UND students: “Find your people. Build your future.”

April 6, 2026

Find your people. Build your future.

College is more than classes.

It is where you discover what you enjoy, meet the people who challenge and support you, and start building the experiences that shape your future.

At the UND College of Engineering & Mines, student organizations are a big part of that experience. With 30+ STEM clubs and organizations in the college, students can explore interests, apply what they are learning, travel to conferences and competitions, take on leadership roles, and build friendships that last well beyond graduation.

Some groups serve communities close to home and around the world. Others design, build and compete on national stages.

All of them give students more ways to learn by doing.

These student stories offer a look at how UND students are finding purpose, connection and hands-on experience through organizations that match their goals.

Engineers Without Borders

In this video, Owen Plagens and Noah Bilicki share how Engineers Without Borders gives students a chance to use engineering to improve lives. They describe the group as supportive, welcoming and driven by a shared purpose: working on real projects that make a difference for communities in need.

The chapter’s current project supports a village in Guatemala by helping improve access to clean water for dozens of families. Along the way, students gain practical experience in problem-solving, project planning and cross-disciplinary teamwork. The students also emphasize that the organization is open to more than just one major. From engineering students across different disciplines to students interested in fundraising, outreach or communications, there is room to contribute and grow.

Society of Women Engineers

In this video, Autumn Bergum, Isabella Plagens, and Lorelei Fierro discuss the Society of Women Engineers as a built-in community that supports students from their first year through graduation and beyond. They highlight how SWE creates space for connection through section meetings, study sessions, social events and campus collaborations.

The organization also gives students opportunities to grow in confidence and leadership. The students reflect on how SWE helped them come out of their shell, meet new people and attend the national conference, where they connected with companies and saw successful women in engineering careers up close. Their message to new students is simple: show up, try it, and know you will be welcomed.

UND Motorsports

In this video, Landon Kurtz explains that UND Motorsports is about more than building a Formula-style race car each year. At its core, he says, the team develops industry-ready leaders by giving students the chance to work on a large, fast-paced project that mirrors real engineering environments.

Students can get involved in many different ways, from design and simulation to welding, fabrication, electronics, budgeting and project management. The team brings together students with different strengths and asks them to solve problems together. Kurtz also highlights the excitement of competition, the satisfaction of seeing a complex system come together, and the confidence students gain when they apply classroom learning to a real vehicle they helped create.

Chem-E Car

In this video, Josephine Schmidt and Tyler Whalen introduce Chem-E Car, a team that designs and builds a small car powered and stopped by chemical reactions. The goal is to take the car to a competition and have it travel a target distance revealed at the event, which means students have to test, refine and problem-solve constantly.

The students describe Chem-E Car as a collaborative, cross-disciplinary team where chemical, mechanical, electrical and computer science students all play an important role. They also stress that the organization is approachable and flexible. Students can contribute at many levels, build friendships over time and gain experience that connects directly to what they are learning in class. For students who want hands-on work and teamwork without needing to know everything on day one, they make it clear there is a place to start here.

Robot in 3 Days

In this video, Thomas Glissman and Brylan Ringenberg describe Robot in 3 Days (Ri3D) as energetic, creative and a little chaotic in the best way. The group takes on an intense build challenge inspired by FIRST Robotics, designing and building a robot on a tight deadline while learning through both success and failure.

The students talk about how the experience helps classwork click, especially when it comes to designing, building and improving real systems. They also highlight the club’s welcoming atmosphere and strong outreach focus. After the build, the team invites local high school robotics students to campus to see the robot in action, learn from the process and get inspired for their own competitions. It is a hands-on community for students who enjoy making things, solving problems and having fun while doing both.