Chi Epsilon

TCNJ’s Chi Epsilon chapter was excited to meet future Civil Engineering students at the Accepted Students day on 3/28. Our senior members Max, Zach, and Phil, represented our organization at the involvement fair, while Dr. Krstic and Dr. Bechtel hosted a Q&A session for students and families to learn more about the Civil Engineering department at TCNJ. We would like to thank our alumni for joining us today and for providing more insight on how TCNJ prepared them for their careers: Jillian Stanton, Josh Romero, John Beringer, and Anthony LaRegina. Thank you to everyone who joined us in welcoming some future Civil Engineering students to TCNJ!

TCNJ XE senior members at the 2026 Accepted Students Day Involvement Fair; from left: Max, Zach, and Phil

TCNJ XE alumni attending the 2026 Accepted Students Day; from left: Anthony LaRegina (’19), Jill Stanton (’24), Josh Romero (’24), and John Beringer (’14)

On March 11, TCNJ XE members, Spring 2026 candidates, and prospective Fall 2026 candidates competed in our annual Spring Scavenger Hunt. Each team was given a list of clues that had them locate items throughout Armstrong Hall and STEM Building such as the ASCE Steel Monument, the bridge between the STEM and Biology buildings, and the Fred O. Armstrong painting. The competition was very close with top three teams returning within seconds of each other. In the end the team Hello Kitty consisting of our senior member Max Dawson, our junior member Aren Kahn, and our junior candidate Colin Menier came on top with an impressive time of just 11 minutes and 29 seconds! We look forward to continuing this tradition in the coming years!

TCNJ XE members, candidates and prospective fall members participating in the Spring Scavenger Hunt

Hello Kitty team found our technician Mike Steeil who was one of the clues; from left: Colin, Mike, Max, and Aren

Sunset Cove team with the painting of Fred Armstrong; from left: Sonny, Hannah, and Zach

On 3/4, TCNJ Chi Epsilon, along with the TCNJ Chapters of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), Women in Business (WIB), National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and Theta Tau, had the opportunity to explore real‑world construction careers through a Women in Construction Week panel hosted by the NAWIC Princeton Chapter. Representatives from the trades, engineering, architecture, project management, safety, and business operations shared their career paths, the technical demands of their roles, and what it meant to work as part of the 11% of women in the industry. The event included open networking before and after the discussion, allowing students to ask questions, seek advice, and build connections with women actively shaping the construction industry.

NAWIC Panelists

Panel discussion in progress

On February 25, 2026, TCNJ XE members and candidates collaborated with the ASCE and HE student clubs to stage a Steel Bridge construction demonstration. Members of the 2026 Steel Bridge team were on hand to guide students in bridge construction. After assembling the bridge, XE members competed for the coveted Krstic Cup. This year, the task was to build the tallest and sturdiest windy tower out of paper and tape that could withstand the wind from a small fan without toppling over. Congratulations go to our junior members, Mary, Lindsey, Rhea, and Riley, for their very inventive solution!

Bridge assembly in progress

Members of XE, ASCE, and HE showcase the 2026 TCNJ Steel Bridge

Emily, Terrell, Rebecca, and Jasmin are hard at work constructing their paper tower

Paper tower competition entries

2026 Krstic Cup winners Lindsey, Mary, Rhea, and Riley

On 2/13 and 2/20, Chi Epsilon, along with the TCNJ Chapters of the Society of Women Engineers and Theta Tau, volunteered at a Girl Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey badge event for Brownies and Juniors. Volunteers helped the scouts “think like engineers” by guiding them through the engineering design process and a series of hands‑on building activities, including paddle boats, balloon cars, cranes, leap bots, fling flyers, and race car tracks.

Throughout the event, Chi Epsilon members shared insights from their own engineering experiences, giving the girls a meaningful look into what it’s like to study and explore the field. The chapter is grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with SWE and Theta Tau and to help inspire the next generation of engineers!

TCNJ XE members Sarah, Rebecca, Rhea, and Jasmyn at the Girl Scouts event.

Young engineers at work during the event.

TCNJ XE members and candidates kicked off the spring semester with our Invitation Social on February 4th. We reviewed XE history and last semester’s chapter activities, and enjoyed some local pizza while competing in a table football tournament. Our finalists were our sophomore candidate, Colin, and our junior member, Kevin, with Kevin taking the win. We look forward to a great semester!

TCNJ XE chapter held its Fall Induction Ceremony on December 7, 2025.

Congratulations goes to the following newly inducted TCNJ XE members:

Junior Undergraduate Members:

Riley Bringoli, Aren Kahn, Mary Koch, Sarah Laubsch, Allison Lavin, Jayson Lewis, Rhea Olmedo, Kevin O’Neill, Lindsey Yau

Alumni Member:

Reece Nordeen (’15)

Chapter Honor Member:

Basit (Sunny) Muzaffar

Chapter Trustees:

Dora Krstic (’24), Alec Kuncken (’22), Jillian Stanton (’24)

Back Row: Reece, Kevin, Jayson, Aren, Sarah, Sunny Front Row: Allison, Rhea, Riley, Mary, Lindsay

We would like to thank the following guests for attending:

Chapter Honor Members: Mrs. Robin Kemper, Prof. James Purcell, Mr. Raymond Mankbadi, Mr. Joseph Ettore,  Dr. Andrea Welker, and Dr. Kaz Tabrizi

Dr. Andrew Bechtel, Chair of the Civil Engineering Department

Download the induction ceremony program here.

TCNJ XE marked the end of the 2025 year with holiday crafts, cookies, and hot chocolate! Thank you to all our members for making this past year absolutely amazing. Happy Holidays!

On 11/19, TCNJ XE celebrated the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday with a cornbread-making competition. Teams were tasked with coming up with unique ingredients to make their cornbread stand out. Cheese, maple syrup, elote, chocolate chips, M&Ms, and sweet potatoes were among the ingredients our members used. The cornbreads were baked in the soil ovens, and all came out delicious and were very much enjoyed by everyone. Our senior members, Emily and Sonny, prepared the tastiest cornbread using bourbon-aged maple syrup. Our senior member, Steve, and inductee Kevin came in second with an orange-infused syrup cornbread. The third place was claimed by our inductees, Mary and Lindsey, with their elote cornbread. Happy Thanksgiving!