Awards – The Society of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

W. A. Tarr Award

The W. A. Tarr Award, given to outstanding geoscience graduates, was established in 1947 by student delegates to Sigma Gamma Epsilon’s 14^th national convention and has been the annual award of the Society since that time. Each active chapter may bestow this award on a deserving active member of SGE. William A. Tarr was the National Editor of The Compass from May 1920, when the first issue was published, until his death in 1939. It was largely through his efforts that The Compass became a success. Detailed information about Professor Tarr can be found here. A list of previous W. A. Tarr Award recipients is located here.

The W. A. Tarr Award application is due April 1st and is to be submitted by the Chapter Advisor on the application link below. Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery of the certificate and check. It is imperative that the date of presentation is noted on the application form. If no date is indicated, we will use the date the application was submitted. The award criteria are given below:

1. Active chapters of SGE may nominate one active member per year. The recipient is to be a graduating senior or graduate student, and should not have previously been a Tarr awardee. An active chapter is one that has submitted its Members Form, with appropriate dues payment, by November 1 of that academic year.

2. Outstanding scholarship is the essential basis of the Award, but leadership, service activities, and collegiality are also worthy of consideration.

3. The chapter’s faculty advisor, in consultation with the chapter officers, will determine the method whereby the awardee is selected. In dealing with student academic records, FERPA provisions should be strictly followed.

4. The Award will consist of a suitably printed certificate, signed by the National President and the chapter’s faculty advisor, and a monetary award.

W. A. Tarr Award Application

James C. Walters Quality Chapter Award

The James C. Walters Quality Chapter Award is designed to recognize chapters for achieving overall excellence by providing a quality program to its members and by fulfilling its responsibilities to the national organization. This award was established in 2012 by student delegates to Sigma Gamma Epsilon’s 42^nd national convention and has been an annual award of the Society since that time. The delegates to the 46^th national convention (2022) named this award in honor of Dr. James C. Walters, a former National President and long-serving National Secretary-Treasurer and chapter advisor. Any chapter that meets all the requirements listed below is eligible for this annual award and there is no limit on the number of times a chapter may receive the award. A list of those chapters that have previously received this award is located HERE.

Requirements for the James C. Walters Quality Chapter Award:

□ Elected a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer for the academic year and submitted the Officer Form online by November 1^st.

□ Chapter Advisor is a member of SGE (either from her/his student days or later became an Associate member).

□ Conducted a fall initiation and submitted the completed Member Form online by November 1^st. Fees were submitted online or postmarked by November 1^st to the national office. The form should list both the new members initiated that semester and the returning active members who joined SGE and paid their lifetime fee during a previous academic year.

□ Submitted an online application for a W.A. Tarr Award by April 1^st.

□ Completed one or more service projects during the academic year (August 15th-May 15th) resulting in a minimum average of 2 volunteer hours per member (based on the chapter’s total number of active members, new and returning, reported on the fall Member Form). A Service Project Form must be completed for each project and submitted to admin@SGEearth.org by May 31^st. Chapter-fundraising activities do NOT qualify as a service project.

Qualifying chapters will receive a certificate and a monetary award the following fall in addition to being recognized in The Compass and on the Sigma Gamma Epsilon website. The certificate and monetary award can be requested for presentation in the spring if all requirements are met early.

James C. Walters Quality Chapter Award Application – HERE

CHAPTER SERVICE AWARD

The Chapter Service Award was established in 2012 by student delegates to Sigma Gamma Epsilon’s 42^nd national convention and has been an annual award of the Society since that time. The Chapter Service Award is designed to recognize those chapters that demonstrate a strong commitment to service, through engaging in activities that promote altruism, educate others about the Earth sciences, and/or provide benefits to their local community. Any chapter that meets all the requirements listed below is eligible for this annual award and there is no limit on the number of times a chapter may receive the award. A list of those chapters that have previously received the Chapter Service Award is located HERE.

Requirements for the Chapter Service Award:

□ Must be an active chapter (Officer Form, Member Form, and new member fees submitted).

□ Minimum average of 6 volunteer hours per member (based on the chapter’s total number of active members, new and returning, reported on the fall Member Form) for the academic year. Volunteer hours may be completed on a single extensive service/outreach project or on multiple projects. Chapter-fundraising activities do NOT qualify as a service project.

□ Submit photos of service project(s) to admin@SGEearth.org.

□ The service project(s) must be completed by your chapter during the academic year (August 15^th – May 15^th). A Service Project Form must be completed for each project and submitted by May 31^st to admin@SGEearth.org.

SGE Chapter Service Award Application – HERE

Please submit completed forms with signatures by May 31^st to:

Lee Potter, Associate Director
Sigma Gamma Epsilon
P.O. Box 324
Cedar Falls, IA 50613