Sigma Lambda Alpha () is a North American scholastic honor society that recognizes academic achievement among students in the field of landscape architecture. It was established in 1977 at the University of Minnesota by the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture.
History Beta Alpha Sigma, an honor society for landscape architecture, allied arts, and urban planning at Michigan State University in the 1960s, inspired Sigma Lambda Alpha. In 1976, the president of the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA), professor R. E. Toth, had the idea of establishing a collegiate honor society for landscape architecture students. The CELA executive board established Sigma Lambda Alpha was founded at University of Minnesota in Minneapolis on September 24, 1977.An Historical Summary of the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture by Michael Richard Hodges and Miriam Easton Rutz, Landscape Journal, Vol. 16, No. 1 (Spring 1997), pp. 108-114
Wiliam H. Snyder of the University of Idaho was appointed the first executive secretary of Sigma Lambda Alpha and was charged with convening a task force to form the society. Sigma Lambda Alpha was established as a scholastic honor society to recognize the academic achievements of landscape architecture students and help prepare them for their careers in landscape architecture. The purpose of Sigma Lambda Alpha is "to encourage, recognize, and reward academic excellence in preparation for the profession of landscape architecture". It places a strong emphasis on leadership and preserving the traditions of husbandry of the land.
Sigma Lambda Alpha was admitted to the Association of College Honor Societies in 1983 and achieved full membership in 1986. It was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in Michigan on April 11, 1989.Noted on Charity Navigator, accessed 16 Oct 2021. However, it continues to pperate within CELA.
As of 2011, the society had chartered 55 collegiate chapters in the United States, along with its Alpha Founders Chapter for distinguished and founding members. It became international in 2014 with the chartering of a chapter at the University of Guelph in Canada. Since 1977 the society has inducted 10,443 members. Its records from 1972 to 2007 are archived at the University of Idaho.
Symbols The Greek letters Sigma, Lambda, and Alpha were selected to represent "Scholar, Landscape Architect". Sigma Lambda Alpha's colors are gold and green. Its mottos are “Scholar, architect of the land, embraces the whole of nature and art” and “Fit mankind to the earth and the earth to mankind.”
Activities The society provides an annual award for contributions to landscape architecture scholarship and historical literature. Sigma Lambda Alpha awards scholarships to one undergraduate and one graduate student each year. It also awards six travel grants annually to its members.
Membership Members include undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, staff, and professionals. Membership is open to landscape architecture undergraduate students with a 3.4 GPA and graduate students with a 3.5 GPA who have completed one-third of the degree requirements. The society invites faculty, staff, and professionals to join as Honorary or Distinguished Members based on their accomplishments.
Chapters In the following list, active chapters are indicated in bold and inactive chapters are in italics.
ChapterCharter dateInstitutionLocationStatus1977Alpha Founders; Members-at-LargeActive1978University of IdahoMoscow, IdahoActive1978Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MichiganActive1979Texas A&M UniversityCollege Station, TexasActive1978Louisiana State UniversityBaton Rouge, LouisianaActive1979Utah State UniversityLogan, UtahActive1979University of MinnesotaMinneapolis MinnesotaActive1979California Polytechnic State University, San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, CaliforniaActive1979University of Arizona (see Alpha Zeta)Tucson, ArizonaActive1979Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, TexasActive1979Pennsylvania State UniversityActive1979California State Polytechnic University, PomonaPomona, CaliforniaActive1979State University of New York College of Environmental Science and ForestrySyracuse, New YorkActive1979Purdue UniversityWest Lafayette, IndianaActive1979University of FloridaGainesville, FloridaActive1980Washington State UniversityPullman, WashingtonActive1980Ohio State UniversityColumbus, OhioActive1980University of GeorgiaAthens, GeorgiaActive1981Ball State UniversityMuncie, IndianaActive1981Rutgers UniversityActive1981Kansas State UniversityManhattan, KansasActive1982University of California, DavisDavis, CaliforniaActive1982University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, IllinoisActive1982Virginia TechBlacksburg, VirginiaActive1983Morgan State UniversityBaltimore, MarylandActive1984West Virginia UniversityMorgantown, West VirginiaActive1985University of Wisconsin–MadisonMadison, WisconsinActive1985Oklahoma State University–StillwaterStillwater, OklahomaActive1985Auburn UniversityAuburn, AlabamaActive1987University of Arizona (see Iota)Tucson, ArizonaActive1988University of Texas at ArlingtonArlington, TexasActive1988University of Colorado DenverDenver, ColoradoActive1988University of ArkansasFayetteville, ArkansasActive1990University of WashingtonSeattle, WashingtonActive1988Mississippi State UniversityStarkville, Mississippi Active1989University of KentuckyLexington, KentuckyActive1989Colorado State UniversityFort Collins, ColoradoActive1990University of MichiganAnn Arbor, MichiganInactive1990University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherst, MassachusettsActive2014University of GuelphGuelph, Ontario, CanadaActiveClemson UniversityClemson, South CarolinaActiveFlorida International UniversityMiami, FloridaActiveIowa State UniversityAmes, IowaActiveNew York State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell UniversityIthaca, New YorkActiveNorth Carolina A&T State UniversityGreensboro, North CarolinaActiveNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleigh, North CarolinaActiveSouth Dakota State UniversityBrookings, South DakotaActiveTemple UniversityPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaActiveUniversity of California, BerkeleyRiverside, CaliforniaActiveUniversity of Nebraska–LincolnLincoln, Nebraska ActiveUniversity of Nevada, Las VegasLas Vegas, NevadaActiveUniversity of Rhode IslandKingston, Rhode IslandActiveUniversity of VirginiaCharlottesville, VirginiaActive
Notable members
Grant Jones, landscape architect Geraldine Knight Scott, landscape architect and professor at the University of California, Berkeley
See also Association of College Honor Societies Honor society
References
External links ACHS Sigma Lambda Alpha entry