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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How NAOC Powers and Facilitates the Next Era of Munitions Response
This webinar introduces attendees to the National Association of Ordnance Contractors (NAOC)—a nationally recognized organization representing companies engaged in all aspects of military munitions response. NAOC advocates for efficient, high quality project execution and promotes safety for both the workforce and the public, while serving as a central forum for government–industry collaboration across the munitions response community. -
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Brave New World: Bid Protests in 2026 and Beyond
Any industry insider can tell you that bid protests have become – for good or for ill – an inevitable feature of many procurements. For that reason, successful contractors know how to both successfully assert a protest challenging a competitor’s improper award, and successfully defend against baseless protests brought by their own disgruntled competitors. -
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Progressive Design Build: A New Delivery Method Now Available
Progressive Design Build – New NDAA language. This webinar will help explain the fundamental shift in federal construction delivery and clarify the meaning and application of qualifications-based selection processes for construction. Our expert presenters will address what this model means to acquisition teams and how industry evaluates and responds to these opportunities. -
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Lessons Learned from Post-9/11 World Trade Center and Lower Manhattan Transportation Planning and Design
The events of 9/11 devastated critical Lower Manhattan transportation systems. In the early planning and rebuilding of the World Trade Center site, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s in-house planning and architectural leadership established a master plan framework which considered its impact far into the future.
Related TME Articles – College Outreach
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Utilizing Facility Data to Identify Energy Improvements
By leveraging overlapping data streams through sources like BUILDER SMS, asset managers gain a more comprehensive view of facilities—leading to deeper insights, more effective planning, and new key performance indicators. -
Using Geographic Information System Technology to Enhance Decision Making
Asset management systems like BUILDER SMS provide extensive levels of data for facility managers, but for decision-makers tasked with making quick assessments, the advantages of a condensed and digestible approach provided by a geographic information system could better support those needs. -
The Benefits of DC-Powered Lighting Solutions
As military bases and government facilities advance renewable energy initiatives, DC-powered LED luminaire technologies can provide reliable lighting and controls, both saving energy and helping to promote installation resiliency. -
Consolidating Cybersecurity Systems at Cheyenne Mountain SFS
In a first for the Department of the Air Force, Cheyenne Mountain SFS recently integrated dozens of supervisory control and data acquisition and facility-related control systems, as well as related hardware components, into a single enterprise network architecture.
