CNU Professor Elected to Board of Directors of Sigma Xi
News Release - November 08, 2007
Media Contact:
Emily L. Lucier
Press Secretary and Media Manager
emily.lucier@cnu.edu
(757) 594-8428
(NEWPORT NEWS, Va.) - Andrew J. Velkey II, Associate Professor of Psychology at Christopher Newport University has been elected to the Board of Directors for Sigma Xi, the international honor society of science and engineering. Founded in 1886, Sigma Xi has about 60,000 members and more than 500 chapters in North America and overseas. The society publishes the award-winning American Scientist magazine and sponsors a variety of programs that support science and engineering. More than 200 Sigma Xi members have received the Nobel Prize. Velkey is one of the youngest people ever elected to the board of this prestigious organization.
Dr. Velkey's election to the board came at the society's recent annual meeting and student research conference, held this year in Orlando, Florida. He will represent Sigma Xi's Mid-Atlantic Region, which includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.
Dr. Velkey graduated from Millsaps College in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in psychology. He later earned his master's and doctoral degrees in experimental psychology at the University of Montana. After serving on the faculty of Mississippi College from 1997 to 2001, he joined the faculty of Christopher Newport University in Newport News, VA. In addition to teaching courses in statistics, psychological research methods, and animal learning, Velkey currently works with undergraduate students in the study of territorial and aggressive responding in Siamese fighting fish.
Dr. Velkey is a past president of the Tidewater Virginia Chapter of Sigma Xi and currently serves as the Secretary for his chapter. He is the primary facilitator for the popular Tidewater Area “Science Café,” informal gatherings of scientists and members of the public to discuss recent developments in science and technology. A strong advocate for “hands on” science education, Velkey is also a member of the Council for Undergraduate Research as well as Project Kaleidoscope's “Faculty for the 21 st Century,” a diverse group of educators who lead a national alliance working to build strong learning environments for undergraduate students.
Christopher Newport University is a four-year public university in Newport News, Virginia. CNU enrolls 4,800 students in programs through its College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Luter School of Business and offers great teaching, small classes and an emphasis on leadership, civic engagement and honor. Visit us at www.cnu.edu.