Sigma Xi Committees

Sigma Xi’s committees serve a vital role in accomplishing the work of the Society. Members may assist committees through providing valuable input and contributions to help achieve the goals.  If you find a committee that you are interested in serving on, please email the staff contact who will gladly update you when vacancies become available.

Committee on Audit Review

(Term runs from November 2023 through November 2024)

The Committee on Audit Review meets twice a year with the Society's financial auditors to discuss the scope and results of their examinations. The committee is charged with establishing and maintaining an open line of communication between the Board of Directors and the auditors, assuring that the accounting procedures and financial controls of the Society adequately safeguard the assets of the Society and the reliability of its financial records and ascertaining that the official auditors do contribute to Sigma Xi any and all of the affirmative comments and suggestions which can be helpful in improving the overall operations of the Society.

Membership: Three members appointed at the Annual Meeting of the Corporation to serve between Annual Assemblies of Delegates for three-year staggered terms. The senior member shall serve as Chair.

Chair: Lida Anestidou
Staff Liaison: Jasmine Shah

Members: 
Darren Mason
Apryll Stalcup

Committee on Audit Review Reports

FY2024 Committee on Awards

The Committee on Awards recommends to the Board of Directors the recipients for the Procter Prize, Young Investigator Award, the John P. McGovern Science and Society Award, the Walston Chubb Award for Innovation, and nominates to the Board of Directors names of individuals to be elected as Honorary Members of the Society.

Membership: The Committee on Awards is a five-member committee of Directors composed of a chair, two geographic regional Directors, and two constituency group Directors. When necessary, the president invites suggestions from the Board for chair of the Committee and, if approved by the Board, the Chair serves a three-year term. Likewise, each year the president invites suggestions from the Board for a geographic regional Director and a constituency group Director to serve on the Committee. If elected, the Directors serve three-year terms on the Committee.

Chair: Bradley J. Swanson
Staff Liaison:  Janelle Simmons

Members:
Dana Baum
Jennifer Patterson
Kathy Lu, ex officio with vote
Marija Strojnik, ex officio with vote

Committee on Awards Reports

FY2024 Committee on Development

The Committee on Development advises the Board of Directors on all matters which concern the development activities of the Society.

Membership: Chair elected by the Board of Directors for a term of three years, together with six other members appointed for three-year terms.

Chair: Daniel Rubenstein
Staff Liaison: Lisa Merritt

Members:
David B. Allison
Mary Bliss
Mukund Chorghade
Kelly Crowe
Cristina Gouin
Tieli (Tilly) Wang
Raghu George

Committee on Development Reports

FY2024 Executive Committee

The Executive Committee acts for the Board of Directors between meetings of the Board in a wide range of areas. It also assists the Board in giving preliminary consideration to matters which do not come within the purview of other committees or where time does not permit referral to the otherwise appropriate committee. The Executive Committee also provides overall supervision of the headquarters of the Society.

Membership: Chair is the President of the Society; members include Immediate Past President, President-elect, Treasurer, and two other members of the Board serving two-year terms comprising a Constituency Director elected in even numbered ears, and a Regional Director elected in odd-numbered years.

Chair: Marija Strojnik
Staff Liaison:  Lisa Davies

Members:
David W. Baker
Pamela Kerrigan
Kathy Lu
Laura Montier
Nicholas Peppas
Jamie L. Vernon (non-voting)

FY2024 Committee on Finance

The Committee on Finance advises the Board of Directors of the Corporation regarding all aspects of the finances of the Society, including, but not limited to the raising and acquisition of capital funds; the investment of its endowments, funds and reserves; and the annual budgets for research, operations and capital equipment, including the physical plant. The committee prepares annual operating and capital budgets for the consideration of the Board of Directors.

Membership: Treasurer serves as Chair, together with the President, the President-elect and the Executive Director, ex officio and six members, three of whom shall not be Directors, nominated by the Treasurer and approved by the Board of Directors for three-year staggered terms.

Chair: David W. Baker, Treasurer
Staff Liaison: Jasmine Shah

Members:
Allison Augustus-Wallace
Kathy Lu, ex officio with vote
Anthony McGoron
Ann V. Paterson
Carlo Segre
Gene P. Siegal
Marija Strojnik, ex officio with vote
Jamie L. Vernon (non-voting)
James "Jay" C. White

Committee on Finance Reports

FY2024 Committee on Global Outreach

Membership: This committee will be chaired by the Director of the Canadian/International Constituency. Membership will be by appointments from the president with the advice and consent of the president-elect and and the Canadian/International Constituency Director. Members are identified as playing key roles in the development of Sigma Xi chapters around the world with interface and relationships with chapters in North America. The Committee on Global Outreach reports to the Board of Directors.

Chair: Jennifer Patterson
Staff Liaison: Rachel Pappalardo

Members:
Isabelle Barriere
Prasenjit Bhadra
Wei Chen
Ananias Escalante
Pricila Iranah
John Jungck
Lin Li
Hisako Matsuo
Ngozi Franca Okoye
Shola Ololade
Nicholas Peppas, ex officio with vote
Thomas Rost
Mark Seielstad
Prasad Shastry
Alison Sheets-Singer
Scott Solomon
Marija Strojnik, ex officio with vote
Jack Traphagan
Colin Walker
Shengsen Wang

FY2024 Committee on Grants in Aid of Research

The Committee on Grants in Aid of Research (GIAR) acts upon the applications to the Society's GIAR program for financial assistance for research proposals within the limits set by the Board of Directors.

Membership: Chair is elected by the Board of Directors for a term of three years, together with eleven other members appointed for three-year terms.

