved through a design-build approach that allowed for onsite completion in 90 days, ensured uninterrupted continuance of critical services during the large-scale modernization of the installation’s permanent steam plant. -
Enhancing Efficiency and Resilience in Support of Veterans Care
A redesigned boiler plant for the Loch Raven VA Medical Center will result in a centralized system that enhances operational efficiency, reduces long-term costs, and ensures the facility can provide support to those who served. -
Measuring Readiness for Power Projection Platforms
A cross-functional working group established by the Air Force Installation & Mission Support Center set out to validate and operationalize a new infrastructure readiness tool that would be designed to monitor installations as power projection platforms. -
Building Futures with SkillBridge
A program within the Defense Department allows businesses to engage servicemembers during their final 180 days of military service in preparation for their transition into the civilian world—delivering a mutually beneficial arrangement for both America’s veterans and participating organizations.
