Student Awards
One of the aims of Iota Sigma Pi is to provide recognition to outstanding women in chemistry. Scroll down this page to read a summary of each award.
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(G) Anna Louise Hoffman Award for Outstanding Achievement in Graduate Research
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(UG) Undergraduate Award for Excellence in Chemistry
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(UG) Kathryn Thomasson Undergraduate Award for Excellence in Chemistry by a First-Generation Student
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(UG) Lois Jean Durham Scholarship
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(UG) Gladys Anderson Emerson Scholarship
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Members-At-Large Reentry Award
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(HS) Outstanding Young Women in Chemistry Award
Anna Louise Hoffman Award for Outstanding Achievement in Graduate Research
Anna Louise Hoffman was National Secretary of Iota Sigma Pi for two terms from 1948-1954, was a member of Radium Chapter, and served for many years up to her death in 1974 as ΙΣΠ Regional Director for Region V (Eastern). She was honored just three years later in 1977 when National Council authorized the Anna Louise Hoffman Award for Outstanding Achievement in Graduate Research.
Criteria
The Anna Louise Hoffman Award recognizes outstanding achievement in chemical research by a woman graduate student. At the time of nomination, the candidate must be a full-time (as defined by the candidate's institution) woman graduate student who is a candidate for a graduate degree in an accredited institution. The research presented by the candidate must be original research that can be described by one of the main chemical divisions (e.g., analytical, biochemical, inorganic, organic, physical, and/or ancillary divisions of chemistry). The candidate may be, but need not be, a member of Iota Sigma Pi.
Conditions
Nominations for the award must be made by faculty members of the candidate's current institution. Only one nomination may be submitted by a single department.
Dossier
The nomination dossier must contain all of the following information within a single file to be electronically submitted (pdf format is recommended) to the Director of Student Awards at ispncstudentawards@gmail.com:
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Completed cover sheet. Note that the candidate's permanent (home) address and school address must be provided.
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An academic history, including official transcripts (scanned) from all colleges and universities attended by the candidate.
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A brief description of the candidate's research and a list of publications and/or talks or papers presented outside of degree requirements. The description of the research should be no more than 2 pages and must be prepared by the candidate.
Letters of Recommendation
The candidate should arrange for confidential letters of recommendation. Nominator should be responsible for collecting and submitting letters of recommendations. They should be sent electronically by the application deadline. Two recommendations: one from someone, such as a research adviser, who knows the candidate's work; and one from someone else who is familiar with the candidate's research capabilities.
Official Transcripts
The candidate should also arrange for official transcripts to be mailed, independently of the nomination dossier, and must be received no later than February 15.
Due Date
The complete dossier must be sent electronically as a single file (pdf format is recommended) by the nominator, and the letters of recommendation and official transcripts should be sent to the Director of Student Awards at ispncstudentawards@gmail.com. Deadline for receipt of nominations is February 15 of each year, and the award will be announced by April 15 of each year.
Award
The award will be $1000, a certificate, and a waiver of Iota Sigma Pi membership dues for one year.
Presentation
The award will be presented at a local meeting of Iota Sigma Pi or the American Chemical Society or at a suitable time arranged with the department chair of the awardee.
Undergraduate Award for Excellence in Chemistry
Criteria Undergraduate Award for Excellence in Chemistry (General)
The Iota Sigma Pi Undergraduate Award for Excellence in Chemistry recognizes excellence in chemistry by a woman undergraduate student. The candidate shall be a senior woman chemistry student in an accredited college or university that grants a four year degree. The candidate may be, but need not be, a member of Iota Sigma Pi.
Conditions
Nominations for the award must be made by faculty members of the candidate's current institution. Only one nomination may be submitted by a single department.
Dossier
The nomination dossier must contain all of the following within a single file to be electronically submitted (pdf format is recommended) to the Director of Student Awards at ispncstudentawards@gmail.com:
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Completed cover sheet. Note that the candidate's permanent (home) address and school address must be provided.
