Edward Fink, a Laura Carnell professor of distinction in the Communication and Social Influence department at Klein College of Media and Communication, was recently appointed to the inaugural class of Sigma Xi Fellows. A member of the international scientific research honor society since 1997, Fink has previously served as the vice president and president of the organization’s University of Maryland Chapter and as president of the Temple University Chapter. His experience in Sigma Xi leadership and his impressive scholarly contributions to communication sciences have more than warranted the honorary title.

Fink is among the 20 Sigma Xi members who earned a spot in the inaugural class. Fellows were chosen by receiving two nominations from other Sigma Xi members for their involvement in the organization and their individual records of scholarly achievement. In addition to his leadership positions in Sigma Xi, Fink has also held numerous other titles in forwarding the field of communication sciences, including serving as editor-in-chief of the academic journal Human Communication Research, taking on the roles of professor, department chair and associate dean at the University of Maryland and receiving a fellow appointment from the International Communication Association. Far from viewing his recognition from Sigma Xi as a typical accomplishment, Fink says that “it’s not a minor thing” to receive such an honor from his peers and the highly esteemed research society.

“Sigma Xi is a wonderful organization,” he says. “And to be in the company of those people and to be selected for this award makes me very, very proud.”

Timothy Ng, a professor emeritus of the University of Maryland who appointed Fink to associate dean of the university’s graduate school in 1992 and Sungeun Chung, a former student of Fink’s who is now a professor at Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea, both recommended Fink for the fellow position. In their nomination letters, they emphasized Fink’s commitment not only to Sigma Xi, but also his dedication to exploring communication sciences and to instructing and mentoring his students. 

Sigma Xi was founded in 1886 at Cornell University to encourage innovative research in the sciences and engineering fields, along with creating an environment to foster cooperation between some of the best minds of the scientific disciplines. Today, the organization has more than 100,000 members, boasts more than 500 chapters, and can claim more than 200 of its members as recipients of the prestigious Nobel Prize.