January 22, 2020

By Geraldine Richmond

It’s an exciting time to be a part of Sigma Xi!  As one of the largest and oldest scientific organizations in the world, it has a long and distinguished history of recognizing research excellence and ensuring the vitality of the scientific enterprise. Sigma Xi cannot merely rest on its laurels of the past. It is part of the rapidly changing science and engineering ecosystem that is challenging all professional societies. As the current president of Sigma Xi, I am excited and proud of how the Society’s members and leadership are working to develop pathways for growth.

There are some noteworthy recent successes, new programs, and initiatives that provide examples of our progress and future ahead.

Sigma Xi’s Annual Meeting and Student Research Conference in Madison was a resounding success! With the theme of Our Changing Global Environment, it had an amazing set of speakers and programs to highlight the challenges we face in sustaining life on this planet, and recent research advances and opportunities for addressing these challenges. The high attendance reflected the interest and commitment of Sigma Xi members and other attendees to this important topic.

On Sunday following the meeting, we launched the inaugural STEM Art and Film Festival. Twelve remarkable films competed in three categories—documentary, short film, and animation—addressing topics such as cyborgs, conservation, environmental challenges, math, and science trailblazers. The day-long event showcased 30 pieces of artwork that depicted science through photography, visualization, installation, painting, and drawing. The event was open to the public at no charge and was attended by members of the local community in addition to participants of the Annual Meeting.

A new Graduate School Fair was also added to the meeting. This gave attending undergraduate students the opportunity to learn about graduate programs at the institutions that participated in the event. It was a great start with 11 STEM departments from around the country represented.  

Sigma Xi’s award-winning American Scientist  magazine continues its prominence in the science publishing realm and through its online presence with blogs and social media. The fantastic special issue produced in the fall on “The Future of Water” is one that I encourage all to read.

I am excited about the launch of the new Sigma Xi Fellows distinction that will honor members for distinguished service to the Society and contributions to areas such as research and development, outreach, teaching and curricular innovation, mentorship, science advocacy, or leadership. The inaugural cohort of Fellows will be honored at the 2020 Annual Meeting.  

We continue to support student researchers through our Grants in Aid of Research Program (GIAR). Twenty-one undergraduate students, 17 master’s students, and 57 doctoral candidates were selected to receive grants. The awardees are from 33 states as well as Argentina, Canada, Mexico, Nigeria, and Spain. We are grateful for several recent gifts that will increase our capacity to support the research of underrepresented groups in STEM.

Sigma Xi has launched two new initiatives that I am also excited about. The first aims to increase the diversity of Sigma Xi membership and reinforces its commitment to diversity by supporting and promoting inclusivity at STEM organizations. The second is the formation of a Committee on Scientific Conduct and Professional Ethics that shall determine the process for reporting and adjudicating acts of harassment, including but not limited to, sexual, gender, bullying, racial, cultural, religious, political, age, and disability committed by members of the Society. Further, this body shall establish policies and procedures related to general member scientific misconduct and violations of professional ethics, as defined by and representative of the Society’s values. 

And finally, we should all be grateful for the excellent leadership of Sigma Xi CEO Dr. Jamie Vernon, the incredible staff at Sigma Xi, and all the dedicated members who work tirelessly and creatively to increase Sigma Xi’s leadership and prominence in the global STEM enterprise. 

Geraldine Richmond is the president of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society.