Contents:
What is Sigma Xi?
Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society, is nonprofit membership society of approximately 60,000 scientists and engineers who were elected to the Society because of their research achievements or potential. Founded in 1886, Sigma Xi has more than 500 chapters at universities and colleges, government laboratories and industry research centers. In addition to publishing American Scientist magazine, Sigma Xi awards grants annually to promising young researchers, holds forums on critical issues at the intersection of science and society, and sponsors a variety of programs supporting honor in science and engineering, science education, science policy and the public understanding of science.
Grants-in-Aid of Research
Grants-in-Aid of Research are open to undergraduate students, and requests from all disciplines of science are eligible for consideration. Awards are determined by a committee of Sigma Xi members from a variety of disciplines in the international pool of membership. The committee meets twice a year to evaluate proposals. Deadlines are October 15 and March 15. Committee members do not review applications from their own institutions. Several Hamilton College students have been recipients of these grants, so if you want to learn more about this resource, check out the Sigma Xi web pages for information and for guidelines and the interactive application.
Membership Categories
There are two categories of membership in Sigma Xi: Associate Members and Members. The distinction between these categories is that between evidence of research potential and documented research achievement. Membership in either category is based solely on evidence of research aptitude and achievement, not on scholastic performance as measured by grades or by the possession of any degree. Individuals who have been elected Associate Members at the outset of their research work may subsequently be promoted to full membership.
Sigma Xi is more than a "recognition society" that has the recognition of achievement as its primary purpose. Sigma Xi exists to encourage further scientific research. Because its members are drawn from all branches of science, Sigma Xi gives particular emphasis to the integration of research activities across the spectrum of science, and to the communication of research ideas, methodology, and achievements. [These words from a 1982-83 society brochure continue to be accurate today.]
Membership in Sigma Xi is by invitation
Those who have shown potential as researchers, and who show promise of continued commitment to research, are invited to join as associate members. Full membership is conferred upon those who have demonstrated noteworthy achievements in research. In April of each academic year, full and active members of our chapter nominate Associate Members. More about our chapter's procedures and criteria ...
The Hamilton College Chapter
Hamilton College is fortunate to be among the 51 baccalaureate colleges that have a Chapter of Sigma Xi. Created in 1965 from previous status as a Club, our active membership includes scientists at Hamilton College, Utica College and Colgate University, scientists in industry around Utica, NY and loyal former students who are scattered around the world. Chapter members organize a Poster Session at the beginning of each academic year for presentation of summer research conducted by undergraduates. Our Science Speaker Series that appealed to a regional audience for years has been replaced by an abundance of science department seminars, endowed science lectures, and student presentations of research. The Chapter has celebrated significant anniversaries with poster sessions and speaker events that include and feature alumni scientists during Hamilton College's fall reunions. Members participate indvidually in outreach programs to local elementary and secondary schools and serve as judges in local science fairs. In May we feature the research of our nominees for as the program of our Annual Banquet. We have presented Certficates of Recognition to graduating science students, Teacher Recognition Awards to local secondary and elementary school teachers, Travel Awards to regional science fair winners to assist participation in a national science fair, and Science Support Awards to noteworthy organizers of local Science Fairs.
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President |
Jen Borton [psychology] |
|---|---|
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Vice President |
Tara McKee [psychology] |
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Secretary / Treasurer |
Sue Ann Miller [biology] |
Our chapter initiated 22 new Associate Members, promoted
1 Associate Member to Full Membership, and initiated 2 new
Full Members at our Annual Banquet on the Friday
before the Hamilton College Commencement. This event takes place in the atrium of our Science Center with a program
that features the research accomplishments of new initiates and
includes students' families in the celebration. Chapter member, Wei-Jen Chang served as our Delegate
to the Annual Meeting. His student, Zhe "Jack" Li,
accompanied him and presented a poster of recent research at
the Student Research Conference. The title of their
work and a link to the abstract are listed below The Hamilton College Summer Science
Research Collaborations poster session was held
in the atrium of our Science Center. This event coincides
wth Family Weekend so that parents and siblings can share in
the excitement of the research. Our chapter initiated 23 new Associate Members, promoted
1 Associate Member to Full Membership, and initiated 3 new
Full Members at our Annual Banquet on the Friday
before the Hamilton College Commencement. Our program
features the research accomplishments of our nominees and
includes students' families in the celebration. The Hamilton College Summer Science
Research Collaborations poster session was held
in the atrium of our Science Center. This event coincides
wth Family Weekend so that parents and siblings can share in
the excitement of the research.
 |
New Members and Associate Members at the Hamilton College Chapter Annual Banquet 2008 |
Chapter
member, Eugene
Domack,
the Joel Johnson Professor of Environmental Studies,
presented an invited talk titled "Collapse of the Larsen Ice
Shelf, Antarctica: Climate Forcing, Sediment Record, and
Biotic Consequences" to the Geological Survey of Namibia in
Windhoek, Namibia, on Tuesday, May 27. He
will also lead a field excursion with Paul Hoffman, Sturgis
Hooper Professor of Geology at Harvard University, June 5-13
with participants from the United States, China, United
Kingdom and Australia. Copyright © 2008 The
Trustees of Hamilton College
An article by Professor of Mathematics Robert Kantrowitz '82 appears in the May 2008 issue of the American Mathematical Monthly. The paper, "Yet another proof of Minkowski's inequality," co-authored with Michael M. Neumann of Mississippi State University, offers an alternative proof, based on convexity, to a celebrated, century-old inequality attributed to the German mathematician Hermann Minkowski (1864-1909).
When Wei-Jen Chang attended the 2007 Annual Meeting as our Chapter Delegate he was accompanied by Zhe "Jack" Li, a senior and Hamilton College who presented a poster at the Student Research Conference.
Evolution of Transposable Elements in Spirotrichous Ciliates [Abstract BC-07] p. 75 is p. 15 in the pdf
Zhe Li (Hamilton College), Thomas Coppola (Hamilton College), Thomas G. Doak (Princeton University), Advisor: Wei-Jen Chang (Hamilton College)
