1999-2000 Chapter Program Awards
Program Awards are awarded to chapters that have organized or hosted a single, outstanding program during the past year. Below are highlights from the chapters.
The Louisiana State University Chapter sponsored a scientific writing prize awarded to undergraduate and graduate students to encourage and recognize high quality writing in the sciences with the goal of better commucating scientific discovery to scientists and the public.
The Middle Tennessee State University Chapter sponsored its annual Expanding Your Horizons in Math and Science program; a daylong conference designed to introduce more than 250 middle school girls to careers in science, math, engineering and technology.
A primary purpose of the Pace College Chapter's annual ethics forum is to encourage students to become critical thinkers as they confront cutting edge issues in research. The forum also acknowledges the importance of these issues and the fact that university campuses are the best, most logical places for these discussions to happen.
The San Diego Chapter initiated eight full members associated with various scientific research institutions in Ensenada and hopes they will form the nucleus to found Sigma Xi's second chapter in Mexico.
In the University of Calgary Chapter's High School Enrichment Program, 40 academically advanced seniors spent one school day a week, for up to five months, in university labs working side-by-side with professors and/or graduate students on individual or group projects. At the end of the year, students received Sigma Xi certificates of achievement at a symposium where they present their research.
The University of New Mexico Chapter hosted 10 Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecturers (one per month) from all over the country for its Public Talks in Science and Society series, which has been rated the best program on campus for the past 11 years.
The Whitman College-Walla Walla College Chapter started a science book club last year and also developed an e-mail distribution list to which anyone interested can subscribe. Notices were sent out to area doctors, teachers, friends and the entire Whitman College faculty, which resulted in a good cross-section of people interested in science.