Iota Sigma Pi National Honor Society for Women in Chemistry Hydrogen Chapter University of California, Berkeley

We are a national honor society for women in chemistry which began in 1902 with the organization of the Hydrogen chapter here at the University of California, Berkeley. Since the appearance of that seminal chapter, 10,000 members have been initiated into forty chapters nationwide. We promote the professional development and personal growth of women in chemistry and related fields through recognition, public outreach and the formation of supportive networks.

In the late 1970's the Hydrogen chapter at Berkeley became inactive. In the spring of 1997 an effort was made to reestablish Iota Sigma Pi at the University of California, Berkeley. After several months of work the Hydrogen chapter was reactivated on Saturday, September 20, 1997 with 25 charter members.  Since then the chapter membership has grown to the current level of approximately 45 women which includes undergraduate students, graduate students, professors, and professional chemists.

Besides our chapter's welcome dinners and officer installations, we host and participate in a variety of events throughout the year.  Here is a sampling of what we do:

Professional development
» Workshops such as interview skills, negotiating, resume writing, and career options
» Informal brown bag discussion lunches with campus faculty and administrators as well as chemical professionals

Outreach activities
» Expanding Your Horizons - a day of workshops for middle school-aged girls to encourage them to continue their science education  
» "Choosing a research group" panel discussion for first year graduate students

Social activities
» Hiking - Mt. Diablo, Angel Island, Muir Woods, etc.  
» Tours - Pyramid Brewing Company, Scharffen Berger Chocolate Factory, Takara Sake Factory, etc.  

We encourage everyone to attend our events!

Membership in Iota Sigma Pi is open to any woman in chemistry or an allied field who meets the following criteria:

Undergraduate Students
» achieved at least junior standing with an overall cumulative GPA of 3.00 or greater
» completed at least six semesters of chemistry with a cumulative chemistry GPA of 3.00
-- or --
» completed at least four semesters of chemistry with a cumulative chemistry GPA of 3.50

Graduate Students
» enrolled in graduate studies in good standing within the program
» completed at least nine credit hours of graduate study in chemistry or an allied science with a GPA of at least 3.00
» meets the criteria for undergraduates as shown above

Professionals
» earned a Ph.D. in chemistry or an allied science
-- or --
» earned a bachelors or masters degree in chemistry with either a GPA of at least 3.00 or at least three years of employment in chemistry or an allied field
-- or --
» earned a bachelors or masters degree in an allied field with at least five years of employment in chemistry or an allied field

» For information about becoming a member of Hydrogen Chapter, email one of the current chapter officers:

President	Yael Elmatad
Vice President	Gabriela Schlau-Cohen
Secretary	Rachel Sellon
Treasurer	Jordan RoseFigura
Historian	Kateri DuBay
G.A. Delegate	Sarah Hubbard

All email addresses are @berkeley.edu. To email all officers at once, send email to .  

» To learn more about our events:
Sign up with the chapter secretary to receive email notices about meetings, ISP sponsored events, and other events of interest.  You can also check out the display case outside 419 Latimer Hall on the UC Berkeley campus for postings about meetings, ISP events, and pictures from past events.  

H Chapter pictures
Iota Sigma Pi -- national website
Department of Chemistry, UC Berkeley
American Chemical Society
ACS Women Chemists Committee
ACS California Section