NOV2026
Speakers confirming
Defense Manufacturing Night
Our first event. What it takes to build hardware for defense, from new defense tech companies to established manufacturers, plus a recent grad on the jump from student to engineer.
// Chapter of the National Defense Society40.7448° N · 74.0240° W · Castle Point, Hoboken
Stevens Institute of Technology · Est. 2026
National Defense Society at Stevens
Built on the Hudson. Headed for the mission.
A student organization connecting Stevens engineers, scientists, and future officers to the people, problems, and companies behind American defense. No clearance or defense background needed.
Chapter statusFall 2026
- Chapter
- Stevens
- Founded
- 2026
- SGA recognition
- Pending
- Interested students
- 30+
- First event
- Nov 2026
MechanicalNaval EngineeringElectricalComputer EngineeringComputer ScienceCybersecuritySystems EngineeringEngineering ManagementPhysicsChemicalMaterialsBiomedicalBusinessFuture Officers
What we do
Four ways into defense
Come to whatever pulls you in. Every program is open to every major and every class year.
Industry
Industry Nights
Engineers and leaders from defense companies on campus, talking about the work and how to get hired into it.
Events ⟶Service
Service Nights
Officers and recruiters explain the paths into uniformed service, from engineering programs to commissioning.
Events ⟶Build
Build & Compete
Real hardware on real deadlines, with project ideas ranging from tunnel boring to counter-drone systems.
Projects ⟶Careers
Careers
Direct lines to the people doing the hiring, plus help getting ready for them.
Partners ⟶Coming up
First on the board
Our first semester of programming. The full schedule lives on the events page.
| Event | Window | Status |
|---|---|---|
Defense Manufacturing Night Joint night with ASME and SAE Aero. | Nov 2026 | Speakers confirming |
Navy Night Navy recruiters on officer programs for engineers. | Date TBA | Recruiters in |
Marine Night A Marine recruiter on the officer path. | Date TBA | Recruiter in |
Our Society
Who we are
The Stevens chapter of the National Defense Society brings students of every background together around a shared interest in national defense and security, to grow academically and professionally and to meet the people who do the work.
Mission
Why we exist
We build collegiate interest in national defense and give members the networking and connections they need to thrive in industry or in uniform. We do it through partnered technical projects, private networking and recruiting events, and talks from industry and military professionals.
Stevens NDS is a chapter of the National Defense Society, Inc., a national student organization with chapters on campuses across the country, led nationally by Cian Mansfield.
How a general meeting runs
- Introduction
Who is in the room and what is on the agenda.
- SITREP
A situation report on current global events and defense news.
- Recap
What the chapter did since the last meeting.
- Announcements
New events and updates to existing ones.
- Look ahead
The calendar for the coming weeks.
- Work time
Teams break out to build, plan, or host a special event.
Who runs it
Executive board
Four seats are open for the founding board. If you want to help build the chapter, reach out.
MF
Michael Folmer
President · Founder
+
Seat open
Vice President
+
Seat open
Secretary
+
Seat open
Treasurer
+
Seat open
Chief Engineer
MS
Mishah U. Salman
Faculty Advisor
Structure
Chain of command
Five elected officers set direction. Appointed directors run programs, and their officers carry the work. Every member votes in spring elections.
NDS NationalLiaison
PresidentElected
Faculty AdvisorAdvisory
Vice PresidentElected
SecretaryElected
TreasurerElected
Chief EngineerElected
RecruitmentDirector
Professional EventsDirector
Social MediaDirector
External RelationsDirector
ProjectsDirector
Officers & Sub-team LeadsAppointed by directors
General MembersOpen to all of Stevens
Why Stevens
Defense work is already here
Stevens has deep roots in defense research. The chapter gives students a front door to it.
SERC
Systems engineering
Stevens leads the Systems Engineering Research Center, a Department of Defense University Affiliated Research Center.
Davidson
Maritime research
Davidson Laboratory has tested ship and submarine models for the Navy and industry for decades.
Hudson
At the center
Across the river from New York, close to New Jersey's defense and aerospace manufacturers.
Events
The op board
Industry nights, service nights, builds, and career fairs. Dates lock once the chapter is recognized and hosts confirm.
| Event | Type | Window | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
Defense Manufacturing Night | Industry | Nov 2026 | Speakers confirming |
Navy Night | Service | Date TBA | Recruiters in |
Marine Night | Service | Date TBA | Recruiter in |
Stevens NDS Hackathon | Build | Spring 2027 | Planning |
Defense Project Competition | Build | Spring 2027 | Concept |
Local NDS Career Fair | Careers | TBA | Concept |
Nationwide NDS Hackathon | Build | TBA | With NDS national |
Host confirmedIn planningConcept
Briefings
What each night looks like
Every event is open to all Stevens students. Come for the talk, stay for the conversations after.
