Pi Epsilon
Encyclopedia
Pi Epsilon is an environmental science
s Honor Society
open to both graduate and undergraduate students as well as professionals and scientists working in the field. Pi Epsilon was founded at Wright State University
by the Environmental Sciences PhD student body in October, 2003. The purpose of Pi Epsilon is to promote the study of environmental sciences through recognition of exemplary scholarly and professional
activity. Environmental science is understood to be the study of our environment
and all stressors acting on it; chemical, physical, and biological. The Society seeks to promote interdisciplinary studies
, and interactions between industry and academia to further the study of environmental science.
As a new honor society, Pi Epsilon currently has two chapters and is in the process of expanding to several more universities throughout the United States
. The two current chapters are the Alpha Chapter located at Wright State University in Ohio
and the Beta Chapter located at the University of Virginia
.
in the environmental and natural science
s who meet the following requirements:
Environmental science
Environmental science is an interdisciplinary academic field that integrates physical and biological sciences, to the study of the environment, and the solution of environmental problems...
s Honor Society
Honor society
In the United States, an honor society is a rank organization that recognizes excellence among peers. Numerous societies recognize various fields and circumstances. The Order of the Arrow, for example, is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America...
open to both graduate and undergraduate students as well as professionals and scientists working in the field. Pi Epsilon was founded at Wright State University
Wright State University
Wright State University is a comprehensive public university with strong doctoral, research, and undergraduate programs, rated among the 260 Best National Universities listed in the annual "America's Best Colleges" rankings by U.S. News and World Report. Wright State is located in Fairborn, Ohio,...
by the Environmental Sciences PhD student body in October, 2003. The purpose of Pi Epsilon is to promote the study of environmental sciences through recognition of exemplary scholarly and professional
activity. Environmental science is understood to be the study of our environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
and all stressors acting on it; chemical, physical, and biological. The Society seeks to promote interdisciplinary studies
Interdisciplinarity
Interdisciplinarity involves the combining of two or more academic fields into one single discipline. An interdisciplinary field crosses traditional boundaries between academic disciplines or schools of thought, as new needs and professions have emerged....
, and interactions between industry and academia to further the study of environmental science.
As a new honor society, Pi Epsilon currently has two chapters and is in the process of expanding to several more universities throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The two current chapters are the Alpha Chapter located at Wright State University in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
and the Beta Chapter located at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
.
Membership requirements
Lifetime membership is open to undergraduate and graduate studentsGraduate school
A graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...
in the environmental and natural science
Natural science
The natural sciences are branches of science that seek to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world by using empirical and scientific methods...
s who meet the following requirements:
- Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.30 out of 4.00
- Have completed at least 54 quarter hours (36 semester) of total coursework for undergraduates and at least 12 quarter hours of total coursework for graduate students
- Have completed at least three quarter- or semester-length courses in environmental science (of which at least one is not an introductory course) with a cumulative GPA in those courses of at least 3.30 out of 4.00
- If no environmental science courses are available, courses from biologyBiologyBiology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, chemistryChemistryChemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, geologyGeologyGeology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
, and physicsPhysicsPhysics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
will be accepted with the following requirements:- Courses must be from three of the four above disciplines
- The primary discipline of study must not exceed 75% of the total science coursework
- Cumulative science GPA must be at least 3.30 out of 4.00