The binding together of earth, the mother of all, and the practice of agriculture, and the arts of relating thereto for the welfare of mankind.
GAMMA SIGMA DELTA is a faculty governed society that selects its members from junior and senior students, graduate students, faculty, and alumni for the promotion and recognition of high achievement. While Gamma Sigma Delta is an honor society of agriculture, it may elect members from related fields such as biology, botany, chemistry, economics, entomology, family and consumer sciences, forestry, natural resources, plant pathology, sociology, statistics, veterinary medicine, or zoology when the work of the individual is related to agriculture. Officers, committee chairpersons, and others leading the chapter are faculty or alumni.
Criteria for Membership Eligibility
Election to membership is conducted by the faculty at the local chapter level in accordance with International and Nebraska chapter bylaws. Juniors, seniors, graduate students, faculty, and alumni in agriculture and related sciences meeting the criteria are eligible for membership.
- Undergraduate Students: Junior and senior students who scholastically rank in the upper 15 percent of their class and show promise of leadership may be nominated for membership each year. No more than 15 percent of the senior class can be members of Gamma Sigma Delta.
- Graduate Students: Graduate students of outstanding ability who show great potential for future leadership in agriculture can be nominated by chapter members and elected.
- Faculty: Faculty with at least three years of work in agriculture and related sciences who have outstanding performance and achievement in the areas of teaching, research, and/or extension are eligible for election.
- Alumni: Alumni are eligible for election five or more years after graduation if they have provided outstanding service to agriculture and have demonstrated their worthiness of the honor.
Member Renewal and Nominations
We are counting on your continuing support of our honorary society. Memberships are calendar-based starting in January. The deadline is in November each year for Award Nominations.
- Membership Renewal
- New Member Nomination
- Grad Student Award Fund
- Award Nominations for Students, Extension, Research, Teaching and Merit
Chapter and International Award Recipients
Each year each chapter is encouraged to select an individual it wishes to honor and submit information on that individual to the Executive Committee. Criteria include significant contributions to agricultural and related sciences in the areas of teaching, research, and extension within the five years previous to the submission of the nomination. In 2007, the Constitution was changed to permit consideration of life time achievement in the selection process as well.
Award Recipients