LAMBDA ALPHA
Lambda Alpha is the National Collegiate Honors Society for Anthropology. The Beta Chapter of West Virginia, formed in 1995, is housed in our department. Membership confers certain privileges, including national academic recognition, scholarships, and the opportunity to publish in a national anthropological journal.
Qualifications for membership are:
To become a member in Lambda Alpha, an anthropology major or minor joins an existing chapter in their anthropology department. Membership requirements are:
- An average of “B” or 3.0 GPA in anthropology and no less than a 2.5 cumulative GPA for all coursework for undergraduates.
- A 3.25 GPA is required for anthropology graduate students.
- Undergraduate students pursuing a major or minor in anthropology must have completed a minimum of 12 hours of coursework in anthropology to apply for membership.
A complete membership application consist of submitting two items. The two membership application items consist of a 1) a printed copy of your application form submitted to your chapter faculty sponsor for membership approval, and 2) a $25 lifetime membership fee submitted to your chapter faculty sponsor.
Application for membership is made only once every academic year, usually near the end of the Fall Semester. Qualified applicants are required to fill out a form to be signed by the faculty advisor and submit a one-time fee of $25.00.
Lambda Alpha Student Awards
The application deadline for the Academic Year 2023-2024 Lambda Alpha Student Awards is March 1, 2024. Three undergraduate scholarships will be offered and six graduate student research grants will also be awarded. Chapter faculty sponsors nominate student applicants for these awards. The rules for the scholarships, grant awards, and paper competition are available via the link below:
Lambda Alpha Award Application
Please note that applicants for the awards are nominated/selected from their chapters by their chapter representatives.
Lambda Alpha National Scholarships
An undergraduate senior student scholarship for $5,000 will be awarded this year. The undergraduate scholarship will be awarded to the top applicant selected by the National Executive Council members. The application submission deadline is March 1, 2024. Second and third place scholarships will also be awarded.
Lambda Alpha Graduate Student Research Grants
6 grants at $2,000 per grant for a $12,000 total across three categories as follows:
- Archaeology Grants, 2, $2,000 each, $4,000 category total
- Bio-Anthropology Grants, 2, $2,000 each, $4,000 category total
- Cultural/Linguistic Anthropology, 2, $2,000 each, $4,000 category total
The Graduate Student Research Grants will be awarded to the top two applicants in each grant category (archaeology, bio-anthropology, cultural/linguistic anthropology) selected by the National Executive Council.
Lambda Alpha Journal
The Lambda Alpha Journal is the annual student journal of the Lambda Alpha National Anthropology Honor Society. The journal publishes a wide range of articles on archaeological, biological, cultural and linguistic topics. Submission of articles is open to both members and non-members. Go to Lambda Alpha Journal to view journal volumes. Please contact the Editor-In-Chief, for a detailed description of the proper formatting for submissions.
Faculty advisor: Dr. Robin Conley Riner
