1. Gamma Theta Upsilon: Transcending International Boundaries with Geography’s International Honor Society James Lowry University of New Orleans Thomas Wikle Oklahoma State University Donald Zeigler Old Dominion University Tel Aviv, Israel International Geographical Union July 15, 2010

2. http://www.gammathetaupsilon.org/

3. Local Chapters Local chapters are chartered by Gamma Theta Upsilon.

4. Membership 3 geography courses 3 college semesters 3.3 GPA overall 3.3 GPA in geography Inductees must have: Membership is open to undergraduates and post-graduates.

6. Honors Chapters Presidential Honors Chapters Chapter Anniversary Awards Chapter Recognition

7. Chapter Sponsor Recognition How many faculty members have been chapter sponsors for a continuous 35 years? 2

8. Dr. Duane Nellis President, University of Idaho President, Association of American Geographers President, National Council for Geographic Education President, Gamma Theta Upsilon

9. “The mission of the Association of College Honor Societies is to build a visibly cohesive community of national and international honor societies, individually and collaboratively exhibiting excellence in scholarship, service, programs, and governance.”

10. 67 member societies, including... Kappa Mu EpsilonMathematics Phi Alpha ThetaHistory Pi Gamma MuSocial Sciences Psi ChiPsychology

11. 1964 Members of Iota Chapter, Montclair, NJ Opportunities at the Chapter Level Leadership Activities Service Jobs Academic Support

12. The Geographical Bulletin Peer reviewed 2 issues per year Published since 1970 Student research Best Student Article EBSCO accessible

13. GTU Scholarships Buzzard Undergraduate Scholarship Buzzard Graduate Scholarship Maxfield Scholarship Richason Scholarship Rechlin Scholarship $1000

14. Visiting Geographical Scientist Program

15. Honor Society in Geography Three Chapters outside the USA: 2 in Canada 1 in Mexico International? Yes Global? No International Regrettably, all three are dormant.

16. From... Alpha Chapter at Illinois State University May 15, 1928 To... Mu Gamma Chapter at University of Texas–Dallas May 5, 2010 282 Chapters Almost 60,000 Members

17. Since... August 1, 2009 1159 new members 129 chapters United States 7 Other Countries Bosnia, Canada, China, Ghana, Japan, Trinidad and Tobago, U.K. During the previous year, we had initiates from Bolivia, India, and Thailand.

18. GTU is...GTU is not... ΓΘ ϒ An Honor Society Elitist Transparent A Secret Society

19. Goal To reinvigorate the international dimension of Gamma Theta Upsilon by exploring the possibilities for establishing active Chapters outside the United States. GTU Vice-Presidents: Dr. Randy BertolasRaBerto1@wsc.edu Dr. Tom Wiklet.wikle@okstate.edu

20. Abstract: Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU) serves as the international honor society in geography. At present, however, all but three chapters are located in the United States. Unlike honor societies in other disciplines, GTU has not focused on international membership; yet, universities anywhere in the world are eligible to form local chapters. The purpose of GTU is to honor outstanding scholarship in geography. Students are typically inducted as undergraduates, but post-graduates are also welcome. Membership is not meant as a mark of elitism, but rather as recognition for high achievement. There are no secret signs, nor are any proceedings closed to public scrutiny. In the United States, 282 chapters of GTU have been established, the first one in 1928. Every year, new universities join the network. Each university chapter receives a charter, and everyone inducted becomes a member for life. Many chapters schedule more than induction ceremonies; they often organize service projects, social activities, and field excursions. Gamma Theta Upsilon is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies (along with the honor societies of other disciplines such as engineering, sociology, and literature) and must pass an audit of its membership standards regularly. This presentation will describe the network of GTU chapters that already exists, detail what is needed to establish a new chapter, and make the case for more transborder cooperation in recognizing student achievement. Possibilities for publication in GTU’s research journal will also be discussed.