Edward A. Whittaker

As an undergraduate physics major at WPI in the 1970's I was a member of SPS and was inducted into Sigma Pi Sigma in 1975.  I received my PhD from Columbia University and have been on the faculty at Stevens Institute of Technology since 1984.  In 2009 I created a Sigma Pi Sigma chapter and we have been inducting new members each year since then.  Sigma Pi Sigma provides a valuable community for physics students and I think it is important that we encourage our members to engage members of their own networks in understanding the value of studying science and in promoting fact based thinking and policy making.  This is more important than ever during the COVID pandemic as we have seen with the undermining of fact based policy making at the US federal level.