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
Leading Through Growth: Navigating the Stages of Small Business Success
In this webinar, **Jonathan Ruffier** explores the critical leadership shifts required to successfully grow and scale a small business. The hard truth? The very skills that help founders launch and build a successful company can become the biggest obstacles to continued growth. -
- Webinar
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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Integrating Backup Generators as a Virtual Power Plant
Instead of building new power plants to strengthen mission assurance and energy security, many military installations may be positioned to uniquely leverage existing assets they have in surplus like standby generators in a new way. -
Leaning Into AI for Energy Systems Control
The integration of artificial intelligence is emerging as a powerful tool to help military installations manage their increasingly complex and more distributed energy systems. -
Addressing Knowledge Gaps on Advanced Lighting Controls
A recently developed training course on understanding advanced lighting controls for defense buildings aims to address knowledge gaps and deliver energy savings. -
Powering Resilience Across the U.S. Army
As electrical demands and threats to the grid from extreme weather and man-made events continue to grow, Prime Power operators with the 249th Engineer Battalion provide essential capability to respond to emergencies and strengthen national resilience.
