# Sigma Lambda Alpha (honor society)

Sigma Lambda Alpha (ΣΛΑ) is a North American scholastic honor society that recognizes academic achievement among students in the field of landscape architecture. It was established in 1977 at the University of Minnesota by the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture.

## History

Beta Alpha Sigma, an honor society for landscape architecture, allied arts, and urban planning at Michigan State University in the 1960s, inspired Sigma Lambda Alpha. In 1976, the president of the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA), professor R. E. Toth, had the idea of establishing a collegiate honor society for landscape architecture students. The CELA executive board established Sigma Lambda Alpha was founded at University of Minnesota in Minneapolis on September 24, 1977.
Wiliam H. Snyder of the University of Idaho was appointed the first executive secretary of Sigma Lambda Alpha and was charged with convening a task force to form the society. Sigma Lambda Alpha was established as a scholastic honor society to recognize the academic achievements of landscape architecture students and help prepare them for their careers in landscape architecture. The purpose of Sigma Lambda Alpha is "to encourage, recognize, and reward academic excellence in preparation for the profession of landscape architecture". It places a strong emphasis on leadership and preserving the traditions of husbandry of the land.
Sigma Lambda Alpha was admitted to the Association of College Honor Societies in 1983 and achieved full membership in 1986. It was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in Michigan on April 11, 1989. However, it continues to pperate within CELA.
As of 2011, the society had chartered 55 collegiate chapters in the United States, along with its Alpha Founders Chapter for distinguished and founding members. It became international in 2014 with the chartering of a chapter at the University of Guelph in Canada. Since 1977 the society has inducted 10,443 members. Its records from 1972 to 2007 are archived at the University of Idaho.

## Symbols

The Greek letters Sigma, Lambda, and Alpha were selected to represent "Scholar, Landscape Architect". Sigma Lambda Alpha's colors are gold and green. Its mottos are “Scholar, architect of the land, embraces the whole of nature and art” and “Fit mankind to the earth and the earth to mankind.”

## Activities

The society provides an annual award for contributions to landscape architecture scholarship and historical literature. Sigma Lambda Alpha awards scholarships to one undergraduate and one graduate student each year. It also awards six travel grants annually to its members.

## Membership

Members include undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, staff, and professionals. Membership is open to landscape architecture undergraduate students with a 3.4 GPA and graduate students with a 3.5 GPA who have completed one-third of the degree requirements. The society invites faculty, staff, and professionals to join as Honorary or Distinguished Members based on their accomplishments.

## Chapters

In the following list, active chapters are indicated in bold and inactive chapters are in italics.
| Chapter | Charter date | Institution | Location | Status |
| 000001 Alpha | 1977 | Alpha Founders; Members-at-Large | | Active |
| 000002 Beta | 1978 | University of Idaho | Moscow, Idaho | Active |
| 000003 Gamma | 1978 | Michigan State University | East Lansing, Michigan | Active |
| 000004 Delta | 1979 | Texas A&M University | College Station, Texas | Active |
| 000005 Epsilon | 1978 | Louisiana State University | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | Active |
| 000006 Zeta | 1979 | Utah State University | Logan, Utah | Active |
| 000007 Eta | 1979 | University of Minnesota | Minneapolis Minnesota | Active |
| 000008 Theta | 1979 | California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo, California | Active |
| 000009 Iota | 1979 | University of Arizona (see Alpha Zeta) | Tucson, Arizona | Active |
| 000010 Kappa | 1979 | Texas Tech University | Lubbock, Texas | Active |
| 000011 Lambda | 1979 | Pennsylvania State University | | Active |
| 000012 Mu | 1979 | California State Polytechnic University, Pomona | Pomona, California | Active |
| 000013 Nu | 1979 | State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry | Syracuse, New York | Active |
| 000014 Xi | 1979 | Purdue University | West Lafayette, Indiana | Active |
| 000015 Omicron | 1979 | University of Florida | Gainesville, Florida | Active |
| 000016 Pi | 1980 | Washington State University | Pullman, Washington | Active |
| 000017 Rho | 1980 | Ohio State University | Columbus, Ohio | Active |
| 000018 Sigma | 1980 | University of Georgia | Athens, Georgia | Active |
| 000019 Tau | 1981 | Ball State University | Muncie, Indiana | Active |
| 000020 Upsilon | 1981 | Rutgers University | | Active |
| 000021 Phi | 1981 | Kansas State University | Manhattan, Kansas | Active |
| 000022 Chi | 1982 | University of California, Davis | Davis, California | Active |
| 000023 Psi | 1982 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Champaign, Illinois | Active |
| 000024 Omega | 1982 | Virginia Tech | Blacksburg, Virginia | Active |
| 000101 Alpha Alpha | 1983 | Morgan State University | Baltimore, Maryland | Active |
| 000102 Alpha Beta | 1984 | West Virginia University | Morgantown, West Virginia | Active |
| 000103 Alpha Gamma | 1985 | University of Wisconsin–Madison | Madison, Wisconsin | Active |
| 000104 Alpha Delta | 1985 | Oklahoma State University–Stillwater | Stillwater, Oklahoma | Active |
| 000105 Alpha Epsilon | 1985 | Auburn University | Auburn, Alabama | Active |
| 000106 Alpha Zeta | 1987 | University of Arizona (see Iota) | Tucson, Arizona | Active |
| 000107 Alpha Eta | 1988 | University of Texas at Arlington | Arlington, Texas | Active |
| 000108 Alpha Theta | 1988 | University of Colorado Denver | Denver, Colorado | Active |
| 000109 Alpha Iota | 1988 | University of Arkansas | Fayetteville, Arkansas | Active |
| 000110 Alpha Kappa | 1990 | University of Washington | Seattle, Washington | Active |
| 000111 Alpha Lambda | 1988 | Mississippi State University | Starkville, Mississippi | Active |
| 000112 Alpha Mu | 1989 | University of Kentucky | Lexington, Kentucky | Active |
| 000113 Alpha Nu | 1989 | Colorado State University | Fort Collins, Colorado | Active |
| 000114 Alpha Xi | 1990 | University of Michigan | Ann Arbor, Michigan | Inactive |
| 000115 Alpha Omicron | 1990 | University of Massachusetts Amherst | Amherst, Massachusetts | Active |
| | 2014 | University of Guelph | Guelph, Ontario, Canada | Active |
| | | Clemson University | Clemson, South Carolina | Active |
| | | Florida International University | Miami, Florida | Active |
| | | Iowa State University | Ames, Iowa | Active |
| | | New York State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University | Ithaca, New York | Active |
| | | North Carolina A&T State University | Greensboro, North Carolina | Active |
| | | North Carolina State University | Raleigh, North Carolina | Active |
| | | South Dakota State University | Brookings, South Dakota | Active |
| | | Temple University | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Active |
| | | University of California, Berkeley | Riverside, California | Active |
| | | University of Nebraska–Lincoln | Lincoln, Nebraska | Active |
| | | University of Nevada, Las Vegas | Las Vegas, Nevada | Active |
| | | University of Rhode Island | Kingston, Rhode Island | Active |
| | | University of Virginia | Charlottesville, Virginia | Active |

## Notable members

* Grant Jones, landscape architect
* Geraldine Knight Scott, landscape architect and professor at the University of California, Berkeley