Make an impact while you make friends and grow professionally. Students from any major with an interest in aging are welcome!
Gerontology Club and Sigma Phi Omega
If you’re an undergraduate or graduate student interested in gerontology, we invite you to join one or both of our student groups: the Gerontology Club (GC) and Sigma Phi Omega (SPO). GC and SPO work together and offer you a great way to connect with others students and faculty on campus interested in aging, interact with older adults in our community, and enhance professional development. Leadership opportunities are available.
Objectives
- Community involvement
- Professional advancement
- Student interaction
- Recreation and entertainment
- Service learning
Activities
Join us to learn and have fun! Activities are driven by student interest. Some of our activities have included:
- Potluck and social with older adults in the community
- Holiday activities with residents of local long-term care facilities
- Movie screenings
- Guest speakers including researchers and community members
- Careers in Aging Week activities and panels
- Community service and assistance for older adults (for example, lawn clean-up and computer tutorials)
- Conference practice and attendance — local and national
- Fundraising activities
- Information sharing (for example, poster sessions)
Gerontology Club
The Gerontology Club seeks to promote friendship and services to older persons.
Eligibility requirements
Any undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in an Iowa State program can participate in the Gerontology Club. Any major is welcome! All you need is an interest in adult development and aging. The Gerontology Club does not have a GPA or minor requirement.
Sigma Phi Omega
Sigma Phi Omega is a national academic honor and professional society in gerontology established to recognize:
- The excellence of those who study gerontology
- The outstanding service of professionals who work with or on behalf of older persons
SPO seeks to:
- Promote scholarship, professionalism, friendship, and services to older persons
- Recognize exemplary attainment in gerontology/aging studies
Eligibility requirements
- Undergraduate or graduate students majoring or minoring in gerontology/aging studies or a related field and who are in at least their second term of enrollment.
- Undergraduate students must have a GPA of 3.3.
- Graduate students must have a GPA of 3.5.
- Membership is open to faculty, alumni, professionals, and honorary members if they meet their respective eligibility requirements.
- Interested non-members are welcome to participate in events.