2024 Alpha Chi Convention in Birmingham, Alabama: Leaders for Tumultuous Times
Posted by Lara Noah on November 7, 2023

Alpha Chi believes that those who use their scholarship to learn the truth can better serve the community as leaders. We work to support, develop, facilitate, encourage, and celebrate our future leaders! We believe that those who use their scholarship to learn in their respective disciplines are best prepared to serve the community as leaders. Because these things are true, please join us for the 2024 Alpha Chi National Convention, Apr. 4-6, next spring in Birmingham, Alabama.

Convention City History

Birmingham, Alabama, known as The Magic City, has a history and a present that speak to truth and leadership in the area of social justice. As a municipality, it faced the tension between those who were unwilling to move beyond Jim Crow laws and those who courageously fought for justice and reform. Much of today’s public rhetoric is similar to the public dialogue in the Birmingham of the past and the present. There are lessons to be learned from the Birmingham community’s trajectory, and there are applications for today’s tumultuous times. There are lessons for us all, though we may describe them differently. The Birmingham experience represents a microcosm of the unique challenges and struggles that we continue to face as a nation built on the reality of a multicultural society. The Magic City reflects the variety of people, processes, institutions, and behaviors implemented that stand for the promise of equity and social justice.

Those attending the Alpha Chi convention will have an incredible opportunity to consider the role of scholarship in meeting challenges and what it means to sit with the inevitable discomfort that comes with awareness, so that we may act with courage in developing the leadership our world and our communities need us to find. As leaders, we are obligated to elevate the safety, value, mental health, and well-being of all people.

From a Birmingham jail, a man wrote his reflection on justice. If you have a chance, read Letter from Birmingham Jail by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Many courageous People of Color lived and died for the truth, forcing society to confront the realities of racial inequity. Unsung and determined White Allies asserted the truth at great personal costs. Leadership requires an honest and courageous exploration of the sociopolitical realities our society faces, which are its “truths.”

Convention of Intention

This Alpha Chi convention has the potential of being a life-changing, watershed moment for each member, advisor, and guest who attends. There will be sponsored events that challenge the understanding of history and its relationship to the present. Attendees will increase the depth of their understanding of the present social justice challenges both domestically and globally. We hope that everyone will consider questions like:

What makes a leader, and how do they know what to do?
Why should one become a leader? How does one become a leader?
How can we use the truths and facts that we learn about the world to better the world for all?
When does the “comfortable truth” serve to hide the actual truth and at what costs?
What are the costs of the denial of truth for society at large?
What is a convincing justification for social justice when a loss of privilege may be involved?

These questions will serve as the basis of the self-reflection for all attendees and are questions that should occur throughout the convention experience. These questions will provide a basis for many creative collaborative projects as well as a prism to challenge realities we thought we knew. To prepare for this place and this convention all participants are encouraged to read Behind the Magic Curtain: Secrets, Spies, and Unsung White Allies of Birmingham’s Civil Rights Days by T. K. Thorne who will be our keynote speaker in Birmingham.

On Friday afternoon when we break for lunch, convention delegates will be encouraged to spend a few hours visiting nearby historical sites such as the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, the 16th Street Baptist Church, and the Kelly-Ingram Park & Civil Rights Trail. Afterward, we will gather for a discussion and “debriefing,” if you will, so that our student delegates especially may process their experiences together.

Convention participants will consider the potential and necessity of leadership in the wide variety of areas related to our diverse society in such areas as immigration, disparate health care, the disparate impact of the criminal justice system, and environmental disparities. The primary point of consideration for the convention and the theme for the convention is: How does one lead in times as tumultuous as these?

It is our hope and plan that Alpha Chi’s aspiring student leaders who attend the convention will be inspired and more capable of answering that question.

For complete information on the upcoming convention, click here!

Celebrating Excellence: 2023 National Convention Presentation Prize Winners
Posted by GreekTrack Support on April 26, 2023

It's that time of the year again when the academic world witnesses a special display of talent and intellect. Alpha Chi National College Honor Society recently announced the winners of several convention presentation prizes at the 2023 National Convention, an annual event that celebrates the remarkable achievements of its student and alumni members across various disciplines.

With a history dating back to 1922, Alpha Chi has consistently championed the cause of "making scholarship effective for good." Today, we're proud to celebrate the winners who have upheld the tenets of Truth and Character and have made a difference in their respective fields.

 

Albuquerque at Last!

