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Southern Miss 2008 Sigma Pi Sigma inductees include, front row, left to right: Mallika Dhar, Kileigh Peturis, Alina Gearba. Back row: Dwana King, James Stephens, Tyler Reese, Tyler McCleery, Kyle Fortenbery, and Manion Anderson. Not pictured, Matthew Beam, Randy Buchanan, Hironori Shimoyama.
Sigma Pi Sigma president Dr. Ann Viano places a lapel pin on new inductee Tyler McCleery.
All attendees at the induction ceremony are pictured here.

The University of Southern Mississippi chapter of the Society of Physics Students in May inducted 12 new members into the physics honor society, Sigma Pi Sigma, bringing the total number of Southern Miss Sigma Pi Sigma members to 126.

The spring 2008 undergraduate inductees were Manion Anderson, Kyle Fortenberry, Tyler McCleery, Kileigh Peturis. Graduate students were Matthew Beam, Mallika Dhar, Dwana King and Tyler Reese. Faculty members include Randy Buchanan, Alina Gearba, Hironori Shimoyama and James Stephens. The event was attended by current SPS members, students and faculty, family and friends.

Dr. Ann Viano of Rhodes College, president of National Sigma Pi Sigma, presided over the induction ceremony.  Dr. Chris Winstead, a Southern Miss physics faculty member and alumnus, presented a historical perspective of the Southern Miss SPS and its other chapters, while Dr. Alina Gearba, Southern Miss SPS faculty adviser, presented an overview of the organization’s activities during the academic year.

Founded in 1921, Sigma Pi Sigma is a member honor society of the Association of College Honor Societies and has 75,000 historical members. Its mission is to honor outstanding scholarship in physics; encourage interest in physics among students at all levels; to promote an attitude of service of its members toward their fellow students, colleagues and the public; and provide a fellowship of persons who have excelled in physics.

For information about starting a Sigma Pi Sigma chapter at your institution, contact the SPS national office.