On April 25, 2025, our chapter of the Society of Physics Students (SPS) held a Sigma PI Sigma (ΣΠΣ) induction ceremony in the gorgeous Mather Mansion on CSU campus. The inductee 2025 class consisted of two graduating BS Physics students, two graduating 4+1 BS/MS Physics students, one MS Physics student, and two alumni.  

The list included: two outgoing SPS co-presidents Grace Miller (BS Honors '25, starting a PhD in Physics at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU)) and Jacob Forester (BS '25, starting a MS in Physics at CSU), Sebastian Squires (BS '24, MS '25, starting a PhD in Physics at Kent State University), Sophia Greene (BS '24 MS '25, starting a PhD in Physics at CWRU), James Taton (BS '24, MS Physics student, CSU), Dr. Nicholas Barron (BS Honors '18, Postdoctoral Fellow, NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Boulder, Co), and Niksa Praljak (BS Honors '20, PhD Candidate in Biophysics, University of Chicago, Chicago IL), This was 6^th ΣΠΣ induction ceremony since the revival of CSU’s ΣΠΣ chapter in 2018 (our chapter was dormant for almost 46 years before that). 

ΣΠΣ is the Physics Honor Society which “exists to honor outstanding scholarship in physics and astronomy; to encourage interest in physics and astronomy among students at all levels; to promote an attitude of service of its members towards their fellow students, colleagues, and the public; to provide a fellowship of persons who have excelled in physics and astronomy.” Every year we induct the very top of the current physics class and program’s alumni and friends from recent and not-that recent years who have significantly contributed to our physics department, to physics scholarship, to physics fellowship, to physics general outreach and service. We believe that strong ΣΠΣ chapter helps to build bridges between our department, current students, and alumni from different walks of life. Different generations of alumni in multitude of professions, current and emeritus faculty, and students assembled at the induction event might not know each other well, but they all have a common bond in our physics department. This bond creates an amazing synergy and atmosphere in the room not only provokes the exchange of ideas, many laughs, and jokes, but also leads to real job opportunities for current students and to service/fellowship opportunities for the alumni, which in turn strengthens the department. The induction event hosted about 60 people (students, alumni, faculty, and administration) and took place in the three rooms (Dining Room, Drawing Room, and Library) of the historic Mather Mansion at CSU. It was the evening of celebration of 2025 student awards and achievements, recognition of honorary alumni who contributed heavily to the department, and induction of seven new ΣΠΣ members. 

The evening started with a reception during which guests had a chance to meet each other and explore a poster collection about SPS, Physics Department, CSU’s REU, Sigma Pi Sigma Inductees of previous 7 years, and 17 Physics Day posters that highlighted yearly departmental outreach events for middle and high school students. The opening remarks by Dr. Streletzky started the official portion of the evening. After welcoming the guests, Dr. Streletzky briefly talked about the national SPS and the history of the CSU’s SPS chapter showing pictures of the chapter leadership from the past (as far as back as 1971).

Then Jacob Forester and Grace Miller (SPS co-Presidents), Patrick Barrett (SPS VP), and James Taton (SPS outreach) with some help from Dr. Streletzky highlighted the CSU’s SPS chapter achievements in the past year which included on-campus events (e.g. Physics Olympics and Physics Jeopardy), student conference travel, student publications and a student led “Physics Fridays” outreach program that in 2025 celebrated 14 years of operation in local Cleveland schools with an outreach program based at five branches of Cleveland Public Library. In the next part of the ceremony, Dr. Streletzky, gave Dr. Fodor’s presentation on the state of the program and some of the recent achievements of the department which included publications with undergraduate students, CSU student admittances to REU and grad schools, and student awards, including the Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Award. SPS students and Dr. Streletzky then thanked alumni and friends of the department for their donations. This portion of the evening was followed by presenting alumni-honorary guests who made significant contribution during CSU’s 2025 Giving Day with personal CSU/Physics Dept gifts. 

The next part of the program was dedicated to ΣΠΣ. Here Dr. Streletzky talked about the mission, history, and four pillars of the ΣΠΣ. This was followed by description of the history of the CSU’s chapter of ΣΠΣ. Previous CSU ΣΠΣ inductees who were present at the ceremony (M. Orseno, K. Freeman, D. Spelic, R. McDermott, P. Herron, J. Miller, J Pitchord, T. Peppard) were invited to share their life and career updates with the audience. Every ΣΠΣ member agreed to participate and the updates were funny and very heartfelt. The alumni updates were followed by a presentation on participation of CSU students in the Physics Congresses (PhysCons) organized by ΣΠΣ. Over the recent years CSU delegations went to the PhysCons of 2016 (San Francisco CA), 2019 (Providence RI), and 2022 (Washington DC) supported by generous donations of CSU alumni and friends. Jacob Forester gave a detailed report on CSU student trip to Centennial Physics Congress (2022 PhysCon) and described the current plans to assemble another CSU student delegation for the 2025 Physics and Astronomy Congress in Denver CO. The alumni gifts for that trip totaling $3270 will go a long way encouraging students to participate. The formal 2025 Sigma Pi Sigma Induction Ceremony followed with Dr. Streletzky describing the symbolism of ΣΠΣ’s insignia and the Red Book. 

Then ΣΠΣ members of our chapter helped Dr. Streletzky to introduce 2025 inductees. Our ΣΠΣ chapter has a wonderful tradition in which current ΣΠΣ members support the new inductees by choosing to pay their lifetime membership. This year three ΣΠΣ members of our chapter also volunteered to help introducing the inductees that they supported. As a  Miller. This new addition to the Induction Ceremony was very well received. Following the introduction, each inductee was invited to come up to the front of the room to sign the Red Book. Each inductee was gifted a pin, a pen, a membership card that signifies their lifetime membership at ΣΠΣ, and a small gift.

 Then, following another CSU tradition, the words of the Charge to the New ΣΠΣ Members were read by Dr. Jearl Walker to the entire group. After the ceremony, the guests were invited for group pictures and were served a buffet dinner which stimulated many conversations and networking between students, their families, alumni, and faculty. We hope to continue the tradition of the Sigma Pi Sigma Inductions for many years to come.