Sigma Alpha is a professional agricultural

Agriculture

Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...

 sorority that promotes scholarship, leadership, service and fellowship among its members.

On January 26th, 1978 five young women, Ann Huling Mathews, Cindie Davis, Marilyn Burns, Jennifer McMillan and Amy Mathews, founded Sigma Alpha at the Ohio State University

Ohio State University

The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...

. Since that time, Sigma Alpha has become a national organization consisting of over 70 chapters, with undergraduate and alumnae members. Today, more than 7,000 members have been initiated into Sigma Alpha Sorority.

The sorority was named Sigma Alpha for "Sisters in Agriculture." The sorority was given colors of emerald and maize, the baby bull for the mascot, the yellow chrysanthemum for the flower, and the emerald for the jewel. Sigma Alpha's motto is: Women Excelling in Agriculture.

The objective of this sorority shall be to promote its members in all facets of agriculture and to strengthen the bonds of friendship among them. It is the purpose of the members to strive for achievement in scholarship, leadership and service, and to further the development of excellence in women pursuing careers in agriculture.

Sigma Alpha is a member of the Professional Fraternity Association

Professional Fraternity Association

The Professional Fraternity Association is an association of national, collegiate, professional fraternities and sororities that was formed 1978. Since PFA groups are discipline-specific, members join while pursuing graduate degrees as well as undergraduate degrees...

 (PFA), a national organization of professional Greek letter organizations. Sigma Alpha Sorority is an affiliate of Agriculture in the classroom

Agriculture in the classroom

Agriculture in the Classroom is a grassroots program coordinated by the United States Department of Agriculture . Its goal is to help students gain a greater awareness of the role of agriculture in the economy and society, so that they may become citizens who support wise agricultural policies...

 which is the sorority's national philanthropy project and The Consortium of collegiate agricultural organizations

Consortium of collegiate agricultural organizations

The Consortium of Collegiate Agriculture Organizations is an organization to assist future leaders of the agriculture industry with career opportunities, leadership development, and new ideas to make their collegiate agriculture organizations more effective...

. Both Sigma Alpha Sorority and the Sigma Alpha National Alumni Association are affiliates of American Agri-Women.

Famous Sisters:

2010 - National Watermelon Queen Jessica Southard (Beta Gamma)

2010 - Harford County Farm Queen Allison Jones (Pi)

2005 - Miss Southwest Michigan Melissa Moser Stamp (Gamma)

2001 - Michele Payne Knoper, Founder of Cause Matters Corp.; Board of Directors AgChat Foundation, Inc (Gamma)

2011 - Amy Yoder, President at Arysta Life Science (Gamma)
2011 - Katie Stump (Pi)

Order of Omega

Order of Omega

The Order of Omega is an undergraduate Greek society recognizing "fraternity men and women who have attained a high standard of leadership in inter-fraternity activities." It functions as an adjunct to traditional fraternal organizations, rather than a social or professional group in se...

Inductees
K. Ansaldo, L. Bass, B. Bennett, R. Brunkhorst, R. Caldwell, C. Calvert, S. Carberry, J. Carder, V. Chamberlain, T. Dicke, K. Eisele, K. Elstrott, H. Eppinette, T. Fetzer, D. Flynn, A. Fogg, L. Fordyce, H. Fuelling, D. Hebrock, A. Hingle, L. Hussey, S. James, J. Johnson, S. Johnson, L. Kastler, N. Knautz, M. Kraver, T. Kreifels, L. Lansberry, B. Lilly, C. Mahnken, M. McGuffee, A. Miller, D. Morrison, L. Peed, J. Pyritz, J. Rinehimer, F. Robb, M. Rome, R. Scherer, A. Scherling, V. Scott, E. Shackelford, J. Shive, M. Simon, K. Smiricky, L. Smith, A. Smith, J. Spano, K. Tallcott, J. Terrell, J. Terry, S. Turek, C. Vantine, L. Weems, C. Wiese, K. Williams, M. Wilson, M. Wolfe

Malinda Geisler (Delta), CEO Growing Family Fun Des Moines Area

External links

• Sigma Alpha Sorority official website
• Alpha Chapter, The Ohio State University
• Beta Chapter, Purdue University
• Gamma Chapter, Michigan State University
• Delta Chapter, Iowa State University
• Epsilon Chapter, Pennsylvania State University
• Zeta Chapter, Louisiana State University
• Eta Chapter, University of Connecticut
• Theta Chapter, University of Tennessee
• Iota Chapter, University of Arkansas
• Kappa Chapter, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
• Lambda Chapter, University of California-Davis
• Nu, Colorado State University
• Xi, Oregon State University
• Omicron, Truman State University
• Pi, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
• Rho, Texas Tech University
• Sigma, Western Illinois University
• Tau Chapter, Clemson University
• Upsilon, North Dakota State University
• Chi, West Virginia University
• Psi, Middle Tennessee State University
• Omega, South Dakota State University
• Alpha Beta, Northwest Missouri State University
• Alpha Gamma, Southern Illinois University
• Alpha Delta, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Alpha Epsilon, University of Wyoming
• Alpha Zeta, Tarleton State University
• Alpha Eta, Stephen F. Austin State University
• Alpha Theta, North Carolina State University
• Alpha Iota, California State University-Chico
• Alpha Kappa, University of Delaware
• Alpha Lambda, Delaware Valley College
• Alpha Mu, University of Illinois
• Alpha Nu, Arizona State University East
• Alpha Xi, Southwest Missouri State University
• Alpha Omicron, University of Georgia
• Alpha Pi, Texas A&M University
• Alpha Rho, University of Arizona
• Alpha Sigma, New Mexico State University
• Alpha Tau, University of Wisconsin–Madison
• Alpha Upsilon, Murray State University
• Alpha Phi, California State University-Fresno
• Alpha Chi, University of Missouri-Columbia
• Alpha Psi, Cornell University
• Alpha Omega, Kansas State University
• Beta Alpha, University of Maryland
• Beta Gamma, University of Florida
• Beta Delta, University of Wisconsin–Platteville
• Beta Epsilon, University of Idaho
• Beta Zeta, University of Wisconsin–River Falls
• Beta Eta, Auburn University
• Beta Theta, University of Tennessee at Martin
• Beta Iota, Florida Southern College-Lakeland
• Beta Kappa, University of New Hampshire
• Beta Lambda, University of Rhode Island