Record Number Inducted into Communication Honor Society

This year, 70 students were inducted into Mason’s chapter of Lambda Pi Eta, the national communication honor society. As the largest class in the history of the chapter, this year’s inductees represent the quality and success of undergraduates in Mason’s Department of Communication, and they join peers from over 400 other colleges and universities in the United States who are members of the society.

Lambda Pi Eta was founded in 1985 at the University of Arkansas and became the official honor society of the National Communication Association in 1995. It is accredited by the Association of College Honor Societies. The society seeks to encourage and recognize achievement and professional development among communication students, increase interest in communication and opportunities for discussion within the field, and strengthen relationships between faculty and students.

Mason’s chapter of Lambda Pi Eta is one of the oldest chapters in the society and has been active and successful at departmental, university, and national levels. In 1999, the chapter was named National Chapter of the Year and its advisor, Susan Tomasovic, was recognized as Faculty Advisor of the Year. Mason students have held the top leadership positions in the national society, and six Mason students have received the Top Undergraduate Paper of the Year award in the past fifteen years. Students have also submitted and presented papers at the state, regional, and national levels.

Each spring, Lambda Pi Eta holds an induction ceremony at Mason, at which faculty, staff, and family and friends of inductees join in celebration of the students’ achievements. Students are invited to become members of the organization if they have grade point averages of 3.0 or higher overall and 3.25 or higher in their Communication studies.

Paul Pierce, Jr., a recent graduate with a communication major and a concentration in Media Production and Criticism, was inducted into the society at the recent ceremony. He said that he and the other inductees were “happy to be honored with our family and friends present.” For him, the ceremony was a culmination of four years of hard work as he prepares to graduate this spring. “I work hard to develop skills in this field, and find Mason’s resources, especially the StarLab, very helpful. These resources have contributed greatly to my success.”