College Outreach Community

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.

Community Chair

Chris Poulos
Director Of Business Development, Akima, LLC

Past Chair
Marilyn Zenko

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.

Upcoming National Webinars

• 
  April 29, 2026

  Webinar

  Navigating the FAR Overhaul from a Business Leader’s Perspective

  Join us for the final webinar in our series on the FAR overhaul and its impacts on businesses in the A/E/C industry. We are excited to offer a panel discussion on the FAR overhaul with seasoned representatives from small and large businesses.

Related TME Articles – College Outreach

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  Concentrating on Solutions: The Emergence of PFAS Remediation Technologies

  July 26, 2023

  The prevalence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances in the soil and groundwater on military bases is a safety and environmental concern, a growing number of emerging technologies may help in addressing this evolving issue.
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  Promoting Community Resilience Across America

  July 25, 2023

  The Honorable Michael Connor, Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works), describes the important mission and goals of the Civil Works program in TME.
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  Testing Resiliency Standards at Fort Myers Beach

  July 25, 2023

  Real life resiliency standards test Coast Guard facilities in Fort Meyer, Florida with new guidelines mandating a 50-year life expectancy following the devastation of Hurricane Ian Oct. 1, 2022.
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  Boosting Installation Energy Resilience Through Geothermal Power

  July 24, 2023

  The Air Force Office of Energy Assurance is advancing two prototyping projects for geothermal energy, with the goal to both support clean energy generation goals and increase installation resilience.