Honor Society Gamma Sigma Delta Launches Chapter at Lincoln University

Gamma Sigma Delta inductees, Courtney-Nicole Cooper and Mya Uptegrove, show off their certificates.

Lincoln University of Missouri officially launched its first chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta, the international Honor Society of Agriculture and Related Sciences. This launch marks a new opportunity for students, faculty, staff and alumni to be recognized for excellence in agriculture and related fields.

The Gamma Sigma Delta (GSD) chapter at LU is the university’s newest honor society and part of a worldwide organization promoting high standards of scholarship, character and professional achievement in agriculture and agricultural sciences.

The international Gamma Sigma Delta society is governed by elected volunteer officers chosen at a biennial conclave. The officers oversee awards, grants and scholarships, publish an annual newsletter, select recipients for distinguished achievement honors and support the development of chapters around the world. There are no paid headquarters staff members; administrative coordination is handled through the international secretary and treasurer.

At LU, membership is open primarily to agriculture majors, but students in related sciences — including biology, chemistry, engineering, physics and social sciences such as anthropology and sociology — are also eligible. Students must be nominated by a faculty or staff member and rank in the top 20% of their class as sophomores, juniors or seniors. Graduate students must maintain a 3.5 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale. Faculty and staff are nominated based on their teaching or research in agriculture.

Alumni are also eligible for membership if they provide significant service to agriculture or Lincoln University students. This service includes support of student fundraising, career development or other efforts to help LU students succeed.

Lincoln University’s chapter held its inaugural initiation on November 6, 2025, at Pawley Theatre in Martin Luther King Hall.

The November 2025 initiates for Gamma Sigma Delta.

Thirty-three members — including students, graduate students, faculty, staff and alumni — joined the society. During the ceremony, GSD Vice President Victoria Uyanga pinned each new member as they recited a pledge and received their certificate and official pin.

Lincoln plans to hold initiations each fall and spring semester.

International membership in Gamma Sigma Delta is a lifetime distinction. At LU, members pay a $35 annual fee to support initiation ceremonies and graduation cords for students.

Among the newest members is John Ridder, a natural resource management student who is also pursuing a minor in wildlife management. Unlike some honor societies, Ridder found GSD naturally. He said he first learned about the organization from one of his LU professors.

“My professors were also my fellow Honor Society members, and the officers of the club,” Ridder said. “This carries a lot more weight than any number of letters arbitrarily mailed to my billing address.”

He said he would recommend GSD to undergraduates, noting he appreciates the international membership being a one-time, lifetime fee.

His advice to students interested in joining: “Maintain good grades, be vocal about your education, and be recognizable to your professors.”

Courtney-Nicole Cooper, another recent initiate, said Gamma Sigma Delta represents “excellence and leadership in agriculture.”

“Joining the society offers a chance to connect with other driven students who are equally passionate about agriculture and its future, while also being a trailblazer in Lincoln’s earliest chapter,” Cooper said.

Cooper studies animal science with a strong interest in animal care, welfare and hands-on agricultural practices. She said she hopes her membership will demonstrate her dedication to the field.

“I hope it shows employers I am committed to excellence, leadership and continued growth within the field of agriculture,” Cooper said.

With its first cohort of inductees already in place, Lincoln University’s Gamma Sigma Delta chapter is poised to become a key part of campus life for students and professionals committed to advancing agriculture and related sciences.