DUEN provides students with professional opportunities and resources
Davis Undergraduate Engineering Network members describe their experiences in the student group
By GRACIELA TIU — features@theaggie.org
Davis Undergraduate Engineering Network (DUEN), founded in November 2022, is an on-campus organization that aims to support UC Davis student engineers in their academic, professional and social endeavors. The student group works to promote interdisciplinary collaboration and the creation of lifelong bonds through their core values of camaraderie, professionalism and community service.
“What drew me into DUEN was seeing all the internships many people in the club have had; it inspired me to take my education more seriously,” Jacob Mashini, a third-year environmental engineering major, said. “As a second-year, I noticed that my classes became more serious and people around me started getting more involved. I felt like I wanted to become more involved in not only UC Davis, but also engineering.”
Mashini also noted that before joining, he noticed how close people in the club were to one another and how much of a rewarding experience the community seemed to provide. DUEN offers members the chance to grow closer to others in similar fields, according to Ethan Thurston, a third-year electrical engineering major.
“I’ve met a ton of people, and there are at least five people I know who I’m close with in each of my classes now,” Thurston, said. “It’s been great to have study buddies and people to ask questions to while in lecture. The perks of DUEN are great, but just having another group of friends that relate to what I’m going through with tests and homework is amazing.”
The DUEN website notes that people can have differing membership statuses, with some being general members and some holding leadership positions.
“A general member is able to attend workshops and other public events with no commitment required,” the website reads. “An officer, however, will take on high-impact leadership roles in the planning, marketing and execution of events designed to connect the greater UC Davis engineering community. In addition, officers complete our simulated internship program with a cohort of like-minded students and gain full access to our alumni network.”
One of DUEN’s main priorities is providing members with valuable skills to use, particularly in their academic and professional futures. Mashini described a specific experience that he gained through DUEN, reflecting on the particular uniqueness of the opportunity.
“One skill I learned from DUEN, that I don’t think I would have gained through classes, is working with a large group on a single project, especially across different majors,” Mashini said. “Group presentations and labs are often restricted to two to three people; however, when I first joined DUEN, having to work with over 19 people on one project was really challenging. And being able to navigate and make sacrifices when it came to opinions and ideas for our engineering project was difficult.”
Along with providing specific professional projects and experiences, DUEN also directs members to helpful resources surrounding general professional development. Thurston explained what he had found to be most beneficial to his own career.
“Through DUEN, I’ve gotten resume advice and interview prep, but something I didn’t expect to learn was how to professionally network,” Thurston said. “Knowing how to cold email, reach out to recruiters or what to say at internship fairs was incredibly helpful to learn early on.”
Andrew Harrington, a third-year civil engineering major, discussed how the DUEN internship panel helps undergraduate and alumni members get connected.
“The internship panel that DUEN hosts is a super helpful event where I learned from both undergraduates and alumni about their experiences in getting internships, and what worked and didn’t work for them,” Harrington said.
DUEN is open to anyone majoring in engineering, computer science or data science, as well as non-majors with an interest in engineering or computer science. Thurston discussed the application process, which begins at the beginning of every spring and fall quarter.
“The application process starts with attending our info night, game night and professional night,” Thurston said. “These first events teach people what DUEN is and what we do. Then, after attending our events and applying, you have an interview, which is mostly behavioral, replicating a professional interview. After being accepted, you start your internship process, where you and others who got accepted with you go through career development meetings, make professional presentations and complete a functional final project.”
DUEN’s Instagram, @duen_ucd, offers more information on the organization and how to get involved. Students who wish to apply can also fill out an interest form and join their Discord to stay updated on major events.
“DUEN provides a lot of good opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration, since it’s such a diverse group of people,” Harrington said. “I’ve joined so many things outside of my major that I never would’ve even been exposed to without the club.”
Written by: Graciela Tiu — features@theaggie.org