Alpha Omega Epsilon () is a

social Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not. Etymology The word "social" derives fro ...

and

professional A professional is a member of a profession or any person who work (human activity), works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the partic ...

sorority for women in engineering and technical sciences.Lurding, Carroll and Becque, Fran. (January 13, 2025)
Women's Organizations
.
Almanac of Fraternities and Sororities
'. Urbana: University of Illinois. Accessed April 9, 2025. The sorority was founded in 1983 at

Marquette University Marquette University () is a Private university, private Jesuit research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It was established as Marquette College on August 28, 1881, by John Henni, the first Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Ar ...

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

. It has chartered 52 chapters. Alpha Omega Epsilon is a member of the

Professional Fraternity Association The Professional Fraternity Association (PFA) is an American association of national, college, collegiate, professional fraternities and sororities that was formed in . Since PFA groups are discipline-specific, members join while pursuing gradua ...

History

1980 to 1990

In the early 1980s, the little sisters of both Sigma Phi Delta and

Triangle Fraternity Triangle Fraternity is an American collegiate Fraternities and Sororities, fraternity for male students majoring in engineering, architecture, and the physical, mathematical, biological, and computer sciences. Triangle Fraternity organized at th ...

started meeting in hopes of forming an organization to increase the number of women in engineering. Alpha Omega Epsilon was founded as a professional engineering sorority on November 13, 1983. Its founders were 27 female engineering students, including Margaret Denzin, Marie Ferris, Brenda Kay Herold, Deborah Hoffman, Kimberly Hubbard, Maureen Kerrigan, Susanne Koth, Linda Kresmer, Lou Ann Lathrop, Catherine Lewis, Chris Ludwig, Lisa MacIsaac, Ann Mahnke, Kathy Rectenwald, Eileen Robarge, Felice M. Roberts, Patricia Rogers, Victoria Schlicht, Kristin Schneider, Lori Ann Sienicki, Mary Ruth Szews, Tu Quynh Tran, Sheri Weber, Teresa Williamson, Susan Wimmer, Carmen Valazco, and Lily Ying. Its sorority's purpose was to advance the status of female engineers and create lifelong friendships. On March 22, 1984, the sorority was recognized by Marquette University. Alpha Omega Epsilon initiated its first class of new members in the fall of 1984. ''Beta chapter'' was established in 1985 at the South Dakota School of Mines from the local chapter of Triangle Little Sisters.

1990 to 2000

In 1990, Cindy Majcher (''Alpha''), Kathy Rectenwald (''Alpha''), Julie Whalen (''Alpha''), and Michelle Rohr ''(Beta'') were selected as the members of a new national executive board, formed as the governing body for the future national organization. Its officers included an executive director, expansion officer, financial officer, and interchapter relations officer. Majcher served as the first executive director.''Alpha Omega Epsilon - The First 25 Years''. Alpha Omega Epsilon, 2008. In 1991, the sorority initiated procedures to incorporate in Wisconsin, drafting a constitution and bylaws for a national organization. During this time, Alpha Omega Epsilon’s scope changed to include women in engineering and technical sciences. The Theta Tau Little Sisters at

North Carolina State University North Carolina State University (NC State, North Carolina State, NC State University, or NCSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1887 and p ...

became the ''Gamma chapter'' in 1991. The national executive board's structure was changed in 1992, replacing the executive director with a president, the expansion officer with a vice president, the financial officer with a treasurer, and the interchapter relations officer with the secretary. The sorority's first national convention was held in

Rapid City, South Dakota Rapid City is the county seat of Pennington County, South Dakota, United States. It is located on the eastern slope of the Black Hills in western South Dakota and was named after Rapid Creek (South Dakota), Rapid Creek, where the settlement deve ...

during the summer of 1992, with the ''Alpha, Beta'', and ''Gamma chapters'' in attendance. In 1992, the NEB joined the

(PFA). The local sorority Omega Xi at the

Milwaukee School of Engineering The Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) is a private university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1903, the university has a primary focus on undergraduate engineering education with additional programs in business, mathem ...

became the ''Delta chapter'' in 1992. The

Alpha Sigma Kappa Alpha Sigma Kappa – Women in Technical Studies ( – WiTS) is a social Fraternities and sororities in North America, sorority for women in the fields of mathematics, architecture, engineering, technology and the sciences. The sorority was foun ...

sorority at the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

was accepted as the ''Epsilon prospective chapter'', but withdrew the following year to form a new national organization. In 1993, the national constitution and bylaws were ratified, and a decision was made to incorporate as a social organization, making the sorority both a social and professional organization. In 1994, Alpha Omega Epsilon, Inc. received

501(c)(7) A 501(c) organization is a nonprofit organization in the federal law of the United States according to Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. § 501(c)). Such organizations are exempt from some federal income taxes. Sections 503 through 505 set ou ...

designation as a tax-exempt organization from the

Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting Taxation in the United States, U.S. federal taxes and administerin ...