Chair: Drew Coleman
Staff Liaison: Janelle Simmons

Members:
Stephanie Bingham
Joel Crespo
Peter Harries
Cecil McManus
Padmanabhan Pattabiraman
Nicholas Peppas, ex officio with vote
Marija Strojnik, ex officio with vote
Joanne Tillotson
Peter Zani

Committee on Grants in Aid of Research Reports

FY2024 Committee on Lectureships

The Committee on Lectureships makes recommendations to the Board of Directors for Societal, regional and other lecture programs. The Committee implements and manages many of these programs.

Membership: Chair elected by the Board of Directors for a term of three years, together with eleven other members appointed for three-year terms.

Chair: Marc L. Imhoff
Staff Liaison: Janelle Simmons

Members:
James Collins
Clark Larsen
Nicholas Peppas, ex officio with vote
Marija Strojnik, ex officio with vote
Carol V. Ward

Committee on Lectureships Reports

FY2024 Committee on Nominations

(Term runs from November 2023 through November 2024)

The committee is responsible each year for selecting at least two nominees for President and at least two nominees for Treasurer every four years to be forwarded to the Assembly. The election procedures for the Committee on Nominations are specified by the Executive Committee.   In recent years the Committee's deliberations have been carried out via conference calls and electronic correspondence, including electronic balloting to select the nominees.

Membership: The Society's Bylaws specify that the Committee on Nominations be composed of an elected member from each of the six geographic regions, the six constituency groups and the three most recently retired Past Presidents for a total of 15 members. No member of the Committee may also serve on the Board of Directors.  The Chair and Deputy Chair are appointed by the committee members and serve a one year term.

Chair:
Deputy Chair: 
Staff Liaison:  Jamie L. Vernon - Executive Director and CEO (non-voting)
Staff Contact:  Lisa Davies

Members:
Robert T. Pennock - Past President
Joel Primack - Past President
Sonya T. Smith - Past President
Richard Boudreault - Canadian/International Constitutency
Stephanie Bingham - Comprehensive Colleges and Universities Constituency Group
Audrey Chang - Southeast Region
John M. de Figueiredo - Northeast Region
Xuyi 'Kevin' Yue - Mid-Atlantic Region
HollyAnn Harris - Area Groups, Industries, State & federal Lab Constituency Group (eJuly2024)
Surojit Gupta - Northwest Region
Robert Horton - Southwest Region
Ngozi Franca Okoye - Membership-at-Large Constituency Group
Carlo U. Segre - North Central Region

Committee on Nominations Reports

Committee on Nominations Duties and Responsibilities

FY2024 Committee on Qualifications and Membership

The Committee on Qualifications and Membership has the responsibility for: (a) ensuring the vitality of chapters that have the potential to be vital units of the Society; (b) determining the suitability of any petitioning group to be granted chapter status and making the appropriate recommendations to the Board of Directors; (c) studying and making recommendations to the Board of Directors in cases of chapters failing to remain in good standing; (d) monitoring and encouraging the health and performance of chapters; (e) making recommendations to the Board of Directors on matters of policy concerning membership in the Society; (f) serving through a subcommittee appointed by the Chair as the Committee on Admissions for the membership-at-large, or on behalf and at the request of chapters; and (g) render judgment in cases involving eligibility for membership referred to it by a chapter or the Board of Directors.

Membership: Chair elected by the Board of Directors for a term of three years, together with eight other members appointed for three-year terms.

Chair: Allen A. Thomas
Staff Liaison: Jamie L. Vernon
Staff Contact: Chasidi Tyler

Members:
Cristina C. Gouin
HollyAnn Harris
Douglas J. Jardine
Nicholas Peppas, ex officio with vote
Vusumuzi L. Sibanda
Marija Strojnik, ex officio with vote
Karen L. Sweazea
Robert T. Youker

Committee on Qualifications and Membership Reports

FY2024 Committee on Sigma Xi Fellows

The Committee on Sigma Xi Fellows is charged with solicitation of nominations from Sigma Xi's membership for prospective Sigma Xi Fellows. The committee reviews the nominations and selects up to twenty-five candidates for recommendation to the Board of Directors for approval as Sigma Xi Fellows. The committee coordinates recognition and induction of the Sigma Xi Fellows during the International Forum on Research Excellence.

Membership: Appointments to the Committee on Sigma Xi Fellows are for three-year terms and are made by the president with the advice and consent of the president-elect. A chairperson is appointed to serve a 1-year term. A deputy chair is appointed to serve one year as deputy chair assuming the responsibilities of chair of the committee when the chair’s term ends.

Chair: Marija Strojnik
Deputy Chair:
Staff Liaison: Jamie L. Vernon

Members:
Richard Boudreault
Nicholas Peppas, ex officio with vote
Gadi V.P. Reddy
George Seymour
Sonya T. Smith
Jeffrey Toney
Virginia Trimble

FY2024 Committee on Strategic Planning*

The Strategic Planning Committee advises the Board on all matters concerning the objectives, policies, plans, future activities and well-being of the Society; initiates studies and responds to the Board’s requests for long-range plans for the Society and monitors progress toward attainment of the Society’s vision and goals and the consistency of programs with the mission and culture of the Society. The strategic plan provides a guide for making decisions on allocating resources and on taking action to pursue strategies and priorities.

Membership:  Comprised of the members of the Executive Committee.

Chair: Nicholas Peppas
Staff Liaison: Jamie L. Vernon - Executive Director and CEO (non-voting)
Staff Contact: Lisa Davies

Members:
David W. Baker
Pamela Kerrigan
Robert T. Pennock
Eugene Santos, Jr.
Marija Strojnik
Jamie L. Vernon

*Board Committees are populated by members of the Board of Directors only.  Please contact the staff contact for more information.