In the fall semester of 1987, Carlos Menjivar of Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the oldest known Latino fraternity, realized there was a need for more Latino representation in engineering at Stony Brook University. Together, he and Luis A. Gomez envisioned an organization that would unite, support, and empower Latinos in the engineering field. With the support of the Engineering department, their first meeting in 1995 was a huge success and the Stony Brook University professional chapter of the Society of Hispanic Engineers (SHE) was born. By unanimous vote, their first Executive Board was elected:

President Luis A. Gomez

Vice President Orlando Montan

Treasurer Annette Pamis

Secretary Malbin Mendoza

Public Relations Managers Lily Liy and Jorge Resto.

The organization would go on to host field trips and professional guest speakers so students would have the opportunity to network and build relationships with individuals in their prospective industries. Collectively, they worked on increasing the number of Hispanic engineering students on campus, providing guidance and aid so that these students could flourish and complete their education.