Student organizations at Washington State University are partnering to host their first Evening with Industry event, focused on bioengineering students, on Feb. 11 in the Elson F. Floyd Cultural Center.

The Society of Women Engineers and the Organization for Chemical Engineering Students have hosted industry events for years, connecting students with professionals and guest speakers. The groups are now collaborating to create an event tailored specifically to students interested in bioengineering careers.

“The Evening with Industry event was originally created by Prof. Steve Saunders in WSU’s Chemical Engineering Department to connect students directly with chemical engineering professionals,” said Su Ha, chair of the WSU chemical and biological engineering department.

Ha said the event can have a strong impact on students’ career paths.

“Many WSU chemical engineering students have secured internships and jobs as a direct result of these interactions,” Ha said.

Ha added that the event gives “students the chance to ask meaningful, real-world questions — ranging from career opportunities and workplace culture to the skills most valued by employers. Students have even gained candid insights into salaries and job prospects.”

Samar Patil, a student organizer with the Biomedical Engineering Society, said this will be the first Evening with Industry event geared toward bio engineering students.

“It’s our first Evening with Industry, and the bio engineering industry is so niche,” Patil said.

Patil added that students organized much of the event themselves and “cold emailed these companies” to secure participation.

The two-hour event costs $10 to attend.

The event will include networking tables where students can speak with industry professionals. Companies will also give brief presentations about their work and offer general career advice.

According to Patil, representatives are expected from Swiss Productions, the Department of Veterans Affairs, Precision Quantomics, Acumed, Jubilant HollisterStier and the National Marrow Donor Program. These organizations operate in the bio engineering, biotechnology and medical device design fields.

While the event is targeted at bio engineering students, it is open to all majors for students who are interested.