Interdisciplinary Honors Society Celebrates 60 Years on Campus

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas chapter of Sigma Xi, the international honor society of scientific and engineering research, will celebrate its 60^th anniversary with a reception at 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 17, at the Garden Room on Dickson Street.

“We have invited our current members, new inductees and past officers,” said Douglas Rhoads, chapter president and professor of biological sciences in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. “Our interdisciplinary honors society has seen hundreds of members over the years, and we hope to gather as many as possible for this milestone.”

The university’s chapter of Sigma Xi inducted 124 members at its charter meeting on April 18, 1953. In 1978, the society established the Aubrey E. Harvey Graduate Research Award. The annual cash award is made to the member graduate student who has performed the most outstanding research on campus during the preceding year. The group established the John Imhoff Outstanding Research Publication Award in 2005 to recognize the best research paper published by an active faculty member during the previous year.  This year, the chapter was one of seven nationwide that was recognized for a National Program Award for development of a Science Café, for sharing scientific information with the public.

The awards are announced at the society’s annual spring banquet. This year, they will part with tradition for an initiation and awards reception.  The drop-in event will run from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. with remarks and presentations at 6 p.m.

All current and former Sigma Xi members are invited to attend. Please email Douglas Rhoads at drhoads@uark.edu or Kimberly Smith at kgsmith@uark.edu or call the department of biological sciences at 479-575-3251 to register. The event is free of charge, but registrations must be received no later than Friday, April 12.