top of page

CALESS' HISTORY

Aggie Engineer: Humberto Rincon '78

Aggie Engineer: Humberto Rincon '78

Play Video

SINCE 1974

In December of 1974, a Chicano engineering student at UC Davis, Humberto Rincon, saw the need for unity amongst the Chicanx/Latinx students in the sciences and engineering fields. He felt together, the Chicanx and Latinx engineering and science students could fulfill the needs they were lacking on the UC Davis campus unity and representation.


Seeing these needs, Humberto Rincon, with the help and support of former Dean of Engineering at UC Davis-Professor John Kemper, and five fellow study partners formed the Chicanx and Latinx in engineering and sciences and acquired the representation they needed to begin to increase their number on the Davis campus.

CALESS
AFFILIATIONS

MAES

Mission

To promote, cultivate, and honor excellence in education and leadership among Latino engineers and scientists.

Vision

MAES is the foremost Latino organization for the development of STEM leaders in the academic, executive, and technical communities.

HISTORY

MAES was founded in Los Angeles in 1974 to increase the number of Mexican Americans and other Hispanics in the technical and scientific fields. The idea to establish a professional society for Mexican American engineers originated with Robert Von Hatten, an aerospace electronics engineer with TRW Defense Space Systems in Redondo Beach, California. Mr. Von Hatten had for several years served as volunteer for programs directed at combating the alarming number of high school dropouts. He envisioned a national organization that would serve as a source for role models, address the needs of its members, and become a resource for industry and students. The society filed incorporation papers as a nonprofit, tax exempt organization with the California Secretary of State in October 1974 and it received its charter on March 28, 1975.

maes-logo-2012-with-tagline.jpg

SHPE

Mission

SHPE changes lives by empowering the Hispanic community to realize its fullest potential and to impact the world through STEM awareness, access, support and development.

Vision

SHPE’s vision is a world where Hispanics are highly valued and influential as the leading innovators, scientists, mathematicians and engineers.

HISTORY

The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) was founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1974 by a group of engineers employed by the city of Los Angeles. Their objective was to form a national organization of professional engineers to serve as role models in the Hispanic community.

The concept of Networking was the key basis for the organization. SHPE quickly established two student chapters to begin the network that would grow to encompass the nation as well as reach countries outside the United States. Today, SHPE enjoys a strong but independent network of professional and student chapters throughout the nation.

shpe-letterhead.png
shpe-letterhead.png
bottom of page