FAU's Chapter of the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society Earns National Awards

FAU's Rho Omicron Chapter of Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society, was  selected  as the recipient of  the  prestigious Ignacio  and  Sophie  Galbis  Award, presented  annually  to the most outstanding chapter nationwide for activities accomplished during the academic year.  In addition, FAU was named an "honor chapter." This distinction was awarded to only 13 chapters nationwide in 2016 and it is the eighth year in its chapter history that FAU has earned the distinction. 

Sigma Delta Pi is the largest foreign-language honor society in the nation.  Each May, more than 600 chapters of Sigma Delta Pi across the United States are asked to submit an annual report detailing their numerous activities and projects from the academic year. Based on these reports, the National Executive Committee chooses approximately 10 to 15 honor chapters. This recognition is based upon the caliber of chapter projects that reflect the Sigma Delta Pi mission of honoring excellence in the study of the Spanish language, contributing to cultural understanding and upholding the goals of the society. With its national office at the College of Charleston in South Carolina, Sigma Delta Pi is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies, the nation's only certifying agency for college and university honor societies.

Nancy K.  Poulson, FAU's chapter adviser and FAU professor of Spanish and Latin American studies, was instrumental in earning this year's national honor. Poulson singled out the recent student chapter officers Betsaida Casanova, Elizabeth Gillespie, Candy Hurtado, Andrea Cuervo and Rafael Leite as instrumental in providing the leadership for the events and activities that made FAU's chapter stand out nationally.

"Sigma Delta Pi members at FAU have demonstrated academic excellence in advanced course work in Spanish, as well as in their overall studies," said Poulson.  "The prestigious national recognition that FAU's Rho Omicron chapter received this year is the result of the hard work of these student members and officers. We have amazing, talented students of Spanish who worked hard to earn this impressive distinction."

Poulson has been elected to serve as the regional vice-president of the Southeast for Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society, for the 2016-19 triennium beginning July 2016. Poulson will assist institutions in her region with Sigma Delta Pi membership and chapter recruitment, chapter reactivation and general consultation. 

For more information about FAU's Department of Languages, Linguistics, and Comparative Literature, visit www.fau.edu/llcl.