TBAService
Recruiters in
Navy Night
Navy recruiters walk through officer programs open to engineering and science students, and answer the questions most students never get to ask.
TBAService
Recruiter in
Marine Night
A Marine recruiter on the officer path, what the Corps looks for, and where engineers fit in.
SPR2027
Planning
Stevens NDS Hackathon
A short, intense build on real defense problems, with industry mentors in the room. The model for nationwide NDS hackathons.
SPR2027
Concept
Defense Project Competition
One to two months of building, then a judging day with engineers from industry. UAV, small UAS, and submersible tracks.
TBACareers
Concept
Local NDS Career Fair
Defense employers and Stevens students in one room, with resume help beforehand.
Projects
What we'll build
Hands-on hardware with real constraints and real deadlines, reviewed by engineers who build it for a living. Our first teams form in Spring 2027.
00
Active builds
Nothing is flying yet. We have a few ideas to start from, and the first teams get to write the specs and set the standard for every team after them.
Example project ideas
The kind of problems we want to take on
Two early ideas to show the scale we're aiming for. Nothing here is locked in. Final projects are picked by members and approved by the Chief Engineer.
TBM-01 · ISO · REV AConcept model · not to scale
IdeaExample · Subterranean
Autonomous Tunnel Boring Machine
The idea: a small tunnel boring machine that digs, steers, and lines its own tunnel with no one driving it. It navigates underground with no GPS and keeps itself on course.
- Cut
- Rotating cutterhead
- Push
- Thrust and steering actuators
- Guide
- Laser and inertial guidance
- Clear
- Muck removal system
- Goal
- Bore a straight, lined tunnel on its own
If a team takes it on, it could aim for The Boring Company's Not-a-Boring Competition, where student teams from around the world race their own machines.
CUAS-01 · ISO · REV AConcept model · not to scale
IdeaExample · Counter-UAS
Coordinated Turret Network
The idea: a network of turrets that share one picture of the sky and split up an incoming drone swarm, so every turret takes a different target and no shots are wasted on the same drone.
- Sense
- Shared camera tracks
- Decide
- Assign each target once
- Aim
- Fast pan-tilt turrets
- Score
- Hits per shot fired
- Scale
- More turrets, same brain
Any campus version would use safe rounds like foam or laser-tag hits against team-owned targets in a netted area. The coordination software is the real challenge.
Project tracks
Pick a domain
Three tracks for the first defense project competition. Teams can also pitch their own.
UAV-01 · ISO
Track · Air
UAV
Fixed-wing or VTOL aircraft built around a mission: search, delivery, or sensing.
- Scale
- Team of 4–6
- Focus
- Airframe, autopilot
SUAS-01 · ISO
Track · Small UAS
sUAS
Multirotor drones for close-range tasks: inspection, swarming, or payload drops.
- Scale
- Team of 3–5
- Focus
- Flight control, payload
SUB-01 · ISO
Track · Maritime
Submersible
Underwater vehicles and ROVs, a natural fit for Stevens' long history in maritime research.
- Scale
- Team of 4–6
- Focus
- Hull, sealing, control
Flagship
Defense Project Competition
A one to two month build that ends in a judging day. Industry engineers evaluate each project and talk with the teams. Students leave with real hardware for their portfolio, and companies see who can build.
Rules, judging criteria, prizes, and ownership of what teams build are published before the competition opens.
From idea to hardware
- Pitch
Any member brings a problem and a rough plan to a general meeting.
- Approve
The Chief Engineer signs off on scope, budget, and deadlines.
- Staff
A Project Director leads, and picks sub-team leads for each system.
- Build
Weekly check-ins against internal deadlines, with parts tracked by the chapter.
- Demo
Present to industry judges and document it for the chapter record.
Propose a project
Bring us a problem
Any student can propose a build. Partners can bring one too. Every proposal goes to the Chief Engineer for review.
Students
Pitch your idea
Send the problem, what you want to build, what it might cost, and how long it would take. You can also pitch it live at a general meeting.
Partners
Sponsor a build
Have a problem you want students to take on? Start a conversation with us, then send the proposal here with the goal, limits, and timeline.
