Iota Sigma Pi () is a national

honor society In the United States, an honor society is an organization that recognizes individuals who rank above a set standard in various domains such as academics, leadership, and other personal achievements, not all of which are based on ranking systems. ...

in the United States. It was established in 1900 and specializes in the promotion of women in the sciences, especially

chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

. It also focuses on personal and professional growth for women in these fields. As with all honor societies, they create professional networks along with recognizing achievements of women in chemistry.

History

Iota Sigma Pi was formed during a period when women gained little recognition for their work; therefore, women began to set up their own awards to highlight their abilities on their resumes. It was created by the merger of three chemistry honor societies for women that were established in the early 20th century.Robson, John, ed. (1963). ''Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities'' (17th ed.). Menasha, Wisconsin: The Collegiate Press, George Banta Company, Inc. pp. 612–613. Agnes Fay Morgan, department

chair A chair is a type of seat, typically designed for one person and consisting of one or more legs, a flat or slightly angled seat and a back-rest. It may be made of wood, metal, or synthetic materials, and may be padded or upholstered in vario ...

of the Department of Household Science and Arts at the

University of California The University of California (UC) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university, research university system in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Oakland, California, Oakland, the system is co ...

, formed Alchemi in 1900. Alchemi spread to the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

and

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

. In 1911, a national chemistry honor society was established at the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...

. A third honor society, Iota Sigma Pi, was established at the University of Nebraska in 1912. The latter two societies merged as Iota Sigma Pi in 1913 and were joined by the three chapters of Alchmi in 1916. The goals of Iota Sigma Pi were to encourage women to pursue chemistry academically, to "stimulate personal accomplishment in chemical fields" and to promote the academic, business, and social lives of its members. It continued to spread across the country, and eventually held meetings for the

American Chemical Society The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 155,000 members at all ...

. Iota Sigma Pi was a charter member of the Professional Panhellenic Association in 1925. In the 1930s, there was an offer of amalgamation from the Phi Lambda Upsilon honor society for male chemists but this was refused. Iota Sigma Pi was briefly a member of the Association of College Honor Societies or ACHS, joining in , but resigned to operate independently in 1963. In 1963, it had 19 active chapters, 8 inactive chapters, and 6,271 initiates.'''' As of 2025, Iota Sigma Pi has chartered 47 chapters and initiated more than 11,000 members. Its national headquarters is based at De Paul University in

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Symbols

Iota Sigma Pi's emblem is a hexagonal key that features a crescent a circle, and the Greek letters .'''' The society's colors are white, gold, and cedar green. Its flower is the white narcissus. Its publication is ''The Iotan,'' first published in 1941''.''

Chapters

As of 2025, Iota Sigma Pi has chartered 47 chapters.

Awards

Professional awards

The highest award from the society is the National Honorary Member which is given to female chemists who have made an exceptional and significant achievement in the field. The certificate is awarded with a prize fund of $1,500. Some of the previous winners include: Marie Sklodowska-Curie, Gerti Cori and

Dorothy Hodgkin Dorothy Mary Crowfoot Hodgkin (née Crowfoot; 12 May 1910 – 29 July 1994) was a Nobel Prize-winning English chemist who advanced the technique of X-ray crystallography to determine the structure of biomolecules, which became essential for ...

. The Violet Diller Professional Excellence Award, named after a previous member (treasurer and president), is awarded for "accomplishments in academic, governmental, or industrial chemistry, in education, in administration, or a combination of these areas". The award consists of a certificate and a $1,000 prize fund. This award was first awarded to Joan P. Lambros in 1984. The Agnes Fay Morgan Research Award is given to women who have achieved in the field of chemistry or biochemistry. The Centennial Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching is given to those who have excelled in teaching chemistry, biochemistry, or a similar subject. The nominee must spend at least 75 percent of their time teaching undergraduates to qualify for the certificate and $500 award.

Student awards

The Anna Louise Hoffman Award for Outstanding Achievement in Graduate Research is given to the nominee who has demonstrated outstanding chemical research. The nominee must also be a full-time graduate student to get the certification and $500 reward. There are two awards for Undergraduate Excellence in Chemistry; one must go to a first-generation student. Again, the reward is a certificate and $500.

Notable members

As of 2025, Iota Sigma Pi has initiated more than 11,000 members.

References

External links

*
Iota Sigma Pi finding aid
{{authority control Student organizations established in 1902 Chemistry societies Chemistry awards Science awards honoring women Professional fraternities and sororities in the United States Former members of Association of College Honor Societies Former members of Professional Fraternity Association 1902 establishments in California