• Join or Renew
  • Give
  • Login
Menu
  • About
    • History
      • Nobel Laureates
      • 125th Anniversary of Sigma Xi
        • Members Talking to Members
      • Sigma Xi Center
    • Value of Membership
    • Connect with Sigma Xi
    • Support Sigma Xi
    • Leadership
      • Current & Past Presidents
      • Board of Directors
      • Regional Directors
      • Constituency Directors
      • Committees
      • Officers
        • Officer Duties
      • Elections
    • Organization
      • Constitution
      • Bylaws
      • Mission
      • Pledge
      • Code of Ethical Conduct
      • Political Advocacy Policy
      • Copyright Information
      • Privacy Policy
      • Refund Policy
      • Terms and Conditions
      • State Fundraising Notices
    • Jobs
    • Sigma Xi Merchandise
    • FAQ
    • Contact Us
    • Annual Report
    • Strategic Plan
    • Public Statements
    • Elections
      • 2024 Election Results
      • 2025 Elections — Call for Nominations
  • News
    • Special Feature: Women In STEM 2023
    • Sigma Xi Today
    • Keyed In Blog
      • About
      • Search Results
      • Join Sigma Xi
        • American Scientist's Blogs
      • Blog Policy
      • Communities
    • News Archive
    • Newsletters
    • In Memoriam
  • Chapters
    • Locate a Chapter
    • Chapter Awards
    • Chapter Program Models
    • Officer Resource Center
    • Start a Chapter
    • Reactivate an Existing Chapter
    • Chapter Grants
  • Meetings & Events
    • International Forum on Research Excellence (IFoRE)
    • Student Research Showcase
    • Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings Fellowship
    • Science Policy Bootcamp
    • Sigma Xience
    • Distinguished Lecturer Adobe Connect Sessions
    • Volunteer
    • Calendar
    • Past Events
      • Past Annual Meetings
        • 2021
          • Annual Meeting and Student Research Conference
            • Student Research Conference
            • Business Meeting
            • Agenda
            • Speakers
            • Conference Tracks
            • Registration Rates
            • STEM Art and Film Festival
            • College and Graduate School Fair
            • Program Committee
            • Become a Sponsor
          • Student Research Showcase
            • 2021 Presentations
            • Competition Timeline
            • Awards
            • Student Resources
            • Information for Judges
            • Abstract Tips
        • 2020
          • Annual Meeting and Student Research Conference
            • Agenda
            • Business Meeting
            • Symposia Tracks
            • Student Research Conference
            • College and Graduate School Fair
            • STEM Art and Film Festival
              • Schedule
          • Student Research Showcase
            • Competition Timeline
            • Abstract Tips
            • Awards
            • Student Resources
            • Information for Judges
            • 2019 Presentations
            • 2020 Presentations
          • Virtual Student Scholars Symposium
        • 2016
          • Student Research Showcase
            • Showcase Registration
            • Google Hangouts
              • Tips for the 2016 Student Research Showcase
            • Resources
          • Networking & Social Events
        • 2018
          • Annual Meeting and Student Research Conference
            • Big Data Symposia
            • Business Meeting
            • Student Research Conference
          • Student Research Showcase
            • Showcase Registration
            • Information for Participating Students
            • Information for Judges
        • 2017
          • Student Research Showcase
          • See the Total Solar Eclipse with Sigma Xi
          • Assembly of Delegates
          • Symposium on Atmospheric Chemistry, Climate, and Health
          • Student Research Conference
        • 2019
          • Student Research Showcase
            • Information for Participating Students
          • Annual Meeting and Student Research Conference
            • Left Nav Links
              • Preliminary Schedule
              • Speakers
              • Student Research Conference
              • Symposia
              • Business Meeting
              • Registration Rates
              • Travel and Hotel
              • Professional Headshots
              • Things to Do
              • Become a Sponsor
              • Promotional Material
              • STEM Art and Film Festival
              • Program Committee
              • Communication Coaching Program
            • Preliminary Schedule
            • Student Research Conference
            • Symposia
            • Business Meeting
            • Policy on Respect
            • Promotional Material
            • STEM Art and Film Festival
              • Schedule
            • Professional Poster Session
            • Welcome Letter from the Executive Director and CEO
  • Membership
    • Becoming a Member
    • Renew
    • Benefits
      • Federal Grant Opportunities
    • Member-Get-A-Member
    • Affiliate Circle
    • Sigma Xi Explorers
    • NPA Joint Membership
    • Sigma Xi Fellows
      • 2020 Fellows
      • 2021 Fellows
      • 2022 Fellows
      • 2023 Fellows
      • 2024 Fellows
  • Programs
    • Ethics and Research
      • Ethics Publications
      • Ethics Events & Programs
      • Resources
      • John F. Ahearne
      • Webinars
    • Grants in Aid of Research
      • Application and Resources
      • Grant Recipients
      • History
      • Special Named Funds
      • Faces of GIAR
      • GIAR Generations: Paying it Forward
      • 100 Years of GIAR
    • Student Research Showcase
    • Critical Issues in Science
      • Energy
      • Ethics
      • Food Safety
      • Human Rights
      • Water
      • UN-Sigma Xi Climate Change Report
      • Evolution Resources
      • Postdoc Survey
      • Diversity
      • Quarterly Conversations
      • Statement on Climate Change
      • Mental Health and Well-Being of Researchers
    • Distinguished Lectureships
      • 2025-2026 Lecturers
      • Past Lecturers
        • 2024-2025 Lecturers
        • 2023-2024 Lecturers
        • 2022-2023 Lecturers
        • 2021-2022 Lecturers
        • 2020-2021 Lecturers
        • 2019-2020 Lecturers
        • 2018-2019 Lecturers
        • 2017-2018 Lecturers
        • 2016-2017 Lecturers
        • 2015-2016 Lecturers
        • 2014-2015 Lecturers
      • Pariser Global Lectureship for Innovation in Physical Sciences
      • Becoming a Lecturer
      • Lectureship Sponsors
      • Chapter Subsidy
      • Hosting a Lecturer
      • Lectureship Visit Report
      • Previously Recorded Q&A Sessions
      • Special Series on COVID-19
    • Prizes and Awards
      • Gold Key
      • Linda Mantel Award
      • William Procter
      • John McGovern
      • Walston Chubb
      • Young Investigator
      • Ferguson Award
      • Honorary Membership
      • Bugliarello Prize
      • Monie Ferst
      • Criteria for Curricula Vitae
      • Submit Award Nominations
      • Kushner Award
      • Wyatt Award
      • Passer Award
    • Research Partnerships
    • STEM Partnerships
      • American Junior Academy of Sciences
      • Conrad Foundation
      • Regeneron ISEF
      • USA Science & Engineering Festival
    • Research Communications Initiative
    • Science Communication
    • Science Cafes
    • Globally Engaged Workforce
      • Globally Engaged Workforce Links
    • SciCommMake
      • #SciCommMake 2022
      • #SciCommMake 2021
      • #SciCommMake: COVID-19
      • #SciCommMake 2020
      • #SciCommMake FAQ
    • American Scientist for High Schools
  • Publications
    • American Scientist
  • Communities

