Sigma Xi elects new president

Recently the Murray State chapter of Sigma Xi, a scientific research society, held their annual fall social at Murray State’s Faculty Club.

The social is held in order to designate a president-elect and discuss plan ideas for the upcoming year.

No student members attended the event, and approximately 15 faculty and alumni attended the event.

At this year’s fall social, Lara Homsey, associate professor in the College of Science, Engineering and Technology, was voted Sigma Xi President-elect for the upcoming academic year.

Current Sigma Xi president Maeve McCarthy said that Sigma Xi hosts several different events throughout the year, including the fall social.

“This is a scientific research society, so our goal is to provide opportunities for people to talk about their research and research issues,” she said. “During the spring semester we will run a poster session and then we will also have the dinner, at which some students and faculty will be inducted into the national organization.”

She said the Murray State chapter plans to host an event with the University of Tennessee-Martin.

“It’s a research symposium event, held annually either here or in Martin,” she said. “This coming February it will be in Martin. And that encourages people to go and give presentations about their work in kind of a regional atmosphere.”

The Murray State chapter of Sigma Xi was founded in 1978. Since then, its vision locally has been to support the research of Murray State’s faculty and students, and give them awards and acknowledgement for the research they complete and the things they achieve through that research.

“Students may or may not get publications from their work, and they may or may not be getting a degree in it, but it should be acknowledged,” McCarthy said. “At Sigma Xi, we try and do that. We try to give high priority, support and acknowledgement to the students.”

The national Sigma Xi organization, founded in 1886 at Cornell University, is a non-profit, multi-disciplinary research society whose goal is to promote and honor scientific research and achievement.

The national Sigma Xi organization boasts more than 20 active chapters internationally and more than 350 active collegiate chapters within the United States, including Murray State’s.

Story by Kristen Oakley, Contributing writer.