Elliot Sandfort
  • computer engineering
  • Class of 2018
  • Lincoln, NE

Elliot Sandfort of Lincoln selected for Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma honor societies

2015 Mar 25

Elliot Sandfort of Lincoln was recently selected for the Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma honor societies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Invitations were sent in early February and the initiation ceremony took place March 15 in UNL's East Campus Union.

Phi Eta Sigma is the nation's oldest and largest honor society for first-year college and university students in all disciplines. The society's mission is to encourage and reward academic excellence among freshmen in institutions of higher learning. The Greek words on the scroll form the motto of the organization: "Knowledge is power." Phi Eta Sigma has been a member of the Association of College Honor Societies since 1937. Only two societies have had longer continuous membership.

Alpha Lambda Delta is an honor society for students in their first year or who have completed their first year at an institution of higher education. Alpha Lambda Delta's mission is to "encourage superior academic achievement ... to promote intelligent living and a continued high standard of learning, and to assist students in recognizing and developing meaningful goals for their unique roles in society."

ALD and PES were twin organizations (one for men, one for women) until the Title IX decisions made both organizations co-educational in the 1970s. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln chapters of ALD and PES work together as a joint chapter. Although the national requirement to become a member is a 3.5 grade-point average, the UNL chapters of Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma recognizes those with a 3.75 or higher GPA. Those elected to chapter membership include those who have a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.75 on a 4.0 scale at the end of any first year, full-time curricular period -- provided they have carried a normal academic load acceptable toward a bachelor's degree -- and who rank in the upper 20 percent of their class.