This year's Alpha Chi National Convention was extra special because it was originally intended for 2020. The long-awaited event finally brought together hundreds of students and alumni, providing them with the opportunity to present their scholarly and creative work to a multidisciplinary audience comprising peers and faculty advisors. In addition to 30 discipline-specific prizes, the convention also awarded an overall prize for graduate student presenters and one for alumni presenters, regardless of their academic field.

The excitement in the air was palpable as participants showcased their work, fostering an atmosphere of collaboration, innovation, and camaraderie. Each presentation was a testament to the dedication and perseverance of these exceptional individuals who have risen to the top ten percent of their classes at their respective institutions.

Best of the Best Selected

Each year, our outstanding convention presenters continue to inspire each other with their outstanding work and research. Each one of them has contributed immensely to their respective fields, demonstrating a commitment to excellence and scholarly pursuit. The following 20 Alpha Chi members were selected from roughly 100 student and alumni presentations that were awarded at the 2023 National Convention (in order by university name):

Winner

University

Award

Presentation Title

Ashlee Reed

Abilene Christian University

Ellen Millsaps Prize in American Literature

The Pursuit of Authenticity in a Technological World

Michaela Zimmerman

Angelo State University

Johnny and Frances Williams Prize in Performing Arts

Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in D minor, BWV 903, by Johann Sebastian Bach

Brittany Brown

Brescia University

Patricia A. Williams Prize in Education

Project-Based Learning (PjBL) in Middle School STEM

Derek Ryan Driskill

Carson-Newman University

Clark Youngblood Prize in Philosophy and Religion

The Roman Jesus: Exploring The Gospel of Mark through Propp’s Narratemes

Danya I. Gonzalez

Fresno Pacific University

Walden Freeman Prize in American History

Slow to Respond: The United States HIV/AIDS Epidemic Federal Response During the Reagan Presidency

Allyson Butts

Gardner-Webb University

Jeanette Wieser Prize in Exercise Science and Nutrition

Mindfulness and Motivation: An Qualitative Examination of Peak Performance in NCAA Division 1 Golfers

Damian Chance Hutchins

Gardner-Webb University

Dennis M. Organ Alumni Member Prize

Personalized Immunocompetent Tumor-on-a-Chip Platform Produces Tumor-Reactive Cytotoxic Lymphocytes

Erik P. Yost

Grand Canyon University

Milton L. and Avery G. Church Prize in Environmental Science

STELLAR Research: Taking Organic Energy to Space and Around the World

Sophie Rossitto

Harding University

Brown’s Graduation Supplies Prize in Communication

Connecting Artists to Audiences: The Role of Music Journalism in Society

Elizabeth Milner

Hawaii Pacific University

Joseph E. and Bessie Mae Pryor Prize in Chemistry

Potential Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Compounds from Marine Natural Product Extracts

Audrey Sineath

Kansas Wesleyan University

Mary Waterstreet Prize in Psychology

Exploring College Students' Beliefs and Attitudes Towards Hookup Culture

Edward T. Hansford

Lindenwood University

Margaret A. Fitzgerald Prize in Political Science

Understanding Community Perception of Lindenwood University’s Sustainability Efforts

Bailey McCarl

Lipscomb University

Suzanne and J.T. Pundt Graduate Student Member Prize

Studying the Perception of Facial Affect and Emotional Body Language

Kim Ho

Lyon College

Alexander Bendazzi and Strayer University Prize in Art, Music, and Dance Papers

Ceramic Glaze Chemistry Documentation Using Emacs Org Mode

Ian Crombie

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

Floyd and Rosana Tesmer/DC Gamma Prize in Original Visual Art

Fear is a Fallacy

Priscilla Perey Ratonel

Menlo College

Joseph E. and Bessie Mae Pryor Prize in Mathematics

Covid Campus Simulation: Predicting and Modeling SIRV Populations as Preventative Policies are Implemented Over Time

Sai Sondh

University of La Verne

Bonnie Revelle Prize in Molecular and Cellular Biology

The Impact of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals in the Production of Reactive Oxidative Species in Embryonic Thymocytes

Hannah Irving

University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Avery Grenfell Church Prize in Anthropology and Sociology

Toxic Leadership and Excessive Control: How the U.S. Army's environment contributes to maladaptive coping mechanisms

Autumn Paulson

Waldorf University

Gayle Webb White Prize in Business Management

Can You Retire by Working at Wal-Mart in the Midwest?

Hannah Meyer

Waldorf University

Thelma Hall Prize in Creative Writing

Prison Family

 

The Future Looks Bright

As the curtains close on yet another successful Alpha Chi convention, it's clear that the future is in good hands. The brilliance and creativity exhibited by these winners are a testament to the power of scholarship and its potential to transform lives.