Gamma Theta Upsilon ( or GTU) is an international honor society in

geography Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, an ...

History

On May 15, 1928, a local professional fraternity by the name of Gamma

Theta Theta (, ; uppercase: Θ or ; lowercase: θ or ; grc, ''thē̂ta'' ; Modern: ''thī́ta'' ) is the eighth letter of the Greek alphabet, derived from the Phoenician letter Teth . In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 9. Gr ...

Upsilon Upsilon (, ; uppercase Υ, lowercase υ; el, ''ýpsilon'' ) or ypsilon is the 20th letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, grc, Υʹ, label=none has a value of 400. It is derived from the Phoenician waw . E ...

was formed at

Illinois State University Illinois State University (ISU) is a public university in Normal, Illinois. Founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University, it is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teaching and is recognized as one of th ...

under the guidance of Dr. R. G. Buzzard. Before that it was the Geography Club at Illinois State Normal University. After three years letters were sent out to other geography clubs suggesting the formation of a national fraternity. On May 15, 1931, the organization, consisting of four chapters, was announced. On March 5, 1936, Gamma Theta Upsilon was incorporated, then with ten chapters, as a professional fraternity in geography under the laws of

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

. Gamma Theta Upsilon became an International Honorary Geographical Society in January 1969. The organization is a college honor society, and has been a member of the Association of College Honor Societies since 1976.

Badge

The badge of Gamma Theta Upsilon is a key, significant of achievement of quality in a field of science. The symbolism of the key is as follows: The base or body of the key is a seven sided shield, the bevel of which carries on each side the initial of one of the great land masses of the

earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...

. Beginning with

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

at the top, to the right is

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

and Australia, the great land masses of the Old or Eastern World. To the left on the key is North America,

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...

, and

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest cont ...

, the three great land masses brought into geographical knowledge as man expanded westward from Europe, the so-called

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. ...

. Spread across the base of the key are five wavy blue lines, significant of the five great bodies of water which have carried man out from Europe to the lands of the earth, -the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

, the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by t ...

, the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contin ...

, the

Arctic Ocean The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceans. It spans an area of approximately and is known as the coldest of all the oceans. The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) recognizes it as an ocean, a ...

, and the

Antarctic Ocean The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60° S latitude and encircling Antarctica. With a size of , it is regarded as the second-small ...

or Great Southern Ocean. Above the waves significant of the oceans is placed a white star, symbolic of Polaris, the great guide to man as he pushed out from Europe over the uncharted vastness of the ocean. At the top of the key the Greek-letters, Gamma, Theta, and Upsilon, the initials of the three Greek words, (Ge), (Thalatta), and (Hypaithrios), meaning earth, sea, and atmosphere-placed there to remind you of the three great environmental domains with which

deals.

The purposes of GTU

To further professional interest in geography by affording a common organization for those interested in this field. To strengthen student and professional training through academic experiences other than those of the classroom and laboratory. To advance the status of geography as a cultural and practical discipline for study and investigation. To encourage student research of high quality and to promote an outlet for publication. To create and administer funds for furthering graduate study and/or research in the field of geography.

Chapters and Membership

Local Chapters are chartered by Gamma Theta Upsilon at colleges and universities. A petition for a new chapter must be submitted by the faculty member who will serve as chapter sponsor or by the department chair and a letter of support from the department chair (if not the petitioner) or an appropriate administrator is required. As of December 2012, there are 163 active chapters.chapter list
/ref> Once a chapter has been established, members can be initiated into the society. Initiates must have completed a minimum of 3 geography courses, must have a GPA of at least 3.3 overall and in geography, and must have completed at least 3 semesters or 5 quarters of college course work.

Scholarships

Five scholarships (four for undergraduates and one for a graduate student) are awarded on an annual basis. In evaluating scholarship applications, consideration is given to cumulative GPA, geography GPA, letters of recommendation, the applicant's contribution to local GTU chapter and the department, as well as the applicant's own appraisal of how the scholarship will help him or her personally and professionally. The Scholarships are: * The Buzzard Undergraduate Scholarship * The Maxfield Undergraduate Scholarship * The Rechlin Undergraduate Scholarship * The Richason Undergraduate Scholarship * The Buzzard Graduate Scholarship. Previous recipients of the Scholarships can be found at http://www.gammathetaupsilon.org/scholarships-awarded.html.

Geographical Bulletin

The Geographical Bulletinis a peer-reviewed scholarly journal published twice a year by GTU. Articles concerning any area of geographical interest are solicited from students and faculty. Initiates receive two free issues after initiation and may subsequently renew their subscription.

Visiting Geographical Scientist Program (VGSP)

The Visiting Geographical Scientist Program, funded by GTU and administered by the

Association of American Geographers The American Association of Geographers (AAG) is a non-profit scientific and educational society aimed at advancing the understanding, study, and importance of geography and related fields. Its headquarters is located in Washington, D.C. Th ...

(AAG), provides an opportunity for chapters to host a distinguished geographer on their campus. The visiting geographer will give a lecture on a topic in geography and meet with faculty, students and administrators.

References

External links

Gamma Theta Upsilon, The International Geographical Honor Society

ACHS Gamma Theta Upsilon entry

Gamma Theta Upsilon chapter list at ACHS
{{authority control Association of College Honor Societies Geographic societies Student organizations established in 1931 1931 establishments in Illinois