Society of Fire Protection Engineers, WPI Chapter
The Society of Fire Protection Engineers is a professional society representing those practicing in the field that was established in 1950 and incorporated as in independent organization in 1971. The purpose of the Society is to advance the science and practice of fire protection engineering and its allied fields, maintain a high ethical standard among its members, and foster fire protection engineering education.
The WPI Student Chapter of SFPE provides speakers, seminars and field trips for graduate and undergraduate students interested in the field. The New England Chapter of SFPE also provides additional opportunities for students to interact with practicing professionals and learn more about the field.
The current executive board for the WPI Student Chapter of SFPE is listed below.
President: Hung-En Li (Andy)
Vice President: Abigail Benoit
Secretary: Grace Cummings
Treasurer: John Zimak
Salamander Honorary Society, Gamma Chapter
The Salamander Honorary Fire Protection Engineering Society was founded in 1923 to promote high scholarship and original investigation in all branches of fire protection engineering. The Gamma Chapter of Salamander was chartered at WPI in 1984, at which time investiture ceremonies were held for the first group of graduate students.
Through the years, more than 700 fire protection engineers have been initiated into the society. Selection for membership is a high honor in the fire protection engineering community.
Membership
Academic excellence and leadership characteristics form the basis for election to the Society. Students meeting qualification criteria are identified as possible candidates by the WPI faculty. Active student members vote to elect qualified candidates into the Society. Honorary members may also be elected to Salamander by a vote of all active and alumni members of all chapters.
About the Salamander
The mythical salamander—born of fire, imbued with fire—takes its place in the honorary society emblem to remind us that fire is not only the destroyer, but also the comforter and the servant of civilization. This legendary figure also symbolizes the belief that our most compelling duties and routine services are not performed altogether in terms of rigid and lifeless formulas.