Sigma Iota Rho

Sigma Iota Rho (ΣΙΡ) is a collegiate honor society for international studies recognized by the International Studies Association.

The purpose of ΣΙΡ is to promote and reward scholarship and service among students and faculty in higher education so as to foster creative performance and integrity in the conduct of world affairs. Its members are predominantly advanced undergraduates (juniors and seniors) who have demonstrated exceptional academic performance and engagement in international affairs. These individuals are guided by faculty advisors from over 140 colleges and universities with established chapters.

Founding
Sigma Iota Rho, the Honor Society for International Studies, was founded on 1984-05-09 on the initiative of scholars and practitioners who sought a national platform to recognize excellence in international affairs and foster values in the field. Aptly, the Greek letters representative of the society is: sigma (Σ) denotes synesis, meaning "prudence"; iota (Ι) for ideodoi, "ideals"; and rho (Ρ) for rhomi, "power."

Its vision statement is: To promote and reward scholarship and service among students and practitioners of international affairs and global studies so as to foster integrity and creative performance in the conduct of international relations.

Among the founders of ΣΙΡ was the late-Dr. William C. Olson, Ph.D., then-dean of the School of International Service at American University, who served as its first president. Also among the group was Theodore Couloumbis, Ph.D., who determined the society's Greek letters and identity.

Currently, the president and national director of SIR are Dr Frank Plantan, Ph.D., co-director of the University of Pennsylvania's International Relations Program.

While not a member of the ACHS, Sigma Iota Rho is an honor society.

Members
Members of Sigma Iota Rho take part in advancing the honor society's cause for furthering study and awareness of international affairs. To this end, they collaborate yearly to produce the Journal of International Relations, the leading undergraduate periodical in its field. Additionally, the national office of the honor society administers an award scheme that funds worthy research projects by fellow members. At the local level, ΣΙΡ's chapters routinely host extracurricular events in enriching local campus and communities. Typically these include hosting speaker events, networking events, and fundraising drives for a particular global issue or cause.

Induction is based on standards similar to those of Phi Beta Kappa. Students with outstanding academic credentials in international relations, global affairs, and other majors in the domain of international studies are nominated by their local chapters for induction into Sigma Iota Rho. Generally, they undergraduates who are in the top percentiles of their classes and areas of study.

Nominees are submitted to the national office of the honor society for verification and approval. Upon induction, students have issued a certificate confirming membership, regalia for graduation ceremonies, and invited to participate in the organization's national networking group on LinkedIn.

In effort to distinguish the efforts of those whom serve as models of the honor society, the national office announced in summer 2012 national commendations, the "Faculty Advisor" and "Featured Chapter" Awards. The first recipient of the faculty distinction was Francine D'Amico, Ph.D., advisor of Syracuse University's chapter, Alpha Chi—housed in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs—which won the Featured Chapter Award.

Journal of International Relations
The premier undergraduate peer-reviewed periodical for international affairs, the Journal of International Relations  has a physical circulation of over 3,000 copies to over 150 institutions affiliated with Sigma Iota Rho and the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs. Each edition features a special article by a leading voice in international relations. This year’s edition is marked by Pascal Lamy, Director-General of the World Trade Organization. Past contributors include Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations and Robert Zoellick, president of the World Bank.

Born in 1998 as an in-house journal for the University of Pennsylvania's International Relations Program—under the direction of Frank Plantan, Ph.D. and Bruce Newsome, Ph.D. -- it became a national publication in 2004. Current and back editions are found digitally, through Sigma Iota Rho's website, and in the Library of Congress.

Chapters

 * Alpha: American University
 * Beta: University of South Carolina
 * Gamma: University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh
 * Delta: University of Wyoming
 * Epsilon: University of Pennsylvania
 * Zeta: University of Denver
 * Eta: North Carolina State University
 * Theta: Rhodes College
 * Iota: Juniata College
 * Kappa: The Citadel
 * Lambda: Michigan State University
 * Mu: Indiana State University
 * Nu: California State University Chico
 * Omicron: San Francisco State University
 * Pi: University of South Florida
 * Rho: West Virginia University
 * Sigma: University of Delaware
 * Tau: University of Michigan
 * Upsilon: Lehigh University
 * Phi: College of Charleston
 * Chi: Bradley University
 * Psi: University of Dayton
 * Omega: Brigham Young University
 * Alpha Alpha: Kenyon College
 * Alpha Beta: University of Missouri–St. Louis
 * Alpha Gamma: Miami University
 * Alpha Delta: University of New Hampshire
 * Alpha Epsilon: Baylor University
 * Alpha Zeta: Texas State University
 * Alpha Eta: University of Colorado Boulder
 * Alpha Theta: Ohio Wesleyan University
 * Alpha Iota: George Washington University
 * Alpha Kappa: Wells College
 * Alpha Lambda: Trinity University
 * Alpha Mu: Baldwin-Wallace University
 * Alpha Nu: Wheeling Jesuit University
 * Alpha Xi: University of Nebraska at Omaha
 * Alpha Omicron: James Madison University
 * Alpha Pi: Pepperdine University
 * Alpha Rho: Stonehill College
 * Alpha Sigma: University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
 * Alpha Tau: Dickinson College
 * Alpha Upsilon: Loyola University, Chicago
 * Alpha Phi: University of St. Thomas
 * Alpha Chi: Syracuse University
 * Alpha Psi: Virginia Polytechnic Institute