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An academic history, including official transcripts (scanned) of the student's college record including the grade point average. Include transcripts from all institutions attended. If the candidate's most recent grades are not included on the official transcript, the Department Head can write on behalf of the candidate to certify the most recent grades.
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A Personal Statement that describes the candidate's activities while in college and her plans after graduation.
Letters of Recommendation
The candidate should arrange for confidential letters of recommendation. Nominator should be responsible for collecting and submitting letters of recommendations. They should be sent electronically by the application deadline. A minimum of two recommendations: faculty members who can speak to the candidate’s studies and accomplishments in chemistry.
Official Transcripts
The candidate should also arrange for official transcripts to be mailed, independently of the nomination dossier, and must be received no later than February 15.
Due Date
The complete dossier must be sent electronically as a single file (pdf format is recommended) by the nominator, and the letters of recommendation and official transcripts should be sent to the Director of Student Awards at ispncstudentawards@gmail.com. Deadline for receipt of nominations is February 15 of each year, and the award will be announced by April 15 of each year.
Award
The award will be $1000, a certificate, and a waiver of Iota Sigma Pi dues for one year.
Presentation
At the discretion of the Director for Student Awards, and in consultation with the awardee's Department Head, the award will be presented at a suitable venue such as a campus-wide honors day, a nearby local meeting of Iota Sigma Pi, or a local or regional meeting of the American Chemical Society.
Kathryn Thomasson Undergraduate Award for Excellence in Chemistry by a First-Generation Student
Criteria
The Kathryn Thomasson Award is for excellence in chemistry by a student who is in the first generation of her family to attend college. The nominee shall be a senior female or non-binary chemistry student in an accredited college or university that grants a four-year degree. Students who graduated in December or January are eligible for nomination. The nominee may be, but need not be, a member of Iota Sigma Pi.
Conditions
Nominations for the award must be made by members of the institution’s faculty, and only one nomination may be submitted by each department.
Dossier
The nomination dossier must contain all of the following within a single file to be electronically submitted (pdf format is recommended) to the Director of Student Awards at ispncstudentawards@gmail.com:
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Completed cover sheet. Note that the candidate's permanent (home) address and school address must be provided.
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A statement from the student’s nominator or advisor that affirms that the student meets the definition of a first-generation college student as established by the student’s school of enrollment. If an institution (college or university) does not have an official definition of a first-generation college student, then the nominator or advisor will use a definition that he or she will describe in his/her letter.
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An academic history, including official transcripts (scanned) of the student's college record including the grade point average. Include transcripts from all institutions attended. If the candidate's most recent grades are not included on the official transcript, the Department Head can write on behalf of the candidate to certify the most recent grades.
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A Personal Statement that describes the candidate's activities while in college and her plans after graduation.
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Two or more recommendations by faculty members.
Letters of Recommendation
The candidate should arrange for confidential letters of recommendation. Nominator should be responsible for collecting and submitting letters of recommendations. They should be sent electronically by the application deadline. A minimum of two recommendations: faculty members who can speak to the candidate’s studies and accomplishments in chemistry.
Official Transcripts
The candidate should also arrange for official transcripts to be mailed, independently of the nomination dossier, and must be received no later than February 15.
Due Date
The complete dossier must be sent electronically as a single file (pdf format is recommended) by the nominator, and the letters of recommendation and official transcripts should be sent to the Director of Student Awards at ispncstudentawards@gmail.com. Deadline for receipt of nominations is February 15 of each year, and the award will be announced by April 15 of each year.
Award
The award will be $1000, a certificate, and a waiver of Iota Sigma Pi dues for one year.
Presentation
At the discretion of the Director for Student Awards, and in consultation with the awardee's Department Head, the award will be presented at a suitable venue such as a campus-wide honors day, a nearby local meeting of Iota Sigma Pi, or a local or regional meeting of the American Chemical Society.