Partner with us ⟶
Submit a project ⟶
The project form opens soon. Check back, or pitch it at the next general meeting.
Reviewed by the Chief Engineer
For companies, agencies, and the services
Partner with us
Put your engineers and recruiters in front of Stevens students who already want to work on defense problems. Most partnerships start with one evening.
Ways to get involved
Pick one
Whatever you choose, the chapter handles the room, the promotion, and the student turnout.
Speak
Headline an industry night or join a panel with other engineers.
Judge
Evaluate hardware at the defense project competition or the hackathon.
Recruit
Bring recruiters to events and career fairs and meet students one on one.
Host
Open your facility for a site visit so students see the work up close.
Sponsor
Fund parts, prizes, or travel so students can build and compete.
What partners get
Why it's worth it
Stevens students across engineering, science, and business, in one room, already interested.
Early
Early access
Meet students before career fair season, when you can still shape where they apply.
Proof
See the work
Judge real builds and see who can design, test, and finish under a deadline.
Brand
On campus
Your name on events, posters, and the chapter website all year.
Sponsorships
Work with us
Apply to sponsor or partner, or reach out first. Once we're talking, partners can also bring a project for students to build.
For companies & organizations
Become a sponsor or partner
Tell us who you are and how you want to be involved: speaking, judging, recruiting, hosting, or funding.
Apply to partner ⟶The application form opens soon. Check back, or use the contacts on the right.
Rather talk first?
Reach the board
- PresidentMichael Folmer
- PartnershipsExternal Relations · seat open
- Sponsorshipssponsorships@stevensnds.org
Our partners
Who we work with
Confirmed partners, speakers, and services appear here as they sign on.
Partner logo
Partner logo
Partner logo
Partner logo
Partner logo
Partner logo
Want your logo here?
Apply to partner ⟶Partner criteria
Our standards
- Your core values do not conflict with the chapter's or with NDS national's.
- You are in good standing with the U.S. federal government.
- You have no political ties to any foreign government hostile to the United States.
- You are active in national defense or security, directly or through work like manufacturing, cybersecurity, or consulting.
Our Emails
Contacts, budget & SITREP
Where to reach the board, how chapter money is reported, and the chapter newsletter. Write to the right inbox and it reaches the officer who handles it.
Contacts
Live- General questionsinfo@stevensnds.org
- PresidentMichael Folmer · president@stevensnds.org
- Sponsorships & speakerssponsorships@stevensnds.org
- ProjectsChief Engineer · projects@stevensnds.org
- MembershipSecretary · membership@stevensnds.org
Replies within two school days once the inbox is live.
Budget
First report: end of term- Term financial reportPrepared by the Treasurer each term
- Funding sourceStevens SGA and chapter sponsors
- DuesNone at this time
- Budget questionsTreasurer · treasurer@stevensnds.org
Reports are shared with members and with NDS national.
Newsletter
Issue 01 soon- SITREPThe newsletter · sitrep@stevensnds.org
- FrequencyMonthly, with each general meeting
- InsideDefense news, events, openings
- Archivefirst issue coming
Want it? Email sitrep@stevensnds.org to get on the list.
Newsletter preview
SITREP
Named for the situation report that opens every general meeting. One email a month with what matters in defense and what the chapter is doing about it.
SITREP // ISSUE 01 // SAMPLE LAYOUT
01 · Defense news of the month
02 · Recap: last general meeting
03 · Next up on the op board
04 · Open board seats and director roles
05 · Internships and openings from partners
01 · Defense news of the month
02 · Recap: last general meeting
03 · Next up on the op board
04 · Open board seats and director roles
05 · Internships and openings from partners
Join the club
Sign on
Open to every Stevens undergraduate and graduate student, faculty member, and staff member. No application, no clearance, any major, any class year.
How to join
- Find us on DuckLink
Stevens NDS appears on DuckLink once SGA recognition comes through.
- Come to a general meeting
Meet the board and hear the first SITREP.
- Show up to one event
Build, listen, or ask questions. That's all it takes to be active.
Help build it
The founding board still has four open seats: Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Chief Engineer. Directors are appointed each term for recruitment, professional events, social media, external relations, and projects.
Executive board members must be full-time undergraduates in good academic standing, per Stevens SGA rules.
Membership
What being a member means
The chapter constitution keeps it simple.
Open
Anyone at Stevens
General membership has no application and no restrictions.
Active
Show up, get priority
Active members get first access to recruiting and networking events, and vote in elections.
Free
No dues right now
If the board ever sets dues, they start the following term, never mid-semester.