Marquette engineering students shook up their routines this past week with pancakes, pickleball, professional panels and a healthy dose of dancing in honor of Engineers Week (E-Week) at Marquette, hosted Feb. 16 – 21, 2026.
Organized by student leaders in Engineering Student Council with support from additional engineering student organizations, the annual week-long celebration highlighted Marquette’s spirited engineering community with hands-on challenges, social events and professional development opportunities.
Professional development and career readiness
With Marquette engineers actively exploring ways to use their skills professionally, E-Week provides students with opportunities to network with industry professionals and prepare for their careers.
An engineering resume review offered one-on-one feedback from professional volunteers to help students refine their resumes ahead of a spring engineering career fair.
An engineering research showcase offered graduate and undergraduate students an opportunity to practice communicating their work, while also inspiring students in the audience who are interested in research experiences across disciplines.
Later in the week, a professional panel hosted by Tau Beta Pi (TBP) featured alumni and industry representatives who shared insights about their experiences and professional growth. This panel included professionals from Briggs and Stratton, GE HealthCare, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, Oshkosh Corporation, Rehlko and VJS Construction Services, all committed to supporting and mentoring students.
Competitions and hands-on challenges
Marquette engineers are always up for a new challenge or project, and E-Week delivered several friendly competitions for students.
A pickleball tournament, hosted by the Builders Coalition of Marquette University (BCMU) and Engineers Without Borders (EWB), and a dodgeball tournament, hosted by the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), offered students non-technical competitions to flex their teamwork skills and have fun.
The sweat continued from athletic competitions to a hot wings contest organized by the Biomedical Engineering Society, challenging students with a series of questions and escalating hot sauces. And for those with the need for speed, Marquette Eagle Racing’s pinewood derby offered a miniature car race on a custom-built ramp in the Discovery Learning Lab.
Engineering Cake Wars, one of the most anticipated events each year, challenged teams to design and decorate cakes using only DIY tools like 3D printed knives, custom wooden spatulas and more. This year’s cakes are listed below and featured in a photo gallery:
- a Marquette-themed rocket
- a blue and gold heavy-duty truck
- a Marquette-themed Lego minifigure
- a tribute to Minecraft for sparking early childhood interests in building and design
- a lightbulb inspired by 1989 alumnus Chuck Swoboda’s innovative work behind the LED lightbulb
- a noteworthy portrait of Dr. Mark Federle, associate dean for academic affairs in the Opus College of Engineering
Social and community-building events
E-Week is all about celebrating Marquette’s engineering community, and student organizers planned plenty of opportunities for engineers to gather and connect.
The week kicked off with free pancakes served by engineering faculty and staff and another free breakfast later in the week provided by Marquette’s chapter of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and Marquette Rocketry.
Root beers with Engineers (for all students) and Beers with Engineers (for students 21 and older) provided a relaxed trivia environment hosted by the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
No Marquette celebration is complete without some blue and gold spirit. The Marquette Engineering Tailgate, co-hosted by Alpha Omega Epsilon, Sigma Phi Delta and Triangle Fraternity, connected alumni, students, faculty and staff in Engineering Hall to build excitement before the Marquette men’s basketball game against St. John’s.
An annual tradition: dancing at the Engineers Ball (E-Ball)
The week concluded with the Engineers Ball at Turner Hall Ballroom, an annual tradition for engineering students to gather for a formal dance event. Over 300 Students celebrated with an evening of dining, music and dancing, marking an exciting end to a week filled with learning, collaboration and community.
By blending professional development with hands-on challenges and social events, Engineers Week reinforced the importance of teamwork, creativity and career growth: cornerstones of Marquette’s engineering experience.