Lois Jean Durham Scholarship
Lois Jean Durham (1931—2022) was known for her long-time dedicated services as a manager of the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, at Stanford University. She was praised as a scientist and a guardian of “a lab that performs analytical research in the electronic environment within molecules” and for “training thousands of undergraduate students”.
Criteria
The Lois Jean Durham Scholarship recognizes excellence in chemistry or biochemistry by a woman/non-binary undergraduate student. The candidate shall be a junior woman/non-binary chemistry student beginning her/their junior year as of the fall semester following the announcement at an accredited college or university. The candidate must plan to complete the remainder of course work for the degree at the said institution that grants a four-year degree. The candidate may be, but need not be, a member of Iota Sigma Pi.
Conditions
Nominations for the award must be made by members of the institution’s faculty, and only one nomination may be submitted by each department.
Dossier
The nomination dossier must contain all the following within a single file to be electronically submitted (pdf format is recommended) to the Director of Student Awards at ispncstudentawards@gmail.com:
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Completed cover sheet. Note that the candidate’s permanent home address and the school must be provided.
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An academic history, including official transcripts (scanned) of the student’s college record including the grade point average. Include transcripts from all institutions attended. (If the candidate’s most current grades are not included on the official transcripts, the Department Chair may certify the most recent grades.) The candidate should also arrange for official transcripts to be mailed, independently of the nomination dossier, and must be received no later than February 15th.
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A personal Statement that describes the candidate, her/their goals in chemistry, undergraduate research experience (if applicable), academic honors and professional membership, college activities, hobbies, talents etc.
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The candidate should arrange for the letters of recommendation. Nominator is responsible for collecting and uploading the dossier by the application deadline. In addition to the nomination letter, a minimum of two recommendations from faculty members who can speak to the candidate’s studies and accomplishments in chemistry should be included.
Letters of Recommendation
The candidate should arrange for confidential letters of recommendation. Nominator should be responsible for collecting and submitting letters of recommendations. They should be sent electronically by the application deadline. In addition to the nomination letter, a minimum of two recommendations: faculty members who can speak to the candidate’s studies and accomplishments in chemistry.
Official Transcripts
The candidate should also arrange for official transcripts to be mailed, independently of the nomination dossier, and must be received no later than February 15.
Due Date
The complete dossier must be sent electronically as a single file (pdf format is recommended) by the nominator, and the letters of recommendation and official transcripts should be sent to the Director of Student Awards at ispncstudentawards@gmail.com. Deadline for receipt of nominations is February 15 of each year, and the award will be announced by April 15 of each year.
Award
The award will be $2000, a certificate, and a waiver of Iota Sigma Pi dues for one year.
Presentation
At the discretion of the Director for Student Awards, and in consultation with the awardee's Department Head, the award will be presented at a suitable venue such as a campus-wide honors day, a nearby local meeting of Iota Sigma Pi, or a local or regional meeting of the American Chemical Society.
Gladys Anderson Emerson Scholarship
The nomination shall be for excellence in chemistry or biochemistry.
Gladys Anderson Emerson was the chairman of the Department of Home Economics and Nutrition at the University of California at Los Angeles. She received the A.B. and the B.S. degrees from Oklahoma College for Women, the A.M. degree from Stanford University, and the Ph.D. degree from the University of California. She was the co-isolator of Vitamin E in 1936 and enjoyed a long and fruitful career in nutrition research. She received the Garvin Medal from the American Chemical Society in 1952 for her research on Vitamin E, nitrogen metabolism, and nutrition.
Dr. Emerson was a member of Carbon Chapter of Iota Sigma Pi, later of Hydrogen, Aurum, and Sulfur Chapters. She served two terms as national Vice President of ΙΣΠ 1945-1951, two terms as national President 1951-1957, two terms as national past-president 1957-1963, and was made National Honorary Member in 1963.
In 1984 she died in California and left a considerable sum of money in her estate to establish scholarships for undergraduate women. In establishing these scholarships for Iota Sigma Pi, she expressed her belief in the necessity for women to be full participants in scientific education.
