2024 Social Sciences Day Features Honor Society Inductions

Dr. Randy Bertolas and Connor Semin
Dr. Randy Bertolas (left), professor of geography, presents the Pi Gamma Mu Outstanding Chapter Member Award for Fall 2024 to Connor Semin during Social Sciences Day held Nov. 14.

Pi Gamma Mu, Alpha Phi Sigma, Gamma Theta Upsilon, Phi Alpha Theta, and Psi Chi inducted a total of 42 students Nov. 14.

Connor Semin of David City received Pi Gamma Mu’s Outstanding Chapter Member Award for Fall 2024, and 42 other students were inducted into various international honor societies during Wayne State College’s 31st annual Social Sciences Day held Nov. 14.

Semin, a senior majoring in Social Studies Education K-6, will graduate in May 2025.

The event was sponsored by Pi Gamma Mu, the international honor society for the social sciences. Activities featured the induction of new members into honor societies of the social sciences.

Alpha Phi Sigma, the criminal justice honorary, is dedicated to the encouragement of academic excellence in criminal justice, social service, student support of the Wayne State Criminal Justice Department, and the development of leadership skills among its members. Alpha Phi Sigma inducted six new members:

Sioux City, Iowa – Emma Hall
Tyndall, S.D. – Amber Frank
Battle Creek, Neb. – Emma Wilkinson
Clarkson, Neb. – Ashly Villeda-Guillen
Elgin, Neb. – Jamie Dozler
Lincoln, Neb. – Hailey Cary

Gamma Theta Upsilon is the international honor society in geography and is dedicated to the advancement and promotion of the geography field. Gamma Theta Upsilon inducted 10 new members:

Clarinda, Iowa – Anna DeGroot
Yankton, S.D. – J.J. Guenther
Aurora, Neb. – Jennifer Juzyk
David City, Neb. – Natalie Kovar
Ericson, Neb. – Tee McKay
Fairbury, Neb. – Christina Hickey
Hooper, Neb. – Elijah Pilmore
O’Neill, Neb. – Tyler Gleason
Osceola, Neb. – Madalyn Johansen
Papillion, Neb. – Ryan Thompson

Phi Alpha Theta recognizes outstanding achievement in history on the part of students by membership and participation in a national honorary organization. Phi Alpha Theta inducted six new members:

Central City, Neb. – Dayle Francis Wettlaufer
Columbus, Neb. – Travis Schoch
Elkhorn, Neb. – Jaxon Ninete
Hooper, Neb. – Elijah Pilmore
Omaha, Neb. – Morgan Kruger
Wayne, Neb. – Abigail Wieseler

Psi Chi, the international honor society in psychology, strives to encourage, stimulate, and maintain excellence in scholarship and advance the sciences in psychology. Psi Chi inducted two new members:

Rapid City, S.D. – Jordon Heckert
Salem, Neb. – Pyper McGill

Pi Gamma Mu is the international social sciences honorary. The mission of Pi Gamma Mu is to encourage and promote excellence in the social sciences and to uphold and nurture scholarship, leadership, and service. Pi Gamma Mu serves the various social science disciplines, which seek to understand and explain human behavior and social relationships as well as their related problems and issues.

Pi Gamma Mu inducted 18 new members:

Englewood, Colo. – Nina Ross
Inwood, Iowa – Katrina Lombard
Sac City, Iowa – LaRena Gardea
Ponca City, Okla. – McKenna Markle
Tabor, S.D. – Kendra Spulak
Aurora, Neb. – Jennifer Juzyk
Bennington, Neb. – Autumn Wessel
Clarkson, Neb. – Ashly Villeda-Guillen
Clearwater, Neb. – Faith King
Elgin, Neb. – Jamie Dozler, Shelby Rupprecht
Ericson, Neb. – Tee McKay
Funk, Neb. – Aubrie Erickson
Hooper, Neb. – Elijah Pilmore
Nebraska City, Neb. – Lindsay Green
Wahoo, Neb. – Rebecca Hart
Wayne, Neb. – Audrey Loggins, Kaden Swanson

For more information, contact Dr. Randy Bertolas, professor of geography at Wayne State and faculty advisor for the Nebraska Delta chapter of Pi Gamma Mu, at [email protected].