Overview
Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society, was founded in 1920 at the University of Texas, Austin and is today headquartered in Washington, DC. Rice University chartered the Alpha Epsilon Pi chapter in 2008 and has initiated over 130 members since then. Please see "Become a Member" to learn how to become involved at Pi Sigma Alpha at Rice.
Pi Sigma Alpha has several goals:
● To recognize and promote excellence in academic achievement for political science, government, international and public affairs
● To stimulate scholarship and interest in political science
● To promote curricular and extracurricular activities related to political science
● To promote civil dialogue
The chapter organizes activities related to political science scholarship and politics throughout the year that are open to members and non-members. Chapter members have the opportunity to participate in a national undergraduate conference and submit papers to the Pi Sigma Alpha undergraduate journal. Members are also eligible for internship scholarships, graduate school scholarships, and awards through the national organization. Deadlines are in May and June of each year.
2026-2027 Chapter Leaders
● President: Aisha Khemani
● Vice President for Programming: Melanie Vazquez
● Secretary: Dylan Wall
For more information on the national Pi Sigma Alpha organization, go to www.pisigmaalpha.org
The current advisor for the Alpha Epsilon Pi chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha is Professor Alec Arellano. For more information about the Rice chapter, please contact him at alec.arellano@rice.edu.