Bringing Standards into View: How ANSI Members Are Reaching Students and Emerging Professionals

With the fall semester coming to an end and students setting their sights on internships and jobs for the coming year, the standards community is tackling a timely question: how do we connect with the next generation?

Standards work remains largely invisible to students, even as demand grows for the skills it requires. A 2025 NIST-funded report from Georgia Southern University notes that many students graduate from engineering programs with minimal exposure to technical standards.

Yet from engineering, technology, and other STEM positions to policy and public safety, standards-related careers offer young professionals a direct hand in the safety, quality, and reliability of the products and systems people depend on. As part of its ongoing coverage of the emerging professional pipeline, ANSI is spotlighting how its members are creating pathways through scholarships, competitions, curriculum development, and hands-on training, while encouraging broader, more diverse participation in standards work.

Recent examples include:

Gaining Insights from Hands-On Experiences

• NIST is accepting applications for its 2027 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF), which places undergraduates in NIST laboratories in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and Boulder, Colorado, for hands-on research alongside world-class mentors in the measurement science that underpins standards.

  Past SURF students have helped improve MRI technology and studied medications. The paid program runs nine to eleven weeks beginning in June, with limited housing and travel assistance available for students who need to relocate. Full-time undergraduates at accredited two- and four-year U.S. colleges who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents are eligible, including first-year students and graduating seniors. Access applications through USAJOBS: SURF Gaithersburg | SURF Boulder.

• SAE International launched the CivicProgress Challenge this year, a multiyear student design competition focused on improving mobility for wheelchair users and people living with disabilities.

  Students use computer-aided design (CAD) software, simulation tools, and hands-on engineering to develop practical solutions that enhance mobility, independence, and overall user experience.

  “The future of mobility must be accessible to everyone,” said Alicia C. Bott, STEM education program developer, SAE International. “The CivicProgress Challenge gives students the opportunity to apply their skills to meaningful, real-world problems while helping shape a more inclusive transportation ecosystem.”

Recognition Through Scholarships and Awards 

• ASHRAE awarded forty-seven society scholarships totaling $225,200 for the 2026–2027 academic year, recognizing students pursuing careers in engineering and the built environment. Awards ranged from $3,000 to $12,500 and supported students in mechanical, architectural, electrical, and nuclear engineering, as well as building science and HVAC&R technology.

  “The future of our industry depends on the talent, curiosity and determination of the next generation,” said 2026–27 ASHRAE president Sarah E. Maston. Students applying next year should note that ASHRAE has consolidated its application deadlines into a single date: April 1, 2027.

• The American Water Works Association (AWWA) honors up to five members age 35 and under each year with its 5 Under 35 Outstanding Young Professional Award, recognizing leadership and service in advancing young professionals across the water sector.

ANSI Programs for Students and Emerging Professionals 

• Through its Committee on Education, ANSI offers a Request a Speaker on Standards program for professors and instructors at any U.S. college or university. Faculty can bring a subject-matter expert into the classroom to illustrate how standards shape a given technology, field, or sector.
  
  
• ANSI invites high school and college students to explore the role of standards in everyday life through its annual Student Paper Competition, now in its sixteenth year. Entries examine how standards touch everything from technology and safety to infrastructure and communication, and top submissions earn cash prizes. Submit entries for the 2027 competition by June 11, 2027.
  
  
• The U.S. National Committee (USNC) to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), a committee of ANSI, runs a Young Professionals Competition that offers emerging professionals the opportunity to attend the annual IEC Young Professionals (YP) Workshop—where early-career professionals from around the world build the skills and connections to take part in global standardization. 
  
  This year, Courtney Beringer, ORISE Marine Energy Fellow; Jillian Mammino of UL Standards & Engagement; and Zachary Thilges of UL Solutions will represent the U.S. at the workshop, held November 16–20 in Hamburg, Germany, alongside the 90th IEC General Meeting.

Tell Us How You’re Involved!

Does your organization help young talent get involved in standards? Let us know. ANSI is looking to spotlight more examples in its ongoing series.