On Dec. 4, Oregon Institute of Technology held the inaugural induction ceremony for Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED) chapter, a national honor society for preprofessional health college students, and the first AED chapter in Oregon.
In June, AED at Oregon Tech was officially designated, allowing the Class of 2021 to walk with the honor society cords. Still, Saturday celebrated the first induction ceremony, which welcomed 11 new undergraduate students into the chapter.
Apoorva Singh, a 2021 graduate of Biology-Health Sciences and Honors Program student, founded the chapter. Apoorva began establishing AED at Oregon Tech in 2019 when she saw the need for national health connections in preprofessional health programs like her pre-med path at Oregon Tech. “I was inspired by other honor societies on campus for fields such as engineering, but because there were none for pre-health students, I decided to start one,” said Apoorva. “With a pre-med honor society, we can recognize academic excellence and host activities that would be geared towards healthcare.”
For two years, Apoorva worked closely with the national AED office to initiate the primary processes and later recruited other students, faculty, and staff to complete the process. “I would like to thank the faculty members for being so supportive and helpful, specifically Dr. Usher, Dr. Lund, Dr. Li, Dr. Syrnyk, and the registrar’s office, who all played big roles in the establishment of this honor society,” said Apoorva. “I also had support from students who promoted the society on campus, such as Christian Gomez, Casey Butz, and Michael Gray.”
The Society welcomes students engaged in the pursuit of professional development, provides a forum for students with common interests and extends a program of service to benefit the college/university community. Membership is open to students currently enrolled in chosen health professions, including careers in medicine, dentistry, optometry, podiatry, veterinary medicine, and other health care professions requiring post-baccalaureate study leading to an advanced degree. Potential members must have completed at least three semesters or five quarters of health preprofessional studies work with an overall cumulative GPA of at least 3.20 and a cumulative GPA of 3.20 in the sciences – biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics.
Following is the list of students inducted for membership, with their hometown listed in parenthesis.
- Casey Butz, inducted in June (Bend)
- Jaelynne Birkby (Springfield)
- William Caldwell (Joseph)
- Kori Delgado (Klamath Falls)
- Michael Gray, inducted in June (Albany)
- Ialee Hering (Mount Shasta, California)
- Payton Idrogo (Klamath Falls)
- Nicholas McMillen (Reno, Nevada)
- Angel Mondragon (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
- Lydia Poss (Hillsboro)
- Katie Sabin (Springfield)
- Erin Skelton (Pleasant Hill)
- Claire Wilson (Etna, California)
While Apoorva graduated in June, she is working as an adjunct faculty member in Chemistry and is a secondary advisor of AED, helping the chapter’s momentum continue. AED Oregon Tech is already planning to host Cascades East Medical Center resident Derek Wiseman for a suturing event open to all students.
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