Honor Societies

Whittier College currently operates campus chapters of each of the following national honor societies. Members of these organizations are selected based on criteria such as grade point average, and, in general, exhibit a keen dedication to scholarship, service, and leadership.

Leadership Society

Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK)
Faculty Advisors: Wendy Furman-Adams, Fritz Smith
E-mail: odk@poets.whittier.edu
Recognizing those who have obtained a high standard of efficiency in collegiate activities, ODK brings together the most representative students in all phases of collegiate life, from athletics and artistry to service and scholarship. The ODK membership seeks to foster and help shape the host college's engagement in questions of local and intercollegiate interest.

Academic societies

Anthropology: Lambda Alpha
E-mail: lambdalpha@poets.whittier.edu
Lambda Alpha exists in order "to encourage and stimulate scholarship and research in anthropology by recognizing and honoring superior acheivement in the discipline among students, faculty, and other persons engaged in the study of anthropology."

Business: Alpha Pi Delta
Faculty Advisor: Lana Nino
E-mail: apd@poets.whittier.edu
Alpha Pi Delta seeks to foster excellence among its members in the fulfillment of both their personal and professional potential.

Chemistry: Nu Mu Rho
Faculty Advisor: Devin Iimoto
E-mail: numurho@poets.whittier.edu
Nu Mu Rho serves to recognize and stimulate in its members personal accomplishments in chemical fields, and to promote interest in all branches of pure and applied chemistry.

Education: Delta Phi Upsilon
Faculty Advisor: Kathleen Pompey
E-mail: deltaphiup@poets.whittier.edu
The purpose of this organization is educational, namely to give direction, encourage thought, and promote action for childhood education on an ever-widening scale; to work steadfastly for the improvement of the welfare of all young children; to develop an awareness within our society of its responsibility to meet the needs of young children.

English: Sigma Tau Delta
Faculty Advisor: Sean Morris
E-mail: sdp@poets.whittier.edu
Sigma Tau Delta consists of Whittier's most accomplished students in the Department of English Language & Literature. Each spring, the honor society coordinates and publishes the Literary Review, a compliation of the year's best student poetry, short fiction, scholarly writing, and artwork.

History: Phi Alpha Theta
E-mail: historyhon@poets.whittier.edu
A professional society, Phi Alpha Theta seeks to promote the study of history through the encouragement of research, good teaching, publication, and the exchange of learning and through among historians.

Kinesiology: Phi Epsilon Kappa (PEK)
Faculty Advisor: Trish Van Oosbree
E-mail: pek@poets.whittier.edu
PEK's objective is to advance the fields of physical education, exercise science, and other specialized topics within kinesiology and leisure science.

Physics: Sigma Pi Sigma
Faculty Advisor: Glenn Piner
E-mail: sigpisig@poets.whittier.edu
Sigma Pi Sigma exists to "honor outstanding scholarship in physics; to encourage interest in physics among students at all levels; to promote an attitude of service of its members towards their fellow students, colleagues, and the public; to provide a fellowship of persons who have excelled in physics."

Political Science: Pi Sigma Alpha
Faculty Advisor: John Neu
E-mail: pisigalph@poets.whittier.edu
Pi Sigma Alpha is the only national honor society for college students of political science and governement in the United States. The Whittier chapter seeks to promote and encourage the work of successful students pursuing a deeper understanding of—and the rich connections within— governmental issues.

Psychology: Psi Chi
Faculty Advisor: Aiyesha Shaikh
E-mail: psichi@poets.whittier.edu
The mission of Psi Chi is to encourage and stimulate work by individual members within the field of psychology, as well as to advance the science of psychology.

Social Work: Phi Alpha
E-mail: phialpha@whittier.edu
The purpose of Phi Alpha Honor Society is to "provide a closer bond among students of social work and promote humanitarian goals and ideals.  Phi Alpha fosters high standards of education for social workers and invites into membership those who have attained excellence in scholarship and achievement in social work."

Spanish: Sigma Delta Pi
Faculty Advisor: Doreen O'Connor-Gomez
E-mail: sdp@poets.whittier.edu
National Hispanic honorary Sigma Delta Pi encourages its membership in successful pursuit of the study of Spanish culture and language. In 2007 the Whittier College chapter, Upsilon Pi, was awarded the prestigious El Premio Octavio Paz, an honor recognizing chapters that maintain an outstanding record of activity and service for three consecutive years. Whittier was one of eight collegiate chapters to receive the award, out of more than 500 chapters nationwide.

Theatre: Alpha Psi Omega
Faculty Advisor: Gil Gonzalez
E-mail: apo@poets.whittier.edu
The Whittier chapter of Alpha Psi Omega operates under an objective to stimulate interest in dramatic activities on campus, which includes the annually sponsored "Poet Playhouse," an event for the College community to showcase its talents.