NICHOLAS A. PEPPAS

Present Position

Cockrell Family Regents Chair in Engineering with joint appointments in the Departments of Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering and Pediatrics, University of Texas at Austin

Chapter Affiliation

University of Texas at Austin

Background Information

CV 
Biography

Statement

I remember distinctly the day I found out I had been elected a member of Sigma Xi, at MIT, 48 years ago, and inducted as a graduate student. It was a great honor and Sigma Xi has remained a Society dear to my heart. Yet, so much has changed in the scientific and academic world since then. New important scientific and educational issues have emerged. 

The most important scientific issues facing the world involve assuring a clean water supply, dealing with global warming, addressing the need for an increasing energy supply, dealing with the food supply for a growing world population, and healthcare. In the United States, one could add the priority to deal with deficiencies in K–12 education, scientific literacy for the general public and coming to grips with a decaying infrastructure in the areas of transportation and energy. Finally, there is the issue of increasingly fragile support for basic research which will provide the means to educate our next generation of scientists and engineers.

As a Sigma Xi President, I will seek to encourage faculty in the relevant departments at educational institutions to nominate their deserving graduate students and leaders in government and industry research units to nominate colleagues for membership in Sigma Xi. Instilling the importance of remaining an active part of the Society should be a part of the induction process. Then, it is important for Sigma Xi as a whole to represent itself as a meaningful organization to young researchers through programs and initiatives that recognize the challenges and opportunities in the lives of young researchers. Local chapters can then provide specific programmatic activities that will attract participation by the membership and especially help to retain new initiates. Participation of new members can be increased by strengthening support for research symposia, speaker programs and possibly increasing service learning opportunities with outreach to the local community especially at both ends of the age distribution. It might also be attractive to emphasize programmatic activities dealing with diversity, ethics, career management, overall professional development, etc., to sensitize young scientists and engineers to do what it takes beyond disciplinary skills to be successful leaders in their profession.

