Greater Kansas City Post Education & Mentoring

University of Missouri Kansas City

Tuesday, March 3, 2009, the Greater Kansas City Post officially charted the 24th Society of American Military Engineers 24th Student Chapter at the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC). Kevin Truman, Ph.D. – Dean of the UMKC School of Computing and Engineering (SCE), Colonel Roger Wilson, Jr. – President of the GKC SAME Post and Marc Nicolas – GKC Post UMKC Mentor were on hand to sign the charter. Christine Cunningham, UMKC SCE student, along with other post members and UMKC staff and students were there to support the initiative.

Objectives of the UMKC SCE/GKC SAME Post partnership include: Linking students with architecture, engineering and construction professionals; advance the scientific and engineering education; assist in the professional development of student members; respond to the needs of student members; and jointly achieve the Society’s goals and objectives as prescribed in its strategic plan.

The Chapter is looking forward to quality, professionally oriented programs and activities that facilitate and improve communication among students, the military services and private sector AEC firms! For more information in participating in the UMKC Student Chapter please contact Christy Cooper.

Kansas State University

The Greater Kansas City Post Kicks Off a New Student Chapter

Members of the Greater Kansas City Post traveled to Manhattan, KS on January 28, 2014 to hold a Kick Off Event for a new student chapter of the Society at Kansas State University.  The event was well attended, 22 students from several Departments representing three different colleges at the university.  2014 Post President Ann Ewy presented the history of SAME and an overview of the Greater Kansas City Post.  Post Past President Matt Metcalf then shared some pointers on what to expect in industry as well as some do’s and don’ts for new grads both in the job hunt and once the job is landed.

The Post’s goals for the Student Chapter are to help set expectations for students as they search for jobs, to facilitate networking with Industry professionals, and to build a pipeline of new Young Members for the Post who already have an appreciation for the Society. 

Kansas University

Fall 2018:  

Exciting things are happening at KU as the Student Chapter gains momentum.  The KU Student Chapter is participating in ENGINEERS ROCK THE BLOCK  Saturday, August 18, 3:00pm – 5:00pm on the LEEP 2 Lawn  ENGINEERS ROCK THE BLOCK is hosted by the KU Engineering Student Council (ESC) geared towards new students. We will have fun activities to include Cornhole and Can Jam.  Participants will have a chance to win a coveted SAME pint glass.  In addition to the food provided by the event staff, we will be handing out candy and introducing students to SAME. This is a great opportunity to engage with students and most all other engineering organizations.  We will be inviting attendees to join us for FOOD, FUN, and INFORMATION on 30 August.  This will be our first major membership drive of the year.  Time and location to be published.   The next major event will be the 2018 FALL ENGINEERING AND COMPUTING CAREER FAIR on Tuesday, September 18, 2018, 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. in the Kansas Union.  We plan to meet future members and demonstrate the power of SAME and the network it provides.  We will keep you posted as more events get added to the calendar.  Fee free to join us at any time.  We look forward to meeting you.

For questions and information, please contact KU_SAME@yahoo.com.

Map to Learned Engineering Expansion Phase 2 (LEEP 2).

University of Kansas Student Chapter, Greater Kansas City Post.

US Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC)
Information coming soon!

Now Accepting Applications!

One of the primary missions of the GKC Post is our scholarship and education program. The Greater KC Post has been awarding scholarships since the 1980’s. Scholarships allow the Post to promote and facilitate STEM support for national security by developing and enhancing the education of college upperclassmen pursing STEM related degrees, fields, and careers.

The Post provides 3 scholarship opportunities each year to local students pursuing STEM related degrees in the Kansas City metro area and are excelling in academics, community involvement, and leadership contributing to the spirit of the Society. Download the application form.

Application Deadline Has Been Extended to June 14, 2024!!!
Get your application in today!

For additional information on our scholarship program or if you are interested in volunteering as part of the committee that oversees our scholarship program, please contact:

Paul Rieger
(913) 461-5448

The Society of American Military Engineers offers a very unique series of engineering camps designed for High School students who excel in math, science and technical courses and are interested in pursuing engineering in college. These one–week camps are high energy, hands–on events for students from across the country and around the world. The camps are led by a professional staff of engineers from both private industry and the military services. These exciting week–long camps take place during the summer months in a variety of settings—centered on a military base in the colorful Colorado Rockies, the beautiful Southern California Coast, the historic Mississippi Valley.

There are five camps this year, and the Greater Kansas City Post will select our top applicants and submit their names to our National organization for final selection.  Our Post can sponsor up to two campers.

Camp costs for U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy are $800 plus travel.

Camp costs for U.S. Army is $100 plus travel.

The Post is pleased to support the two successful applicants by providing a stipend up to $1,000 to cover registration and travel fees. 

Cost: The registration fee for each camp is listed in the Camps flyer here and includes lodging, meals, materials, instruction, and mentoring. Sponsorships may be available to offset the cost. 

