Theta Xi: Delta Chapter

The Delta Chapter of Theta Xi has a tradition of academic excellence, and this year was certainly no exception. This past spring, Theta Xi earned a place in the academic honor roll among all fraternities, sororities, and independent living groups at MIT. With a cumulative house grade point average of 4.39, the Delta Chapter ranked in the top third of all FSILGs at MIT for the second time in a row. With over eight brothers earning 5.0 GPAs this past semester, the house is in an extremely strong academic position, something that will hopefully continue into the foreseeable future. This year’s academic success can be attributed to the hard work and focus of brothers of the Delta Chapter.

Beyond cranking away at problem sets, brothers have also played an active role in research and teaching at MIT. Almost all of the brothers of the Delta Chapter have an independent research project under MIT’s UROP program. This program offers undergraduates an opportunity to participate in cutting edge research in engineering, mathematics, and the natural sciences. Some brothers have been working at MIT’s media lab, harnessing technology to promote international development. Others have been working at MIT’s Center for Cancer Research, developing novel therapeutic strategies to treat cancer. Some brothers have found UROPs in MIT’s physics department, investigating a broad range of physical phenomena ranging from quantum dots to cosmology. The UROP program has enabled brothers to expand their MIT education by participating in meaningful scientific research.

Beyond reporting the recent academic success of brothers of Delta, I am excited to announce the chapter’s plans to improve the academic areas of the house. This past year, the Delta Chapter received over $50,000 from MIT’s Independent Residence Development Fund (IRDF) to improve and maintain the chapter’s educational facilities. The IRDF is completely supported by alumni donations and provides funding each year to many FSILGs around campus. This year’s IRDF project grant was used to purchase a new copier and scanner, chairs and lamps for our recently renovated library, and a new cabinet for the printers. The remaining funds will be used to replace every desk in the house over the next few months. The IRDF educational project grant enabled the Delta Chapter to make some much-needed improvements to the educational facilities of the house.

With the Fall term now in full swing, we hope to continue to foster academic success among brothers of the Delta Chapter. We will be organizing several study breaks throughout the term to give brothers a chance to get away from their books and problem sets once in awhile. We will also be planning a faculty dinner near the end of the term to enable MIT professors to meet brothers and see our house.