KINGSTON, R.I. –May 7, 2008—Twenty-one undergraduate and graduate students along with some of their professors were inducted into the University of Rhode Island’s chapter of Sigma Xi, the oldest and largest society of research scientists and engineers in the world. Induction ceremonies were held during a banquet last month. Two of the members inducted were presented awards for their outstanding dissertations (see below.) Criteria for the full and associate membership follow:

Full Membership is conferred upon an individual who has shown noteworthy achievement as an original investigator in a field of pure or applied science or engineering. The Committee on Qualifications and Membership generally requires at least two first-authored, refereed papers or patents, one of which can be a doctoral dissertation.
 Associate membership is available to any individual who has, through initial research achievement in a field of pure or applied science, shown an aptitude for research, as evidenced by independent investigation ordinarily resulting in a written report.


URI’s Sigma Xi Inductees

Inducted Associate members, disciplines, and hometowns 


Sheekela Baker-Yeboah, graduate student, Graduate School of Oceanography, hometown N/A.


Kerri Lynn Barton, undergraduate student, cell and molecular biology, Saunderstown. 


Christos Sotirios Dimos, graduate student, biological sciences, North Kingstown.


Chessa Ann Goss, graduate student, biological sciences, Kingston.


Stephanie Guertin, graduate student, biological sciences, hometown N/A.


Jarren C. Kay, graduate student, biological sciences, Narragansett.


Vandana Devi Nandivada, graduate student, biological sciences, Kingston.


Veronica L. Reinhart, graduate student, biological sciences, Niantic, Conn.
 


Inducted Full members, disciplines, and hometowns


Magdalena Andres, graduate student, Graduate School of Oceanography, Jamestown.


Kristine Marie Bovy, faculty, sociology and anthropology, Kingston.


Wiehrs Lewis Collier, graduate student, computer science, Saunderstown. 


Shannon Page Gerry, graduate student, biological sciences, Newport.


Laura A. Meyerson, faculty, natural resources science, Kingston

Junsheng Nie, graduate student, Graduate School of Oceanography, Narragansett.


Jae-Hun Park, graduate student, Graduate School of Oceanography, hometown N/A

Matthew Preiss, graduate student, College of Engineering, Westerly.


Dina A. Proesto, postdoc, fisheries, animal and vet. science, hometown N/A.


Cheryl Ann Denesha Wilga, faculty, biological sciences, Kingston.


Yuyu Zhou, graduate student, natural resources science, Kingston.


Ang Xiao, graduate student, chemistry, Kingston





Outstanding dissertation awards:


Shannon Gerry for life sciences, Biological Sciences Department, Newport.


Yuyu Zhou for physical and quantitative sciences: Natural Resources Science Department, Kingston.