Criteria
The Gladys Anderson Emerson Scholarship recognizes excellence in chemistry or biochemistry by a woman undergraduate student. The candidate shall have attained junior standing in her curriculum at an accredited college or university and must have at least one semester of work remaining to be completed as of August 1 following the announcement. The candidate must be a member of Iota Sigma Pi at the time of her nomination. Individuals who are not members but who wish to apply for the scholarship may be made members by National Council action.
Conditions
Nomination for the scholarship must be made by a member of Iota Sigma Pi and must be supported by members of the faculty of the candidate's institution through letters of recommendation. Only one nomination may be submitted from a single department within a college or university.
Dossier
The nomination dossier must contain all of the following information within a single file to be electronically submitted (pdf format is recommended) to the Director of Student Awards at ispncstudentawards@gmail.com:
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Completed cover sheet. Note that the candidate's permanent (home) address and school address must be provided; the candidate's affiliation with Iota Sigma Pi (chapter or member-at-large) must also be stipulated on the application form.
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An academic history, including official transcripts (scanned) of the student's college record including the grade point average. Include transcripts from all institutions attended. If the candidate's most recent grades are not included on the official transcript, the Department Head can write on behalf of the candidate to certify the most recent grades.
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A Personal Statement that describes the candidate, her goals in chemistry, her academic honors and professional memberships, and her college activities, hobbies, talents, etc. Evidence of financial need may be presented in the personal statement, if applicable. The Personal Statement should not exceed 2 pages.
Letters of Recommendation
The candidate should arrange for confidential letters of recommendation. Nominator should be responsible for collecting and submitting letters of recommendations. They should be sent electronically by the application deadline.
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A letter of nomination from a member of Iota Sigma Pi (preferably a Chapter Officer).
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At least two letters of recommendation from faculty members who know the candidate's academic history and/or have taught her.
Official Transcripts
The candidate should also arrange for official transcripts to be mailed, independently of the nomination dossier, and must be received no later than February 15.
Due Date
The complete dossier must be sent electronically as a single file (pdf format is recommended) by the nominator, and the letters of recommendation and official transcripts should be sent to the Director of Student Awards at ispncstudentawards@gmail.com. Deadline for receipt of nominations is February 15 of each year, and the award will be announced by April 15 of each year.
Award
The scholarship consists of a $2000 stipend and a certificate. Up to two awards may be given.
Presentation
At the discretion of the Director for Student Awards, and in consultation with the awardee’s Department Head, the award will be presented at a suitable venue such as a campus-wide honors day, a nearby local meeting of Iota Sigma Pi, or a local or regional meeting of the American Chemical Society.
Members-At-Large Reentry Award
The scholarship consists of a $2000 unrestricted cash award, a certificate of recognition, and a year's complimentary membership in Iota Sigma Pi.
This award shall recognize potential excellence in chemistry and related fields achieved by a woman at the graduate or undergraduate level. At the time of nomination, the candidate must:
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have returned to academic studies (from any field) after an absence of three or more years (three or more years of elapsed time means 3 and 30 are treated equally).
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be a degree candidate at any level in chemistry or a related field at an accredited four-year college or university.
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have completed at least one academic year of college chemistry upon returning.
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exhibit exceptional qualities of interest, excellence, and professional potential in chemistry.
For more details see Members-at-Large .
Outstanding Young Women in Chemistry Award
This award shall recognize potential excellence in chemistry achieved by a woman at the high school level.
In an effort to promote interest in chemistry among young women, Iota Sigma Pi is offering a new award to be given to female high school students with high academic achievement in chemistry. The award includes an official certificate issued by Iota Sigma Pi and recognition in The Iotan, the national publication of the Society. Deadline is March 1 of each year. Nomination form is available as a word document. All nominations shall be mailed to the Coordinator of Initiates and Supplies: ispncinitiatesandsupplies@gmail.com.