May 06, 2025
On March 25th, Sigma Xi installed its newest chapter at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM). The ceremony was held in-person and celebrated the new chapter’s officers, members, and commitment to growth and advancement of the university’s research enterprise.
Dr. Tieli Wang, director of Sigma Xi's Comprehensive Colleges and Universities Constituency Group, was the installing officer for the chapter, with a video contribution from Sigma Xi president Dr. Kathy Lu. The new chapter president is Dr. Robert Iafe, associate professor and chair of chemistry & biochemistry at the university. He will lead a group of 12 founding members through the initial years of the chapter’s development. In addition to Iafe, the chapter's other founding members include Afra Panahi, Betsy Read, Charles De Leone, David Barsky, Deanna Schmidt, Dennis Kolosov, Erika Díaz Almeyda, Jane Kim, Julie Jameson, Kang Du, and Sajith Jayasinghe.
Founded in 1989 as the 20th California State University (CSU) campus, CSUSM is a regional comprehensive university with a growing student body of approximately 17,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The founding officers presented a three-year plan of projected activities and recruitment efforts for the new chapter, which will fill a critical gap in honor recognition in research at the university. It will provide a platform to celebrate STEM students while opening new avenues of support for grants, networking, and presentation at professional STEM conferences. The in-person ceremony included election of officers, a networking dinner, and a presentation of the official charter upon installation of the new chapter.