Gamma Theta Upsilon:
Transcending International Boundaries with
Geography’s International Honor Society
James Lowry
University of New Orleans
Tel Aviv, Israel
Oklahoma State University
International
Geographical Union
Donald Zeigler
July 15, 2010
Thomas Wikle
Old Dominion University
http://www.gammathetaupsilon.org/
Local Chapters
Local chapters
are chartered by
Gamma Theta
Upsilon.
Membership
Inductees must
have:
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3 geography courses
3 college semesters
3.3 GPA overall
3.3 GPA in geography
Membership is open to
undergraduates and
post-graduates.
Chapter Recognition
• Honors Chapters
• Presidential Honors Chapters
• Chapter Anniversary Awards
Chapter Sponsor Recognition
How many faculty
members have
been chapter
sponsors for a
continuous 35
years?
2
Dr. Duane Nellis
• President, University of
Idaho
• President, Association of
American Geographers
• President, National
Council for Geographic
Education
• President, Gamma Theta
Upsilon
“The mission of the Association of College
Honor Societies is to build a visibly cohesive
community of national and international honor
societies, individually and collaboratively
exhibiting excellence in scholarship, service,
programs, and governance.”
67 member societies, including . . .
Kappa Mu Epsilon
Mathematics
Phi Alpha Theta
History
Pi Gamma Mu
Social Sciences
Psi Chi
Psychology
Opportunities at the Chapter Level
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1964 Members of Iota Chapter, Montclair, NJ
Leadership
Activities
Service
Jobs
Academic
Support
The Geographical Bulletin
•
•
•
•
•
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Peer reviewed
2 issues per year
Published since 1970
Student research
Best Student Article
EBSCO accessible
GTU Scholarships
• Buzzard
Undergraduate
Scholarship
• Buzzard Graduate
Scholarship
• Maxfield Scholarship
• Richason Scholarship
• Rechlin Scholarship
$1000
Visiting Geographical Scientist
Program
International
Honor Society in Geography
International? Yes
Global? No
Three Chapters outside the USA:
2 in Canada
1 in Mexico
Regrettably, all three are
dormant.
From . . .
Alpha Chapter at Illinois State University
May 15, 1928
282 Chapters
Almost 60,000 Members
To . . .
Mu Gamma Chapter at University of Texas–Dallas
May 5, 2010
Since . . .
August 1, 2009
1159 new members
United
States
7 Other
Countries
129 chapters
Bosnia, Canada, China, Ghana, Japan, Trinidad and Tobago,
U.K. During the previous year, we had initiates from Bolivia,
India, and Thailand.
ΓΘϒ
GTU is . . .
GTU is not . . .
An Honor Society
Elitist
Transparent
A Secret Society
Goal
To reinvigorate the international dimension of
Gamma Theta Upsilon by exploring the
possibilities for establishing active Chapters
outside the United States.
GTU Vice-Presidents:
Dr. Randy Bertolas
RaBerto1@wsc.edu
Dr. Tom Wikle
t.wikle@okstate.edu
Abstract: Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU) serves as the international honor society
in geography. At present, however, all but three chapters are located in the United
States. Unlike honor societies in other disciplines, GTU has not focused on
international membership; yet, universities anywhere in the world are eligible to form
local chapters. The purpose of GTU is to honor outstanding scholarship in
geography. Students are typically inducted as undergraduates, but post-graduates
are also welcome. Membership is not meant as a mark of elitism, but rather as
recognition for high achievement. There are no secret signs, nor are any
proceedings closed to public scrutiny. In the United States, 282 chapters of GTU
have been established, the first one in 1928. Every year, new universities join the
network. Each university chapter receives a charter, and everyone inducted
becomes a member for life. Many chapters schedule more than induction
ceremonies; they often organize service projects, social activities, and field
excursions. Gamma Theta Upsilon is a member of the Association of College
Honor Societies (along with the honor societies of other disciplines such as
engineering, sociology, and literature) and must pass an audit of its membership
standards regularly. This presentation will describe the network of GTU chapters
that already exists, detail what is needed to establish a new chapter, and make the
case for more transborder cooperation in recognizing student achievement.
Possibilities for publication in GTU’s research journal will also be discussed.