Purdue IE senior to serve as national chairperson for National Society of Black Engineers
Thousands of eyes at the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) 2026 annual convention in Baltimore watched Casey Williams II take the stage in anticipation in March 2026. What would the new national chairperson say first?
The first thing Williams — who studies industrial engineering at Purdue — expressed on the national platform was gratitude. And then excitement for the future.
As national chairperson, Williams will lead NSBE’s strategic direction while working with both national and global partners. Williams will develop the national programs, objectives and directives of the society, recommend national projects and initiatives, and monitor their development to ensure NSBE’s advancement as a resource, connection point and leadership education ground.
Seeing a Purdue engineering student step into leading one of the largest student-led organizations in the U.S. is an inspiring moment, said Purdue’s NSBE chapter advisor Tamara Markey.
“Moments like this matter,” said Markey (BSIE ’94, MSIE ’16), director of Engineering Student Success. “They remind us that leadership is not just about position, but about service, vision and the courage to step forward.”
Williams is the fourth Purdue student elected national chairperson, following John Carson, Virginia Booth and Darryl Dickerson. NSBE’s national membership spans over 700 chapters and has a global membership surpassing 24,000 chapters. Founded in 1975 at Purdue, NSBE provides support to engineers, from undergraduate to corporate careers, to become global leaders and enhance education for K-12 students. It’s one of the only national societies that has a student leader.
Williams has been a consistent presence in NSBE’s mother chapter at Purdue since his arrival on campus in fall 2022. The chapter played “a defining role” in Williams’ college journey, starting with his introduction to NSBE while attending Engineering Academic Boot Camp (EABC).
Mentors and staff at EABC introduced Williams to the mother chapter and encouraged involvement in NSBE for opportunities and communities. EABC’s most crucial lesson for Williams — that good engineering work and leadership are a team effort — only inspired Williams to become an involved member and leader in NSBE.
Whether Williams was studying for a test or preparing for a conference experience, he leaned on his NSBE teammates during late nights, early mornings and everything in between.
“The society helped carry me through academically and personally challenging moments, and it surrounded me with people who showed me what was possible and that I belong,” Williams said. “I ran (for national chair) because NSBE has given so much to me, and I believe deeply in doing the work to ensure it continues to grow, serve and transform lives for years to come.”
Williams became a senator for NSBE in summer 2023, acting as a consistent voice for the Purdue chapter — the mother chapter of the national organization — in regional and national votes for amendments and elections. After one year as a senator, Williams was elected to join the Region IV executive board, which encompasses the Midwest. As membership chair for the region, Williams acted as an overseer to regional chapters’ development and membership initiatives. He also served on the region’s awards and membership committees, helping implement national awards competitions in the region and leading membership drives to expand participation. Williams later served as the 2025–2026 Region IV chairperson, during which time Region IV was crowned region supreme at the NSBE Annual Convention.
And now is preparing to lead NSBE as the national chairperson beginning May 1, 2026.
“A successful vision is one that people can see themselves in, and that’s exactly what my platform was about: our members,” Williams said. “Our members deserve sustainable direction, reliable support and leadership that listens. They deserve a NSBE that is modern, unified and designed to empower every stage of our community.”
