Towson Chapter

What is Sigma Xi?

Sigma Xi was founded in 1886 as an honor society for science and engineering. Today, it is an international research society whose programs and activities promote the health of the scientific enterprise and honor scientific achievement. There are nearly 90,000 Sigma Xi members in more than 500 chapters at colleges and universities, industrial research centers and government laboratories. The Society has its headquarters in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

In addition to honoring scientific achievement, Sigma Xi also endeavors to encourage support of original work in science and technology and promote an appreciation within society at large for the role research has played in human progress. During its centennial celebration in 1986, Sigma Xi adopted an additional mission: to foster worldwide interactions among science, technology and society.

The Towson Chapter includes the entire north Baltimore region, with members at Towson University, Goucher College, Loyola College, College of Notre Dame of Maryland, McCormick, SAFT, Aberdeen Proving Ground, plus some retired scientists.

What does it do?

The Towson Chapter holds about one seminar meeting per month during the academic year plus a late spring luncheon to induct and honor new members affiliated with the Chapter.

All seminar meetings are open to any interested students or faculty. You do not have to be a member to attend seminars or participate in the student poster session.

Please ...
click on the date to view a poster for each seminar, then print it out and post it in your area.

Seminars for Fall 2008

Refreshments and socializing will usually occur at 3:15 pm, and the talk(s) at 3:30 pm. Further details or changes of time and place will be listed here, so check from time to time. For further information about location and parking, call (410-704-3124) or e-mail Dr. Colleen Sinclair.


Date	Speakers	Topic	Location

Who is responsible?

Executive Committee 2008-2009

Office
President and Program Chair	Dr. Michael Adess, U.S. Coast Guard
President-Elect
Secretary and Membership Chair
Treasurer	Dr. James Hull, Biology - retired, TU

Can I be a member?

The Benefits of Active Membership:

The prize-winning magazine American Scientist, whose articles are far more diverse and readable than those of competing magazines, while providing insights for scientists into their colleagues’ fields.
The opportunity to honor and encourage junior scientists by nominating them for membership in Sigma Xi, the scientific honorary society; Sigma Xi was started by scientists and engineers at Cornell University over 100 years ago as the science equivalent of Phi Beta Kappa and still serves that role.
Sigma Xi dues and donations support a program of small grants in aid of research; both associate and full members are eligible for these grants and the application process is quite simple.
Sigma Xi also gives awards every year to scientists and honorary memberships to friends of science such as science writers and politicians.
Sigma Xi’s strength is its network of chapters around the world, which meet to discuss their scientific research, and to honor and encourage promising young scientists with prizes and membership in the Society. It is much in demand by government for independent scientific advice. Become part of this international organization of research enthusiasts.

For more information about the Society, contact Sigma Xi’s international office in Research Triangle Park, NC.

A Note to Inactive Members:

Some of the readers of this page may be inactive members - you were elected but stopped paying your dues, part of which supported the Towson Chapter activities. Remember how you were honored and encouraged by your election, and reactivate your membership so that you can nominate others and give their careers a boost.

The Process:

Membership in Sigma Xi, like that in other honorary societies, is by invitation. The process begins when you are nominated by two active full members; you will be considered for election by the Chapter Membership Committee and, if approved, will finalize the election by paying your first years dues and participating in an induction ceremony. There are two categories of membership. Associate members have shown promise of excellence in scientific research by their actions and attitudes in directed independent projects, for example in undergraduate or graduate research. Full members have demonstrated excellence in scientific research, for example, by earning a PhD or performing and publishing independent research (associate members are “promoted” when they do independent research). If you were elected an associate member, and have since done independent research, whether you have earned a PhD or not, you may be eligible for promotion to full membership. Science is broadly defined by Sigma Xi to include all those fields where scientific methods are employed, including: the traditional sciences such as biology, chemistry, geology, physics; all fields of engineering; mathematics and computer science; anthropology, archaeology, economics, psychology, sociology; health. If you are active in scientific research and/or teaching others to do scientific research and wish to be nominated, please look at the nomination form for the criteria for membership and/or ask one of the members of the membership committee for more information.

The membership committee has representatives conveniently located near you. It is their responsibility to make sure that no scientist, junior or established, is overlooked for the honor of membership. Late in the fall they will meet to gather ideas and nominations. If you wish to nominate someone, download the nomination form and send the completed form to the Chapter Secretary or one of the Membership Committee members below.

This page created by L. M. Sweeting and is currently maintained by C. Sinclair. Suggestions and comments are welcome. Last update May 26, 2009.