TheOhioStateChapter
ofSigmaXi
ScientistsSupportingScience&Engineering
inCentralOhiosince1898
Ohio State Chapter of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society
Sigma Xi is the honor society of scientists and engineers that recognizes scientific achievement. It is our goal to enhance the health of the research enterprise, to foster integrity in science and engineering, and to promote the public
understanding of science. The Ohio State Chapter of Sigma Xi strongly supports students and their research with:
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State Science Fair prizes encourage scientific inquiry and achievement by Ohio high school students, tomorrow’s scientists and voters, with awards to the best team projects and best evolution science projects.
Grants in Aid of Research for undergraduate and graduate scientists support scientific investigation and encourage the development of grant writing skills.
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OSU competition; national competition funded partly by the National Academy of Sciences.
Many scientists today had their start with a grant from Sigma Xi and we count over 200 Nobel Prize
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winners among our members.
Student Innovator of the Year Award recognizes an outstanding student science entrepreneur and is presented
by OSU VP for Research, Caroline Whitacre, during her annual ‘State of Research’ address.
Meet a Scientist encourages bright, interested students to consider a career in science or engineering by connecting OSU scientists (faculty, postdocs, grad students) with K-12 science classes and clubs.
The Annual Sigma Xi Banquet honors undergrad and graduate students who have excelled in OSU science
competitions,connects local scientists and engineers from all disciplines, and presents a Distinguished Sigma Xi
National Lecturer who discusses a topic of broad scientific interest. Held at the Blackwell Hotel in April.
Membership in Sigma Xi recognizes your scientific achievement and potential. It also provides opportunities for you
to connect with other scientists, contribute to your community, and continue to learn, across all science and engineering fields.
• Science Café encourages a scientific understanding of the world through a monthly series of relaxed discussions of popular science topics that are open to everyone and held at the Library for Science and Engineering.
• American Scientist, our award-winning magazine, introduces you to new areas of science and engineering with
articles written by leading scientists and engineers for scientists and engineers outside of their field.
• SmartBriefs updates you daily on the most important and interesting recent science discoveries from all fields
with quick email summaries and links to a more complete story.
• Field Trips feed your scientific curiosity, with the help of expert guides. Recent trips: what it takes to initiate a
Biotech start-up; a visit to Serpent Mound; collecting 450 million year old fossils
• Sigma Xi membership is an honor that helps to build your cv.
• And if you leave Columbus you are likely to find one of the 500 other Sigma Xi chapters at your new university, laboratory or company, and if not, nearby, where you can connect with other curiosity-driven scientists and
engineers who enjoy learning outside their discipline and work to enhance the health of the research enterprise.
Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society, is a national nonprofit, honorary membership society of 30,000 scientists
and engineers. Full members are elected for their achievements in research, associate members for their research potential, and affiliate members for science teaching or communication.
Our Ohio State Chapter was chartered in 1898 as the 8th chapter of Sigma Xi and we have been active ever since.
We are particularly proud that both Mark Peeples, the current President of Sigma Xi, and Linda Meadows, a recent
President, are former Presidents of our Ohio State Sigma Xi Chapter.
For more information visit www.sigmaxi.org and http://sigmaxi.org.ohio-state.edu and our Chapter’s Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/SigmaXiOhioState. Based on your research contributions, any Sigma Xi member can
nominate you for membership. Or contact Ohio State Sigma Xi Chapter President, Larry Feth ( [email protected]).
Sigma Xi is ‘Scientists Supporting Science’
WHY ACCEPT OUR INVITATION?
Congratulations! If you have been invited to accept membership in a collegiate honor society, it means that
you have been recognized for your accomplishments and character. But did you know that the meaning of
the invitation depends on the purpose and stature of the society?
The purpose of Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi, Phi Kappa Phi, and Omicron Delta Kappa as honor societies is to
celebrate excellence in academics and integrity of character. Our societies exist because those who founded
them believed, as we believe still, that there are achievements worthy of celebration: academic work of extraordinary quality, exemplary leadership, and research that advances human knowledge.
Our invitations recognize distinguished performance in study, research, or leadership, sustained over a period
of years. So our invitations are typically extended late in the undergraduate career or even after graduation,
marking the transition from accomplished work of high merit to further exceptional attainment.
Honorifics vary in value, so it is important to find out which ones matter the most. Our societies do not aim
to supply a mere credential: belonging to our societies means more than simply a certification of your grade
point average or your resume. In the wider world, membership in one of our organizations is understood as
an honor that is neither cheaply won nor widely bestowed. And we offer opportunities to continue to learn
and grow in the company of other members of our societies across the country and across generations.
Ask your advisors, mentors, or faculty members about us. We are confident they will tell you what we stand
for. We also encourage you to visit our websites and examine our histories, governance, and programs. Contact our individual national headquarters if you have any questions. If you have been honored with an invitation, congratulations; you are in excellent company. We look forward to welcoming you as a member.
The Phi Beta Kappa Society
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi
Founded at the College of William and Mary, 1776
www.pbk.org
Founded at the University of Maine, 1897
www.phikappaphi.org
Sigma Xi
The Scientific Research Society
Founded at Cornell University, 1886
www.sigmaxi.org
Omicron Delta Kappa
The National Leadership Honor Society
Founded at Washington & Lee University, 1914
www.odk.org