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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- Webinar
Sensor-Enabled Security & Readiness Monitoring
Today, installations and critical facilities face growing operational and security demands. The ability to monitor assets remotely and generate actionable intelligence has never been greater to sustaining mission readiness. -
- Webinar
Successful Microgrid Projects for Dept. of War
This webinar shares practices which are proven to provide successful outcomes on Garrison (fixed) microgrid projects for the Department of Defense (Department of War). Based on real-world expertise, the presenter will discuss various perspectives including that of supplier, integrator, microgrid owner, and specifier.
Related TME Articles – College Outreach
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Considerations When Going Electric
As investments in electric vehicle supply equipment continue to increase, there are key considerations station owners and operators should understand to better plan, design, construct and maintain necessary infrastructure and provide a high-quality customer experience. -
Building for EVs on Military Installations
As the federal government moves toward net zero emissions for vehicle fleets by 2035, implementing electrical vehicle charging stations also will impact associated electrical infrastructure and may increase the need for installations to invest in additional upgrades. -
Protecting Coastal Installation Electric Infrastructure from Flooding
Research conducted at the Air Force Institute of Technology utilized geospatial analysis to assess electric infrastructure vulnerability to sea level rise at four installations in Florida and studied mitigation strategies and policy proposals to help decision-makers navigate future challenges. -
Microgrids: A Modern-Day Energy Solution
Investments in microgrids have been growing as the nation confronts more frequent extreme weather events, and an increased urgency to consider alternative energy sources.