As a long term faculty and academic administrator I value diversity. I want to have an impact on the education of the next generation. For me, diversity means increasing minority participation in all areas of science, but it also includes dealing with too small numbers of women in certain areas of engineering. The value of diversity is that different points of view and approaches improve problem solving at all levels. Sigma Xi should have a core goal to increase diversity in the sciences and engineering, and improve the gender gap in all areas. Attention should be given to recognition of progress in these areas both locally and nationally.  Perhaps more explicit programming to increase diversity in local chapters could be encouraged, for example encouraging the National Society of Black Engineers, the National Society of Hispanic Engineers and the Society of Women Engineers (which have extensive local sections) to interact with Sigma Xi and to have graduate alumni of those organizations join the society. Analogs of the two minority organizations focused on the sciences should be targets of opportunity as well.

Sigma Xi has taken a significant step in the decision to sell its office building in the Research Triangle Park. This is an important step and the savings obtained as well as other efficiencies in staff operation should slow the financial decline of the Society. However relief needs to come by bolstering the membership and retention of members in their early years. Local chapters can be effective participants in the retention effort and should be given incentives to acknowledge successful programmatic efforts in this direction. In those areas where major corporations are in proximity of the local section they should be approached for sponsorship of special activities that align with their interests. Most major corporations encourage outreach by their executives on issues such as workforce development regarding K–12 and minority issues including some that foster building the pipeline in science and engineering. Sigma Xi can tie into this activity with creative programming proposals to key corporate decision makers. 

One item that is particularly important to me is the scientific education of the public. This is a well-recognized societal problem and organizations much larger than Sigma Xi are concerned about this as well.  Sigma Xi could do well by partnering with AAAS as well as disciplinary societies and institutes such as ACS, APS, IEEE, AIChE, ASCE, etc., to address this issue. The long term solution is to start at the bottom and support programmatic activity that improves K–12 education and to support STEM initiatives arising at the state and local levels. It might also be possible to develop activities to bring some light on inappropriately controversial subjects with scientific content. Let us think of a venue where such topics as genetic engineering in human health, genetically modified plants, nuclear energy, fracking, alternative fuels, etc. could be discussed in terms of the science and engineering involved along with issues of advantages and disadvantages of such technologies. Partnerships with professional and scientific societies' conferences where researchers present their work will be key in this as well as other aspects of the future of Sigma Xi. In particular, I strongly believe in “convergence”, that is the practice of bringing together scientists and researchers from a wide range of disciplines to solve important problems.

Sigma Xi as a society in the form of its officers, its board, and its capable and dedicated HQ staff, should redouble efforts to understand the make-up of our membership. Approaches to mining the information the Society has on members, current and lapsed (relative to dues paying status) should be further developed to promote deep understanding their professional interests, responsiveness to their needs, and the ability to appeal to their sense of professional responsibility as researchers. There have been significant improvements in using information technology to communicate with members and to encourage communication among members. Such steps should be further emphasized. 


  • About

    • Support Sigma Xi
    • Organization
    • Leadership
    • History
    • Sigma Xi Merchandise
    • Jobs
    • FAQ
    • Contact Us
  • Programs

    • Ethics and Research
    • Grants-in-Aid
    • Critical Issues in Science
    • Lectureships
    • Prizes & Awards
    • Partnerships
    • Science Cafes
    • Globally Engaged Workforce
    • Affiliate Circle
  • Chapters

    • Locate a Chapter
    • Chapter Awards
    • Chapter Program Models
    • Officer Resource Center
  • Meetings & Events

    • International Forum on Research Excellence (IFoRE)
    • Student Research Showcase
    • Past Events
    • Volunteer
  • Members

    • Join / Nominate
    • Renew
    • Benefits
    • MembersOnly
  • News

    • Sigma Xi Today
    • Keyed In Blog
    • News Archive
    • Meet Your Fellow Companions
    • Newsletters
    • Members in the News

    Publications

    • American Scientist
    • Chronicle of The New Researcher
Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society

For USPS mailings: P.O. Box 13975, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
For packages & in-person visits: 700 Park Offices Drive, Suite 160, Research Triangle Park, NC 27713

  • Phone: 800-243-6534 or 919-549-4691
  • Fax: 919-549-0090
  • Privacy Policy
  • Refund Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • State Fundraising Notices
  • Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved.