Two candidates are competing to take on the role of President of the Engineering Society (EngSoc) next year.
Jaya Nookala and Jordan Belainsky, both Sci ’26, sat down with The Journal to speak about their experiences, platforms, and goals if elected.
The President of EngSoc’s responsibilities include being the society’s primary representative and overseeing the Directors of Academics, Professional Development, First Year, and External Relations.
Jaya Nookala
Running on three pillars of enrichment, community, and advocacy, Nookala, an engineering physics and applied physics and materials student, cites her positive experiences within the society as her reason for running for president,
For her community pillar, Nookala emphasized the importance of the connections formed during Orientation Week. She aims to build on that foundation by integrating those communities into EngSoc, ensuring the society continues to grow and thrive.
Nookala was EngSoc’s orientation chair for the class of 2028, where she was responsible for overseeing all of Orientation Week, like the Grease Pole and ensuring both weekends ran smoothly.
“That [role] made me feel like this is a society that has given me so much, and I’m ready to give back to it. It felt like the natural next step […] not to just graduate and move on with my life, but to stay behind and see what good I can do,” Nookala said.
Nookala explained EngSoc should enrich all students’ experience in some way and, if elected, she’ll focus on providing activities or opportunities to improve on soft skills—skills which aren’t developed in class. She encourages engineering students to participate in alternative activities in addition to their usual academics.
Another large priority for Nookala is making sure all students under EngSoc feel it was built by those who are participating in it themselves. She credits EngSoc with building her confidence—an experience she hopes to share with others.
Nookala asks engineering students to prioritize leaders who are willing to hear their concerns and “shake things up.”
Jordan Belainsky
Belainsky, a mechanical engineering student, said he’s always eyed the role of EngSoc president, as he sees it as a leadership opportunity, unlike an internship at a company.
Basing his platform on three pillars, including academic advocacy, empowerment, and transparency, Belainsky reflects on his engagement within EngSoc. Belainsky’s notes working on initiatives under the First Year portfolio, where he helped plan events such as the Iron Pin Ceremony, acted as an orientation executive, and is the current vice-president (events) for the Mechanical Discipline Club.
If elected, Belainsky’s top priority is the Smith Engineering donation. He notes the current student liaison team, selected by the faculty, consists of four students but includes no one from the Chemical Engineering discipline. He wants to replace the appointed team with 10 elected students to ensure all disciplines, including Chemical Engineering, have their financial needs represented.
However, Belainsky acknowledged achieving this may be difficult and a more realistic option would be to strive to connect the existing team with the EngSoc director of Academic Affairs to allow input from all engineering students with different backgrounds.
Belainsky sees room for improvement in EngSoc’s transition process, aiming to provide better resources and incentives, such as gift cards to The Tea Room, to improve the transition of each role to the incoming executives.
Additionally, he wants to improve transparency within EngSoc council, the highest decision-making body within the society that consists of 36 voting and is open to all undergraduate engineering students, suggesting a centralized platform with videos or presentations to help students navigate the council’s processes.
The debate for President and Junior Senator will take place on Jan. 22 at Beamish-Munro Hall at 6 p.m. Election results will be released on Jan. 30.
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