The Alpha Chapter of Tau Beta Pi, University of Florida’s engineering honor society, was awarded the 2025 R.C. Matthews Outstanding Chapter Award this month at the Tau Beta Pi national convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The R.C. Matthews Award is the highest honor Tau Beta Pi bestows on its chapters, recognizing exceptional service, outreach and leadership. This win marks UF Alpha’s 11th time receiving the honor, most recently in 2022-23. With more than 260 chapters nationwide competing for the distinction, this win cements UF’s long-standing tradition of excellence within the organization.
Mike Griffis, Ph.D., senior lecturer in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) and the chapter’s chief advisor, said the award highlights the group’s dedication to community engagement and student involvement.
“We won because of how active our chapter is,” Griffis said. “We host GatorTRAX events that bring elementary and middle school students to campus to learn hands-on about engineering, and we hosted the district convention last year.”
UF’s chapter stood out for its strong volunteering and outreach programs, as well as the variety and quality of its more than 50 project submissions, according to the Tau Beta Pi Awards Committee. The committee also noted that the GatorTRAX initiative had a profound impact on K-12 students in the community.
For the third year in a row, the chapter also received the Chapter Project Award, along with a $500 prize recognizing its sustained excellence in programming.
Joseph Hill, a master’s student in MAE and president of the Florida Alpha chapter, accepted the award on behalf of the team.
Founded in 1885, Tau Beta Pi is the nation’s oldest engineering honor society, recognizing academic achievement, leadership and service. UF’s Florida Alpha Chapter continues to set the standard, inspiring future engineers through outreach, mentorship and innovation.