Sigma Theta Tau International - Xi Chapter

The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing is celebrating its 51st year of hosting a chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International, the honor society of nursing whose mission is "to improve the health of the world's people" through its members. 

The chapter was founded at Penn on August 6, 1958 with 71 members under then-dean Theresa Lynch. By her retirement in 1965, the number of members had grown to 276. Some of the early counts of members were hampered by their missionary travels, an early indicator of the work now undertaken by Penn faculty and students in Botswanna and elsewhere.

The chapter has inducted 3,211 members with 982 currently active, including some of the best minds in nursing, Seven Penn nurses have received the Episteme Award, the highest honor in nursing which is awarded by STTI. To encourage the next generation of nursing leaders, the chapter awards as many as four research grants annually.