Phi Sigma Iota - The International Foreign Language Honor Society
Founded in 1917 at Allegheny College in Pennsylvania, Phi Sigma Iota is the highest academic honor in the field of foreign languages. Having initiated over 60,000 members since its founding, Phi Sigma Iota recognizes outstanding ability and high standards in the fields of foreign language, literature, and culture, including Classics, Linguistics, Philology, Comparative Literature, Bilingual Education, Second Language Acquisition and ESL. At an induction ceremony each spring Phi Sigma Iota honors eligible
- Junior and senior undergraduate students with majors or minors in a foreign language who
- have at least a B average in their overall college work and all foreign language classes;
- have completed at least one course at the third-year level; and
- rank in the highest 35 percent of their class in general scholarship.
- Graduate students of foreign languages who
- have completed at least one semester of graduate work;
- have at least a B plus average in all courses taken; and
- have attained a high degree of competence in at least one foreign language.
- Outstanding foreign-language faculty of colleges and universities.
Through Phi Sigma Iota, Marywood University and its Foreign Languages Program promote the benefits of speaking other languages and studying other cultures through coursework as well as internships both in the United States and abroad.
As a Phi Sigma Iota member, you may choose to wear a gold pin on your graduation robe.
The Foreign Languages Program holds the Phi Sigma Iota Honors Convocation annually, in the spring. Inductees, their
Dr. Wanda Persichetti Medal for Excellence in Foreign Language Study
Each year since 1984, the Dr. Wanda Persichetti Medal is awarded to the outstanding foreign language graduate. This distinction is based on the student's cumulative average in foreign language courses and dedication to the promotion of foreign language study. Recent recipients
2016 Phi Sigma Iota Speaker
Speaker and alumnus, Edgar Sedano, emotionally recites "La Canción del Pirata."
2016 Phi Sigma Iota Inductees
Thomas Christopher, Nadine Davitt, Faith Harrison, Melissa Keisling, Melissa Kowalski, Colleen Kramer, Aubrey LeDonne, Tobias Percario, Meghan Seprosky, Alisa Sholly
Dr. Ann Cerminaro-Costanzi, CASE Professor of 2013
On September 19,
