Few years pass without another honor for TechSHRM, and 2022 is no exception

The Sherman Award, given by the New York City chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) in honor of the late Harry Sherman, the chapter's first president and a major supporter of human-resource education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, is bestowed annually upon a student in recognition of their leadership and service to the organization.

Sansaptak De (’23), the president of TechSHRM, NYU Tandon’s student chapter, recently became the latest recipient of the prestigious award. A master’s candidate in the Management of Technology program, De took over leadership at a difficult time, inheriting the chapter as the omicron virus surged, many executive board members were stepping down, and new members were hard to attract.

He designed and deployed a professional HR approach to recruitment, evaluation, selection and onboarding of new E-board members that ultimately led to the formation of a new, seven-member board that some observers deemed the most competent and adept in the chapter’s 35-year history. Additionally, he established a committee devoted to programming and marketing events so timely and relevant that they attracted scores of attendees. Among the most successful of these was “The Great Resignation: How Analytics Can Help,” presented at the 11th Annual Conference on Human Capital Innovation in Technology & Analytics in April 2021. Featuring guest speakers from Accenture, Johnson and Johnson, and Microsoft, among other companies, the event attracted more than 300 participants from at least two-dozen countries around the globe.

It was Professor Emeritus Hal Kaufman, the founder of TechSHRM in 1987 and its advisor ever since, who nominated De for the honor, writing: “During my life-long career as an educator and faculty advisor, I have come across many outstanding students who have grown to become leaders in diverse fields related to HR. However, Mr. Sansaptak De stands out amongst all.”

Kaufman praised De’s “exemplary dedication, leadership, and responsibility” and pointed out that in addition to the TechSHRM presidency, he had taken on the vice-presidency of NYU’s Society of Automotive Engineers Student Chapter, as well as several community-service and philanthropic projects, and maintained a stellar GPA at the same time.

“I’m very grateful for Professor Kaufman’s nomination and kind words,” De says, “and I’m proud to keep TechSHRM’s winning streak going.”