Honor society reaffirms UTSA’s commitment to research excellence

NOVEMBER 3, 2023 — UTSA has created a chapter of Sigma Xi, one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious research honor societies for scientists and engineers. The installation of UTSA’s Sigma Xi chapter follows the university’s 2021 designation as a Tier One research institution, which aligns UTSA to the top 4% of research universities in the U.S.

Sigma Xi members are nominated to the society and include Nobel Prize winners, National Academy members and American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellows. In all, the organization has nearly 60,000 individual members in 500-plus chapters around the world.

Ten UTSA faculty are founding members of the honor society. Their individual membership in Sigma Xi was pivotal in the creation of UTSA’s own chapter, an effort led by the UTSA Academy of Distinguished Researchers (ADR).

“We are honored to establish a Sigma Xi chapter at UTSA and join a community of our peers of the highest caliber.”

“We are honored to establish a Sigma Xi chapter at UTSA and join a community of our peers of the highest caliber,” said JoAnn Browning, interim vice president for UTSA Research, Economic Development, and Knowledge Enterprise. “The UTSA Sigma Xi chapter formally recognizes the many distinguished members on our campus and represents UTSA’s broad and diverse research ecosystem.”

UTSA is a Tier One research university and a Hispanic Serving Institution specializing in cyber, health, fundamental futures, and social-economic transformation. With an emphasis on transdisciplinary collaboration, innovation and entrepreneurship, the university is leveraging its research and development capabilities to benefit the San Antonio community and the world beyond.

The university’s Sigma Xi chapter will include UTSA students, postdoctoral fellows, active research faculty and independent scientists. In addition to facilitating mentorship, collaboration and professional development, the society will facilitate engagement with other leading researchers from around the world with access to prestigious venues for scientific research presentations.

In the coming months, the UTSA chapter will select its inaugural leadership, comprised of current Sigma Xi members. The chapter will also nominate new members and will contribute to the professional development of UTSA’s research community.

“Sigma Xi has a lengthy and distinguished history in promoting excellence in scientific research and scholarship across the country, and indeed throughout the world,” said Hamid Beladi, chair of the ADR and organizing member of UTSA’s Sigma Xi chapter.

Rena Bizios, biomedical engineering and chemical engineering

James Chambers, molecular microbiology & immunology

Michael Doyle, chemistry

Mark S. Jones, counseling

Sandy Norman, mathematics

(Anson) Joo L. Ong, electrical & computer engineering

George Perry, neuroscience, developmental and regenerative biology

Marissa Wechsler, biomedical engineering and chemical engineering

Alan Whittington, earth & planetary sciences

Jason Yaeger, anthropology