Contact Information:

Marc McDill, Ph D, Advisor

The Pennsylvania State University
School of Forest Resources
117 Forest Resource Bldg.
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-1602

Membership into the society is by invitation only. To be eligible, undergraduate students must meet the following requirements:

• At least sophomore standing (4th semester) in the School of Forest Resources.
• Have maintained a grade point average of 3.00 or better until time of election to membership.
• Graduate students are eligible after 3 semesters at Penn State and a maintained grade point average of 3.5 or better at the time of initiation.
• Faculty members are eligible only after a residence of 3 semesters at Penn State by the time of initiation.

Our objectives are to secure and maintain a high standard of scholarship in forestry education, to work for the improvement of the forestry profession, and to promote a fraternal spirit among those engaged in activities related to the forest.

History and Aims

Xi Sigma Pi, a forestry honor society, was founded at the University of Washington on November 24, 1908.

The society existed as a local honor society until 1915 when a new constitution creating the executive council was adopted. The original chapter at the University of Washington was designated Alpha. With the advent of Beta at Michigan State University in 1916 and of Gamma at the University of Maine in 1917, the society spanned the continent. A period of consolidation, largely concentrated west of the Mississippi followed. Delta and Epsilon at the Universities of Minnesota and Idaho respectively were founded during 1920. Zeta at Oregon State University entered in 1921.

Next, in order of sequence, was the granting of a charter to Eta Chapter at the Pennsylvania State College (now known as Penn State) on November 9, 1923, with formal installation taking place on January 8, 1924.

Iota Chapter of Xi Sigma Pi was established at the Pennsylvania State Forest School in Mont Alto on March 11, 1927. With the merger of the Mont Alto School and the Department of Forestry at The Pennsylvania State College in 1929, the Iota Chapter was discontinued.

Eta Chapter is a member of the Honor Society Council of The Pennsylvania State University. This council was established in 1922 for the purpose of coordinating and unifying the activities of the several honor societies in matters of publicity and especially in devising means of focusing the attention of the student body on scholarship ideals.

During the seventy year history of Eta Chapter, the members have participated in a number of projects which have been beneficial to both the Fraternity and the Forestry School. These projects include the establishment of several plantations in the Stone Valley Experimental Forest and the University Farm Woodlands. Outstanding among these is the establishment in 1938 of red pine (Pinus resinosa) spacing plots which have been maintained by fraternity members from the time of planting and include cultural operations such as cleanings to remove invading species and pruning to seven feet all trees in each spacing.

Diameter and height measurements were taken in 1947, 1950, 1954, and 1992. A forest cleanup was conducted by the pledge class of Spring 1993 whereby the edge effect vegetation was removed along with roadside trash.

Xi Sigma Pi Eta Chapter at Penn State is in charge of 3 acres of land on the Stone Valley Experimental Forest. In the early 1900's red pine (pinus resinosa) was planted in a plantation format. The pines were planted in groups with different spacing between them to show the effect that differing stand density has on the diameter growth of trees. Due to safety concerns, the pines were harvested in 2002. In June of 2003, various species of chestnut (Castanea spp.) were planted on the former pine plantation land. Among these species were Chinese, American, and Chinese-American crosses, along with red oaks (Quercus rubra) to show the public how the growth rate and growth form varies among those species. Those trees are also part of a research project that is being conducted by the Schatz Center for Molecular Tree Genetics under the dircetion of Dr. John Carlson. The Schatz Center sponsors an undergraduate research program as well.