Chapters of Excellence 1998-1999 Awards

Certificates of Excellence are awarded to chapters for overall outstanding activities during the past fiscal year. The activities highlighted below are among a wide range in which these chapters participated.

Alaska–Activities included the Alaska High School Science Fair, mentoring K-12 teachers through "Partners in Science" and graduate students through the AAAS Arctic Science Conference, as well as sponsoring a lecture series on science and society issues.

Ball State University–The chapter sponsored the Annual Student Symposium for undergraduates and graduate students, awarded student research grants and developed a speaker exchange program involving Ball State and other area universities.

Baylor College of Dentistry–In the chapter's Habitat for Science Program, minority high school students attended seminars and were matched with mentors for summer projects. The chapter was a cosponsor of Texas Tri-School Research Day, which included a graduate student research symposium and competition.

Clemson University Chapter–The chapter was involved in the promotion of research at the high school, undergraduate and graduate levels. Its High School Research Grants Program is conducted jointly with the University of South Carolina and the Central Savannah River Chapter of the South Carolina Academy of Science.

Grove City College Chapter–Among other activities, the chapter held lunchtime workshops, fostered independent undergraduate research projects and participated in an undergraduate chemistry student program for local pre-school children called "Chemistry is Fun."

Howard University Chapter–The chapter's popular "Science Discovery" program brings minority middle school students to campus for a Saturday of hands-on science. A chapter delegation also visited Congressional representatives, and chapter members served as science fair judges and advisors for science clubs.

Kansas State University Chapter–Among other activities, chapter members attended state board of education hearings on revising science standards for K-12 classrooms and testified for strengthening the standards and maintaining an emphasis on evolution as the central theory of biology.

McGill University Chapter–The chapter coordinated celebrations in honor of National Chemistry Week, including a week-long lecture series to capacity audiences on such wide-ranging topics as "Chemistry and Literacy: Scientific Writing in Quebec" and the "Chemistry of Explosives: From Black Powder to Space."

Middle Tennessee State University Chapter–The chapter continued its support of Scientia, a student-run, electronic research journal, as well as an annual graduate research symposium and lecture series. The chapter also cosponsored the Expanding Your Horizons Conference for girls ages 9-16 and a Women in Science lecture series on campus.

Ohio State University Chapter–Seven past chapter presidents were among those attending the chapter's 100th anniversary celebration this year. Speakers included new OSU President William Kirwan and Sigma Xi Executive Director Peter Blair. The chapter also gave special recognition to undergraduate and graduate students who had received research awards.

Pace University–In addition to sponsoring a lecture series and mentoring teachers and students, the chapter was a cosponsor of the Bioethics Forum III: Environmental and Legal Issues in Research and hosted a popular student Science Day at the university.

Quinnipiac–In addition to being a community resource for speakers, project consultants and science fair judges, the chapter also sponsors public seminars and other programs. It organizes, funds and administers the Robert E. Leonard Award and Certificates of Merit for outstanding undergraduate and graduate student research and holds a pre-college research competition.

Rice University-Texas Medical Center Chapter–The chapter joined the national "Partners in Education" program, adopting Northbrook Middle School as a focus for promoting a better understanding of science among sixth- through eighth-graders. Plans call for development of interactive distance learning, with some programs broadcast directly from researchers' labs.

Southern Illinois-Carbondale–The chapter cosponsors Research Day in conjunction with the Illinois Junior Science and Humanities Symposium each spring; honors outstanding science teachers, graduate students and faculty researchers; and holds a diverse public lecture series.

Tifton–In addition to providing all the judges for the Abraham Baldwin College Regional Science Fair and hosting weekly seminars, the chapter initiated the Tift County Underprivileged Children's Program, providing a walking tour of the University of Georgia Experiment Station.

University of Michigan Chapter–Chapter members were among the developers of a faculty forum inspired by the controversial Boyer Commission Report, Reinventing Undergraduate Education: A Blueprint for America's Research Universities. The keynote speaker was study chair Shirley Strum Kenny, president of the State University of New York at Stony Brook.