Pi Alpha Xi, the National Honor Society for Horticulture, inducted new members and elected officers April 14 in Plant Sciences Hall on the University of Nebraska–Lincoln East Campus. The Nebraska chapter, Alpha-Gamma, began in 1982, and this year, inducted their 350th member.
Pi Alpha Xi was founded at Cornell University in 1923. Nationally, there are 40 chapters with 14,000 members. Chapters are located in the United States at four-year institutions with programs in horticulture. The purpose of the group is to promote high scholarship, fellowship among students, educators and professional horticulturists, professional leadership and the enrichment of human life through plants.
Junior and senior horticulture majors with a 3.0 GPA overall and at least 15 hours in horticulture classes are invited to join. Graduate students and faculty with an emphasis in horticulture are also eligible. Notification of nomination is sent out during the spring semester by advisers.
New inductees this year are Amanda Earnest, Zoe Gildersleeve, Ben Searl, Olivia Fiala, Jason Ries, Michael Miller, Morgan Von Seggern, Kaitlin Taylor and Alexander Monette.
New officers elected for 2018–2019 are Ben Searl, president; Olivia Fiala, vice president and Luqi Li, secretary/treasurer. Advisers to the club are Professor Ellen Paparozzi and Associate Professor of Practice David Lamb.
Elizabeth Conley was honored with the President’s Citation by Pi Alpha Xi and the Horticulture Club, in recognition of outstanding service in the field of horticulture. Conley has been a research technologist for Paparozzi since 1990.
Li, a doctoral student, received the Pi Alpha Xi Scholarship. Li’s research involves the ecology and genetics of yellow nutsedge, Cyperus esculentus, in an attempt to understand more about the genetic diversity of the species, optimizing herbicide control strategy and evaluating its competitiveness against cool-season turfgrass. Li is advised by Roch Gaussoin, professor of agronomy and horticulture.
Go to the Pi Alpha Xi Alpha-Gamma chapter webpage for more information about the organization.