Revitalized Omega Chi Epsilon hosts chemical engineering seminar
The society is seeking to gain exposure by planning student events for the semester as well as providing selfless service to the chemical engineering department with a focus on advancing scholarship and academic integrity.
OXE leadership (front row, left to right) Divya Shukla, Annie Gauderman (back row, left to right) Gabriel Tracy, Andrew Schwartz and Adam Ronderos.
The Omega Chi Epsilon (OXE) Chemical Engineering Honor Society hosted a research seminar on campus on March 18 for students to learn about departmental research and apply their education outside of the classroom. It was their first departmental event since being reinstated in the fall of 2025.
During the seminar, chemical engineering students heard from faculty members on research topics spanning systems biology, biomass, nanowire-based devices and energy systems modeling.
A key goal of the seminar was to connect students directly to their professors. According to Divya Shukla ’26, the society’s vice president, common feedback from attendees indicated that the format made students more comfortable reaching out to faculty members and getting involved in undergraduate research.
“This seminar serves as a valuable stepping stone for students who may be unsure about how to get involved in research,” Shukla said. “After seeing how impactful this event was, we hope to continue hosting similar events in the future to strengthen student-faculty connections and provide more opportunities for professional and academic growth.”
OXE strives to bridge the gap between chemical engineering students at every level. According to Andrew Schwartz ‘27, OXE president, the society plays an important role in bringing together members of the department — undergraduates, graduate students and faculty — who might not otherwise interact, helping build a closer, collaborative department.
“Hopefully, we have shown students they can have accessible, mission-driven careers in graduate school and beyond while exposing them to opportunities that undergraduate research can provide,” Schwartz said. “An event like this allows us to promote, connect and nurture the next generation of passionate students and researchers in chemical engineering.”
Beyond the seminar’s substance, members saw it as a major milestone in revitalizing the society at Texas A&M. The chapter was reinstated in the fall of 2025 after losing student organization standing due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and leadership change.
“It’s exciting, because its absence was noticed by our classmates,” Schwartz said. “OXE can play an enriching role in the department. Bringing that back is such a unique opportunity.”
Faculty adviser Dr. Martin Sentmanat knew the importance of helping the chapter return to Texas A&M, which houses the largest chemical engineering department in the United States.
Sentmanat selected a core group of the department’s Engineering Honors Ambassadors to serve in leadership roles, including Annie Gauderman ‘27as external communications director and Anusha Biswas as treasurer until her graduation in December 2025.
New student leaders recently joined the OXE leadership team for spring of 2026, with Gabriel Tracy ‘27 serving as secretary and Adam Ronderos ‘27 as the incoming treasurer.
“After committing to revitalizing OXE here at Texas A&M, the next important step was identifying a group of student leaders dedicated to representing the ideals of an academic honor society,” Sentmanat said. “I was confident that an exceptional group of student leaders would successfully execute the challenging task of building a student organization from the ground up. I am proud of their amazing efforts.”
Along with coordinating future events to benefit students in their education and careers, the society will look to establish committees within the organization to emphasize individual skillsets.
“We want to create a greater sense of purpose for every single person who is active in OXE,” Shukla said.
