How DUEN Is Building Community and Career Success for UC Davis Engineers
Davis Undergraduate Engineering Network, or 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,” said Jacob Mashini, a third-year environmental engineering major. “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.”
