Alpha Epsilon

Alpha Epsilon (ΑΕ) is a scholastic honor society recognizing academic achievement among students in the fields of Agricultural, Food, and Biological Engineering.

Alpha Epsilon Honor Society
ΑΕ
FoundedMay 14, 1959 (1959-05-14)
University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
TypeHonor
EmphasisAgricultural, Food, and Biological Engineering
ScopeNational
ColorsBlack   and   Gold
SymbolHorn of Plenty, Plow, T-square and Compass
Chapters30 active
HeadquartersAlpha Epsilon, c/o ASABE[1]
2950 Niles Road
St. Joseph, MI 49085
USA
WebsiteAlpha Epsilon Honor Society home page

History

Alpha Epsilon Honor Society was founded at the University of Missouri on May 14, 1959 to recognize academic achievement among students in the field of Agricultural Engineering. It began steady expansion immediately, adding chapters at the University of Illinois, University of Minnesota, University of Arkansas, Purdue University and Virginia Tech.[2]

The first six chapters met to formally adopted a national constitution and bylaws four years after its founding, on December 11, 1963.

While the Society's initial focus was Agricultural Engineering, this was later expanded to include Food Engineering, and Biological Engineering.

Alpha Epsilon was admitted to the Association of College Honor Societies in 1968, with full membership achieved in 1970.

The Society meets annually, in conjunction with the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE). The two organizations cooperate but are managed by two separate executive boards. They share a website and physical mailing address.

Alpha Epsilon honor society has 30 active chapters across the United States, and a total membership of around 8,000.

Membership is offered to those juniors who are in the upper quarter of their class, and seniors in the upper third. Prospective members must already be members of the ASABE. Both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible for collegiate membership. The society allows for three types of members: Honorary, Active, and Alumni.[2][3][4]

Traditions

The purpose of the society, as set forth in 1959 is:

To promote the high ideals of the engineering profession, to give recognition to those agricultural engineers who manifest worthy qualities of character, scholarship, and professional attainment, and to encourage and support such improvements in the agricultural engineering profession to make it an instrument of greater service to mankind. [2]

Chapters are fairly autonomous, allowed to manage their own activity broadly. One commonality that is shared by many groups is the provision of tutoring services to students in the Agricultural sciences.[4]

The motto of the Society is not made public.

There is no official publication; member news is distributed via email or as postal letters.

The colors of the society are black and gold.

The badge of the society is a key, etched in back with the name of the owner, the name of the chapter and the year of the member's initiation.

Alpha Epsilon's crest is in the form of a shield with a banner displaying the name of the society, "Alpha Epsilon," . The shield is further decorated with three symbols, the Horn of Plenty, a plow, and a T-square and compass. These symbols represent the place of agricultural engineering in the production of food and fiber. At the top of the shield is the center portion of the key with the letters Α and Ε..[2]

Chapters

This is a list of Alpha Epsilon chapters. Chapter names, dates and schools taken from Baird's Manual, 20th Ed.,[2],the Alpha Epsilon national website[5] or the Alpha Epsilon master member list.[6]

Number Chapter Installation Date College or University Location Status
1. Missouri Alpha chapter 1959 University of Missouri Columbia, Missouri Active
X. xxxx Beta chapter? 19xx Inactive[7]
2. Minnesota Gamma chapter 1960 University of Minnesota St. Paul, Minnesota Active
3. Illinois Delta chapter 1960 University of Illinois Urbana, Illinois Active
4. Arkansas Epsilon chapter 1961 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, Arkansas Active
5. Indiana Zeta chapter 1962 Purdue University West Lafayette, Indiana Active
6. Virginia Eta chapter 1963 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, Virginia Active
7. North Dakota Theta chapter 1964 North Dakota State University Fargo, North Dakota Active
8. Ohio Iota chapter 1965 Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio Active
9. South Dakota Kappa chapter 1966 South Dakota State University Brookings, South Dakota Active
10. Nebraska Lambda chapter 1966 University of Nebraska Lincoln, Nebraska Active
11. North Carolina Mu chapter 1966 North Carolina State University Raleigh, North Carolina Active
12. Colorado Nu chapter 1969 Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado Active
13. Texas Xi chapter 1969 University of Texas Austin, Texas Inactive
14. Pennsylvania Omicron chapter 1970 Penn State University State College, Pennsylvania Active
15. Iowa Pi chapter 1971 Iowa State University Ames, Iowa Active
16. West Virginia Rho chapter 1971 West Virginia University Morgantown, West Virginia Inactive
17. Michigan Sigma chapter 1973 Michigan State University East Lansing, Michigan Active
18. Wisconsin Tau chapter 1974 University of Wisconsin Madison, Wisconsin Active
19. Oregon Upsilon chapter 1976 Oregon State University Corvallis, Oregon Active
20. Texas (A&M) Phi chapter 1976 Texas A&M University College Station, Texas Active
21. California (Davis) Chi chapter 1976 University of California, Davis Davis, California Active
22. Maryland Psi chapter 1977 University of Maryland College Park, Maryland Active
23. Kentucky Omega chapter 1977 University of Kentucky Lexington, Kentucky Active
X. xxxx Alpha Beta chapter? 19xx Inactive[8]
X. xxxx Beta Beta chapter? 19xx Inactive[9]
24. Florida Gamma Beta chapter 1979 University of Florida Gainesville, Florida Active
25. Alabama Delta Beta chapter 1980 Auburn University Auburn, Alabama Active
26. Oklahoma Epsilon Beta chapter 1981 Oklahoma State University Stillwater, Oklahoma Active
27. Kansas Zeta Beta chapter 1983 Kansas State University Manhattan, Kansas Active
28. Arizona Eta Beta chapter 1986 University of Arizona Tucson, Arizona Active
29. North Carolina Theta Beta chapter 1996 North Carolina A&T State University Greensboro, North Carolina Active
30. New York Iota Beta chapter 1998 Cornell University Ithaca, New York Active
31. Florida (A&M) Kappa Beta chapter 19xx Florida A&M University Tallahassee, Florida Active?[10]

See also

References
  1. For convenience the ΑΕ Society is hosted by the ASABE general offices, but maintains a fully separate governance structure.
  2. Anson, Jack L.; Marchenasi, Robert F., eds. (1991) [1879]. Baird's Manual of American Fraternities (20th ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Baird's Manual Foundation, Inc. p. VI-4. ISBN 978-0963715906.
  3. Noted in the initiation ceremony, accessed 27 Sept 2020.
  4. Chapter autonomy and member requirements are noted in its Constitution, p.4, accessed 27 Sept 2020.
  5. Alpha Epsilon website chapter list, accessed 27 Sept 2020.
  6. Master Member list
  7. Neither Baird's nor the online chapter list notes use of a Beta chapter designation. Unused?
  8. Neither Baird's nor the online chapter list notes use of an Alpha Beta chapter designation. Unused?
  9. Neither Baird's nor the online chapter list notes use of a Beta Beta chapter designation. Unused?
  10. The online chapter list notes a few 2018 grads from the Kappa Beta chapter.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.