. ''Epsilon chapter'' was chartered at the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

in 1996, followed by ''Zeta'' at

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...

in 1997. In 1998, the ''Eta'' was installed at the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

, marking the first international chapter of the sorority. In March 1998, the Alpha Omega Epsilon National Foundation received

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...

designation as a tax-exempt

charitable organization A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, Religion, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definitio ...

from the IRS.

2000 to present

In 2001, the sorority's constitution and bylaws were updated to recognize the change from national to international. With this change, the national executive board became the international executive board. The 2006 Convention was held jointly with Sigma Phi Delta engineering fraternity in Chicago. During that convention, regions and regional advisors were added, with each chapter assigned to a region. On March 8, 2008, the first alumnae chapter was chartered as the ''Alumnae chapter of the Delta chapter''. On November 13, 2008, the sorority celebrated its 25th anniversary. In 2010, Alpha Omega Epsilon's first double-lettered chapter, ''Beta Alpha'', was installed at

Texas Tech University Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public university, public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the flagship instit ...

. The sorority added 22 chapters between 2010 and 2019. In 2018, the sorority celebrated its 35th anniversary in

Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

. It chartered its 49th chapter at

James Madison University James Madison University (JMU, Madison, or James Madison) is a public university, public research university in Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1908, the institution was renamed in 1938 in honor of the fourth president of the ...

in 2020 and its 50th chapter at the

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (or The University of Tennessee; UT; UT Knoxville; or colloquially UTK or Tennessee) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee, United St ...

in 2021. In 2024, the Alpha Omega Epsilon had initiated more than 12,000 members. The sorority's national headquarters is in

Symbols

The Alpha Omega Epsilon's values or pillars are Friendship, Leadership, and Professionalism. The sorority's colors are

royal blue Royal blue is a deep and vivid shade of blue. It is said to have been created by a consortium of mills in Rode, Wiltshire (in Somerset as of 1937), which won a competition to make a robe for Queen Charlotte, consort of King George III. I ...

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, and

silver Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...

. Its jewels are the blue sapphire,

pearl A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle (mollusc), mantle) of a living Exoskeleton, shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pear ...

, and

diamond Diamond is a Allotropes of carbon, solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Diamond is tasteless, odourless, strong, brittle solid, colourless in pure form, a poor conductor of e ...

. Its flowers are the white carnation for candidates, the

white rose The White Rose (, ) was a Nonviolence, non-violent, intellectual German resistance to Nazism, resistance group in Nazi Germany which was led by five students and one professor at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, University of Munich ...

for active members, and the calla lily for alumnae. Its mascot is the

dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal in the cetacean clade Odontoceti (toothed whale). Dolphins belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontopori ...

. Its publication is ''The Angle.''

Activities

Alpha Omega Epsilon chapters host speakers, organize social events, raise funds for charity, and sponsor events such as career day. Alumnae mentor and participate in networking events with collegiate members.

Philanthropy

The Alpha Omega Epsilon National Foundation is a nonprofit organization that focuses on academic development, organizational grants for professional and leadership development, and volunteer programs. On April 16, 2007, ''Rho chapter'' co-founder, Maxine Turner was killed during the Virginia Tech Massacre. The foundation established the Maxine Shelley Turner Memorial Scholarship in her memory. The ''Rho chapter'' created an annual philanthropic event called Take it to the Max which supports the scholarship and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Chapters

Alpha Omega Epsilon has chartered 52 chapters, 46 of which are active.

Notable members

* Maxine Shelly Turner, chemical engineering student and ''Rho chapter'' founding member, was killed in the Virginia Tech Massacre.

References

{{Authority control 1983 establishments in Wisconsin Professional fraternities and sororities in the United States Professional Fraternity Association Student organizations established in 1983 Engineering organizations