Chi Epsilon Pi Honor Society

Welcome to the homepage of The Penn State Chapter of Chi Epsilon Pi. Chi Epsilon Pi is a national meteorology honors society. Here at the Penn State Chapter, we have various social events, including the fall picnic, spring banquet and hikes up good old Mount Nittany. Read more about our purpose and criteria for membership below.

Officers for 2022-2023

Faculty Advisor:

Chi Epsilon Pi is the Pennsylvania State University chapter of the national meteorology honor society founded in 1951 at the University of California at Los Angeles.  Its members are graduate and undergraduate students, faculty, and staff. Induction into the society is an honor one holds for life.

The purpose of the society is twofold: to serve as a means for awarding distinction to students who have high scholastic ability and promise of achievement in meteorology and to promote student interest in advanced study of meteorology and related sciences.  In its role as an honor society, Chi Epsilon Pi inducts new members into the organization each fall and spring semester and holds a banquet each spring.  Chi Epsilon Pi also acts in a service capacity, organizing an informal "Brown Bag" series of seminars, cosponsoring with the department the fall picnic, managing a free tutoring service for courses in the undergraduate curriculum, and organizing a "buddy" system for incoming graduate students.

Members of the society are classified as voting (active) and nonvoting (associate).

There are two types of active membership: student and staff.  Graduate and undergraduate students who meet one of the criteria for membership given below become active student members of Chi Epsilon Pi.  Active student members who graduate and become affiliated with the Penn State Department of Meteorology may choose to have their status changed to active staff membership.  Faculty and staff members with advanced degrees in meteorology who are employed full-time by the Penn State Department of Meteorology are eligible for active staff membership.

There are three types of associate membership: alumni, honorary, and provisional.  Active student members who graduate and remain affiliated with the Penn State Department of Meteorology may choose to have their status changed to alumni membership.  Those active members no longer affiliated with the Penn State Department of Meteorology will have their status changed to alumni membership.  Anyone who has attained noteworthy distinction in the science of meteorology or closely kindred sciences is eligible for honorary membership.  Faculty of Penn State University may be chosen as honorary members.  Active or alumni members may recommend candidates for honorary membership.  All meteorology graduate students who do not meet the requirements for active student membership are provisional members until they either meet the requirements or are no longer students; they may participate in all Chi Epsilon Pi activities with the exception of voting and holding office.

The criteria for active student membership are as follows (Effective 2022-23):

Undergraduate students are eligible for active student membership after:

  1. completing a minimum of 13 graded credit hours of meteorology courses if they have attained a 3.3 (or higher) grade point average in meteorology and
  2. an overall Penn State cumulative grade point average of 3.1 (or higher), on a 4.0 scale.

Graduate students are eligible for active student membership after:

  1. attaining an undergraduate degree in meteorology or atmospheric sciences with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher in meteorology courses and of 3.1 or higher overall, on a 4.0 scale, or 
  2. completing nine credits of 400- or 500-level meteorology courses while in graduate status and attaining a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher in meteorology, on a 4.0 scale, or
  3. completing fifteen credits of 400- or 500- level meteorology courses while in graduate status and attaining a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale, or
  4. having attained an MS or PhD in meteorology or atmospheric sciences, or 
  5. passing the PhD Candidacy Exam in meteorology. 

Past Officers

  • Officers for '21-'22
    President - Baylee Sexton
    Secretary/Historian - Kaitlin Kitch
    Treasurer - Hunter Donahoe
  • Officers for '20-'21
    President - Nick Guzzo
    Secretary/Historian - Baylee Sexton
    Treasurer - Jacob Matthews
  • Officers for '19-'20
    President - Laura Shedd
    Secretary/Historian - Karen Dedinsky
    Treasurer - Zach Petey

  • Officers for '18 - '19
    President - Brandon Smith
    Secretary/Historian - Nicole June
    Treasurer - Benjamin Yang

  • Officers for '17 - '18
    President - Nathan Lis
    Secretary/Historian - Shawn Murdzek
    Treasurer - Brandon Smith