Since 2018, GW’s IEEE Power & Energy Society-Industry Applications Society (PES-IAS) Joint Student Branch Chapter has tirelessly worked to ensure the chapter is an inclusive, welcoming space where members can advance their engineering knowledge and professional skills. For the first time in its history, GW’s IEEE PES-IAS Joint Student Branch Chapter has been ranked #1 among IEEE PES High-Performing Student Branch Chapters in North America.
“This recognition affirms that our chapter is not only thriving but setting a benchmark for excellence,” said Payman Dehghanian, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering (ECE) who founded the chapter and serves as its faculty advisor. “It reflects a strong culture of leadership and innovation that we intend to build upon.”
Dehghanian attributes the chapter’s rise to #1 to a combination of strategic mentorship, student leadership, and consistent innovation in its activities. On campus, members spearheaded efforts to expand programming to include interdisciplinary events, like ‘Engineering Across Borders: Grad Bites & Global Flavors,’ in addition to technical talks, speaker series, and social events.
On national and international stages, the chapter focuses on strengthening collaboration with other student chapters, IEEE societies, and IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu (IEEE-HKN) and increasing student participation in technical conferences and IEEE events.
As chair, ECE Ph.D. candidate Nazneen Ahmed plays a key role in growing the chapter. She represented GW Engineering at both the 2024 IEEE-HKN Student Leadership Conference and 2024 IEEE WIE Forum USA East, highlighting the chapter’s commitment to empowering the next generation of engineers through mentorship and community outreach. Fellow student leaders Benedict Vergara and Jinshun Su have also been instrumental in executing high-impact initiatives that align with IEEE’s mission and values.
While 2025 marks the second consecutive year that GW Engineering has earned a place on this prestigious list, this year’s #1 ranking represents a new milestone and recognizes the students’ dedication. It follows other major awards the chapter received over the past two years, including the 2024 PES High-Performing Chapter Award and the 2025 Outstanding Joint IAS SB Chapter Award, which was presented to Dehghanian and Vergara at the IEEE IAS Annual Meeting in Taipei, Taiwan.
For student members, these recognitions translate into greater opportunities for networking, professional development, and leadership experience, while also underscoring the chapter's growing impact on campus and within IEEE.
“Moving forward, we aim to deepen our collaborations, expand outreach to surrounding communities in IEEE Region 2, and continue developing programs that empower students and young professionals. The momentum we’ve built positions us to lead transformative initiatives within IEEE and the broader engineering community,” said Dehghanian.