In the histories of two long-established organizations—the Eta Kappa Nu (HKN) honor society, founded in 1904, and IEEE, formed in 1963—15 years might not seem very long. Since their merger in 2010, however, more than 40,000 members have been inducted into IEEE-HKN, 57 chapters have been formed (30 of which are outside the United States), and more than US $4 million has been raised to support the development of the next generation of engineering leaders.
On 14 February 2009, Eta Kappa Nu signed a merger agreement with IEEE. It went into effect 1 September 2010, making HKN the official honor society of IEEE.
IEEE-HKN recognizes scholarship and academic excellence, identifying student leaders, young professionals, and eminent scholars in IEEE’s technical fields of interest.
The agreement was signed by Bruce Eisenstein, president of HKN; Richard Gowen, president of the IEEE Foundation; and John R. Vig, 2010 IEEE president and CEO. The signing took place during the IEEE meeting series in Puerto Rico at a ceremony attended by more than 200 members of IEEE and Eta Kappa Nu.
In honor of the milestone anniversary, IEEE-HKN is hosting celebrations at several IEEE gatherings around the world.
IEEE-HKN is also excited about its second annual international Hackathon, to be held from 14 to 23 November, in which teams of IEEE and honor society student members work together using engineering principles to solve a problem currently facing the society’s chapters. Read about its first hackathon held last year.
“HKN has always been student-focused, so one of the things that it gained from IEEE was access to its wide range of professional activities, like conferences, journals, and paths for professional involvement—which allows IEEE-HKN to support our members at every step of their careers.” —2024 IEEE-HKN President Ryan Bales
Several videos have been produced that feature people involved in and impacted by the 2010 merger. They include reflections from three HKN presidents: Steve Watkins (2018), Ryan Bales (2024), and Sean Bentley (2025).
“HKN has always been student-focused, so one of the things that it gained from IEEE was access to its wide range of professional activities, like conferences, journals, and paths for professional involvement—which allows IEEE-HKN to support our members at every step of their careers,” Bales says. “With its signature emphasis on scholarship, character, and attitude, HKN brought its traditional ethos of service to IEEE. IEEE-HKN students provide over 100,000 hours of service per year to their fellow students, local preuniversity students through STEM outreach, and community service activities.”
Bentley says that commitment “aligns with IEEE’s spirit of volunteerism, with its members giving their time to their profession.”
He says he sees HKN’s service mentality as an important element in its ability to foster engagement and create community—which in turn results in a higher percentage of IEEE-HKN students who remain IEEE members beyond their student years.
A dedicated web page lists all the planned celebratory activities.
Collaborations fuel IEEE-HKN’s growth
In addition to aligning IEEE and HKN’s values, the merger provides ongoing opportunities for collaboration.
It is evident in the growing partnerships between the two organizations’ student branches, which last year dedicated more than 18,000 hours to jointly plan and execute 279 events, a 36 percent increase over 2023.
There are also growing partnerships with IEEE societies. More than 20 of the societies financially subsidized last year’s Student Leadership Conference, making it more affordable for students to attend while giving society members the opportunity to share real-world technical and career knowledge with the next generation of engineering leaders.
“In the spirit of One IEEE, an important feature of all IEEE-HKN conferences is that sponsoring societies have representatives on hand to encourage students to find their technical home,” says Nancy Ostin, director of IEEE-HKN.
This year’s Student Leadership Conference is scheduled for 7 to 9 November at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
The society also holds two virtual conferences each year, Pathways to Industry and TechX, which are open to all IEEE members at a discounted rate.
This year the merger has been celebrated at several IEEE gatherings including SouthEastCon, IEEE Region 1 and Region 2 joint meetings, the IEEE Life Members Evolution Conference, and IEEE CompSac.
IEEE-HKN also plans to mark the milestone in the October issue of its Bridge magazine, as well as working with the IEEE Foundation on an anniversary campaign to raise money for the honor society.
When reflecting on the accomplishments of the past 15 years, Ostin says, “As IEEE’s honor society, HKN’s core values of scholarship, character, and attitude align with IEEE’s strategic goals by inspiring intellectual curiosity and knowledge sharing, fostering lifelong engagement, and empowering technology leaders. Being an HKN member is a lifelong designation, and we are proud that our members are leaders in industry, academia, and government, always looking for ways to give back to our current and future students.”
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