July 03, 2023
With this month's start of fiscal year 2024, Sigma Xi welcomes a new cohort of elected leaders, highlighted by Maria Strojnik, PhD, who takes over the role of president from Nicholas A. Peppas, ScD. Dr. Strojnik spent the first year of her three-year term serving in the president-elect role, preparing her vision for advancing the Society through the upcoming year, including the leading efforts for Sigma Xi's 2nd annual International Forum on Research Excellence (IFoRE), taking place November 10-12, 2023 in Long Beach, CA.
Additionally, eight other newly elected or re-elected leaders will begin new three-year terms this month. The new leaders are listed below and include Kathy Lu, who will begin her year as president-elect, in preparation for serving as the Society's president for fiscal year 2025 . Thank you to these members for volunteering their time, energy, and expertise to Sigma Xi's mission of enhancing the research enterprise, fostering integrity in research, and promoting the public understanding of science.
Dr. Strojnik is a distinguished professor at the Optical Research Institute (Centro de Investigacionesen Optica) in Leon, Mexico. She earned a PhD and an MS degree in Optical Sciences from the Optical Sciences Center at the University of Arizona, the first woman to do so. Earlier, she was awarded MS and BS degrees in Physics from Arizona State University. She also earned an MS degree for completing the Engineering Executive Program at the University of California at Los Angeles. As the third woman in its history, she learned how the social, legal, financial, governmental, personal and personnel issues affect the development and implementation of technological and scientific advancements in our society.
To learn more about Dr. Strojnik and her upcoming plans for the Society, visit her biography page and read her first letter to members, "Sigma Xi Scientists: Building the Future Upon Scientific and Ethical Foundations," on the Sigma Xi Keyed In blog.
Fiscal Year 2024 Elected Officers
President
Marija Strojnik
Affiliation: Membership-at-large
President-elect
Kathy Lu
Affiliation: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Chapter
Director, Members-at-large
Emma S. Perry
Affiliation: Membership at Large
Director, Mid-Atlantic Region
Deborah Good
Affiliation: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Chapter
Director: Northeast Region
Theodora Pinou
Affiliation: Western Connecticut State University Chapter
Director: Research and Doctoral University Constituency Group
Ray Byrne
Affiliation: University of New Mexico Chapter
Associate Director: Area Groups
Elizabeth Ambos
Affiliation: District of Columbia Chapter
Associate Director: Comprehensive Colleges Constituency Group
He Wang
Affiliation: Queens College Chapter
Associate Director: Northwest Region
Allen Thomas
Affiliation: University of Nebraska at Kearney Chapter
Associate Director: Southeast Region
Lei Sun
Affiliation: Georgia Institute of Technology Chapter