A New Approach for Assisting Transitioning Warriors

The Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Greater Kansas City (GKC) Post  commissioned a Warrior in Transition Committee in 2013 with a mission to develop an effective strategy to educate, mentor and assist members of the military who are or will soon be transitioning out of the military (“Transitioning Warriors”) into the civilian sector.  The GKC Post leadership took this proactive approach given the high unemployment levels of Transitioning Warriors in addition to the projected increase in transitioning veterans given future projections of a smaller U.S. force structure.  Committee members wanted to ensure the ideals of the SAME were integrated into its overall strategy.  Likewise, they wanted to develop a strategy that would provide a meaningful forum to truly assist Transitioning Warriors—not something to simply make them feel good.

In order to develop this strategy, the Committee first discussed many of the challenges associated with transition from the military, to include assessing Art DeGroat (Director of Military Affairs, Kansas State University) and Richard P. Crowley’s 2013 White Paper entitled “Looking Critically at Reintegration of Post-9/11 Era Veterans.” Through this research, the Committee concluded that many veterans are unprepared to understand the requirements of the competitive civilian job market; often do not have a professional network to assist them in navigating through the steps required; and often do not have an understanding of the skills necessary to adequately compete for many positions within the market.  All of these factors are contributing to the high unemployment rate of today’s Transitioning Warriors.  Utilizing the lessons learned from the White Paper and gaining insights from recently transitioning veterans allowed the Committee to take a different approach to assist Warriors in the transition process, all within the context of SAME’s overall mission and vision.

 The Committee settled on a strategy with five goals to assist transitioning veterans:

• Expand their interest in career fields associated with GKC Post SAME Sustaining Member firms,
• Network with professionals associated with SAME Sustaining Member firms,
• Inform transitioning veterans about the skill sets and other tools/tips necessary to be successful in civilian career fields (to include helping them understand how their military skills/experience/leadership is applicable in the civilian job market),
• Offer mentorship and professional development through SAME,  and
• Encourage SAME membership to enhance their long-term networking opportunities.

To kick off the 2014 support to Transitioning Warriors, the GKC Post joined forces with the Kansas State University Office of Military Affairs, hosting a Warrior Transition Networking Forum at the Kansas State University Alumni Center in Manhattan, Kansas on April 24, 2014.  The purpose of the Forum was to provide information to Transitioning Warriors about the fields of architecture, engineering, and construction, utilizing a panel of veterans who have experienced and successfully navigated the transition process into the private/public sector.  Specifically, this venue was focused on assisting transitioning veterans from the Fort Riley, Kansas military installation.  Mark Loes (Kleinfelder),  Committee Chair and Jackie Hacker (HDR), Committee Co-Chair, organized the event.  Tony Hofmann (Colonel, USA, retired)(Stantec) and Committee member moderated the panel session.  The panel members representing five Sustaining Member firms within the GKC Post were:   Matt Metcalf and Al Osborne (Commander, USN, retired) (TEPA),  Forrest Joe Lykins (Major, USA, retired) (Tyco SimplexGrinnell),  Scott Fehnel (Lieutenant Colonel, USA, retired) (HNTB), Victor Poland (Burns and McDonnell),  and Reed Brown (US Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District).  Art DeGroat (Lieutenant Colonel, USA, retired) (Kansas State University) played a key role in the process, participating in the panel, coordinating the facilities and interfacing with Fort Riley leadership to promote the event.  The forum featured twenty-six (26) attendees and included ample opportunity for one-on-one interaction with panel members following the open discussion. 

Given the fact this event was not a job fair and attendees would not depart with a job offer in hand, how do we know the forum was successful?  Defining a hard “metric” for this type of initiative is difficult to define.  Therefore, direct feedback from the Transitioning Warriors in attendance is the greatest indicator for success.   The attendees provided numerous comments indicating that the information presented and subsequent discussion was indeed value-added and not something they had previously received in any transition curriculum.  Likewise, the consensus was that this type of forum did provide a solid base to begin and enhance their transition.  Many also stated that they will now reach out to the SAME panel members in order to help them in their transition.   In short, the forum reinforced that the GKC Post Warrior Transition Committee strategy is an innovative strategy that can truly help Transitioning Warriors as they tackle the transition process.   Long-term, the true measure of success will be when a veteran makes the transition into a civilian career—while hopefully enjoying the camaraderie and benefits of SAME membership.

The SAME GKC Post is proud to support our Transitioning Warriors.  The GKC Post members share in the unfaltering commitment to do right by our uniformed service men and women that have defended our country.  Combining the resources of SAME with the professional commitment to veterans seeking employment in the civilian sector, we can proactively provide them the tools to help them be successful through the challenging transition process.  This is our mission and commitment.

Watch the Transitioning Veterans into the A/E/C Industry Session at the 2018 JETC

Credentialing Assistance Program (CAP)
(Previously known as Professional Development Stipends)

A limited number of stipends are available to augment costs associated with professional certification exams or registration fees, test prep, and training materials upon passing of an exam. These stipends are available to active SAME members (see the application for additional criteria). A stipend application does not guarantee an award.

The program supports stipend awards for credentials, licensures, or certifications considered to have an intrinsic value to SAME’s mission and the architecture, engineering and construction (A/E/C) professions.  The full list is on the application form.

View the application form. To have your application considered, send your application packet to: Christina Przygoda and copy Brian Hoye.