 * Alpha Omega: Virginia Commonwealth University
 * Beta Alpha: Fairfield University
 * Beta Beta: State University of New York, Geneseo
 * Beta Gamma: Nazareth College
 * Beta Delta: Georgia State University
 * Beta Epsilon: University of Montevallo
 * Beta Zeta: Old Dominion University
 * Beta Eta: Manhattan College
 * Beta Theta: Kansas State University
 * Beta Iota: Elon University
 * Beta Kappa: Seton Hall University
 * Beta Lambda: Georgia Institute of Technology
 * Beta Mu: Fordham University
 * Beta Nu: Slippery Rock University
 * Beta Xi: Hult International Business School, London
 * Beta Omicron: Lynchburg College
 * Beta Pi: Brenau University
 * Beta Rho: Florida International University
 * Beta Sigma: Lake Forest College
 * Beta Tau: University of Alabama at Birmingham
 * Beta Upsilon: Lafayette College
 * Beta Phi: Moravian College
 * Beta Chi: Tufts University
 * Beta Psi: Samford University
 * Beta Omega: Shippensburg University
 * Gamma Alpha: Morehouse College
 * Gamma Beta: Washington University in St. Louis
 * Gamma Gamma: University of California, Irvine
 * Gamma Delta: The College of New Jersey
 * Gamma Epsilon: University of Bridgeport
 * Gamma Zeta: Adelphi University
 * Gamma Eta: University of Mount Union
 * Gamma Theta: University of Georgia
 * Gamma Iota: University of South Alabama
 * Gamma Kappa: Seattle University
 * Gamma Lambda: DePauw University
 * Gamma Mu: University of North Texas
 * Gamma Nu: Endicott College
 * Gamma Xi: Spring Hill College
 * Gamma Omicron: State University of New York, Fredonia
 * Gamma Pi: Lycoming College
 * Gamma Rho: University of Vermont
 * Gamma Sigma: Ohio State University
 * Gamma Tau: Sweet Briar College
 * Gamma Upsilon: Ramapo College
 * Gamma Phi: Millersville University of Pennsylvania
 * Gamma Chi: Johns Hopkins University


 * Gamma Psi: Arkansas at Little Rock, University of
 * Gamma Omega: American Military University, American Public University System
 * Delta Alpha: Bucknell University
 * Delta Beta: University of Redlands
 * Delta Gamma: University of Utah
 * Delta Delta: Iona College
 * Delta Epsilon: Roanoke College
 * Delta Zeta: University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
 * Delta Eta: Rollins College
 * Delta Theta: Hope College
 * Delta Iota: Oklahoma State University
 * Delta Kappa: Emmanuel College
 * Delta Lambda: Arcadia University
 * Delta Mu: Chapman University
 * Delta Nu: Chicago State University
 * Delta Xi: Rutgers University
 * Delta Omicron: Rochester Institute of Technology
 * Delta Pi: California State University, Monterey Bay
 * Delta Rho: Utah State University
 * Delta Sigma: Loyola University Maryland
 * Delta Tau: College of Saint Elizabeth
 * Delta Upsilon: Georgia Gwinnett College
 * Delta Phi: Trinity Washington University
 * Delta Chi: Stephen F. Austin State University
 * Delta Psi: American Graduate School of International Relations and Diplomacy, Paris
 * Delta Omega: Meredith College
 * Epsilon Alpha: Washington and Jefferson College
 * Epsilon Beta: Heidelberg University
 * Epsilon Gamma: Mercy College
 * Epsilon Delta: Norwich University
 * Epsilon Epsilon: Concordia College
 * Epsilon Zeta: Brigham Young University, Idaho
 * Epsilon Eta: University of Miami
 * Epsilon Theta: Georgia Southern University
 * Epsilon Iota: Stetson University
 * Epsilon Kappa: Bethune-Cookman University
 * Epsilon Lambda: Saint Louis University
 * Epsilon Mu: Roger Williams University
 * Epsilon Nu: University of California, Berkeley
 * Epsilon Xi: State University of New York, Oneonta
 * Epsilon Omicron: University of Kentucky
 * Epsilon Pi: University of North Carolina, Wilmington
 * Epsilon Rho: De Paul University
 * Epsilon Sigma: Bryant University
 * Epsilon Tau: Lebanon Valley College
 * Eta Alpha: Webster University