Drexel University's Dornsife School of Public Health (DSPH) is home to the Beta Omega Chapter of Delta Omega, the Honor Society in Public Health.

The Beta Omega Chapter was founded in 2010 DSPH to promote excellence and to recognize accomplishments in scholarship and research. A National Executive Council, consisting of elected officers and delegates from the local chapters, administers the affairs of Delta Omega.

This page provides information on student membership, alumni membership, and faculty membership.

To view the list of Delta Omega Beta Omega Chapter members, please refer to the National Membership List.

Delta Omega Nominations

The 2023-2024 call for nominations has passed. If you have questions, please contact Faculty Advisor Yvonne Michael, ScD, SM, Professor and Interim Chair in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics or Delta Omega Co-Presidents Edwin McCulley or Patrick Smith.

Student Membership

Student membership in the Delta Omega National Honor Society is awarded to students who reflect a commitment to excellence in academics and the application and synthesis of public health principles as well as to the protection and improvement of population and community health. Students meeting the criteria are encouraged to self-nominate.

The Delta Omega Beta Omega Chapter Alumni Nomination Committee reviews all nominations and selects students in the top quartile of GPA with an outstanding record of service to the community.

Students will be inducted during the spring award ceremony. To be eligible for membership, candidates must:

1. Be an undergraduate (BS, BA, BS/MPH) or graduate student (MPH, MS, PhD, DrPH) student in the School of Public Health in good academic standing
2. Attend two (2) Beta Omega Chapter-approved service activities each year. Non-Beta Omega service events can be approved for those completing their program remotely and/or as a result of limitations due to social distancing requirements. Service includes volunteer opportunities in the public health industry as well as to the community in which you live and/or work. (Note: Beta Omega has not offered any service activities AY20-21 or AY21-22 so all non-Beta Omega service events will be considered.)
3. Apply no later than the advertised deadline each spring (note: membership is capped at 10 percent of the undergraduate level and 20 percent of the graduate level of all graduate programs combined, i.e. all master’s and doctoral students combined).

Criteria for selection will include the student's contributions to public health to date and academic achievement.

Does it cost money for students to be inducted into Delta Omega?

No, Dornsife will pay your induction fees.

What are the benefits of membership?

You will be a member of a nationally recognized public health honor society. Dornsife’s chapter is currently identifying opportunities for service, other activities, and networking opportunities. Nationally, Delta Omega offers chapters and members with leadership development, networking opportunities, and discounted resources. The Delta Omega Beta Omega Chapter selects Dornsife students, faculty, and alumni for membership each year.

What is the Beta Omega Chapter Delta Omega Leadership Team?

Every spring the Chapter will hold elections for the leadership team, including President, Secretary and Treasurer, Vice President of Outreach and Community Service, and Vice President of Scholarship. The leadership team will work with the Faculty Advisor to plan for Beta Omega Chapter events.

Alumni Membership

Alumni can either self-nominate or be nominated by current faculty or staff at the Dornsife School of Public Health. The Delta Omega Beta Omega Chapter Alumni Nomination Committee reviews all nominations and selects alumni whose work in the practice of public health would serve as a model for future graduates of the School. To be eligible for membership, alumni must:

1. Have completed a Dornsife educational program and received an academic degree offered by DSPH
2. Have made significant contributions throughout their career in any of the following categories: leadership, practice, teaching, research, community service, or to DSPH.
3. Complete the Delta Omega nomination form 

Criteria for selection will include the alumna’s contributions to public health to date.

Faculty Membership

Eligible faculty members shall be full-time faculty; adjunct faculty may not be appointed as faculty members. Members of the faculty shall be selected by a nominating committee of at least three members appointed by the chapter president. This selection committee will give particular attention to outstanding contributions to public health scholarship, teaching, and/or practice through a careful review of the curricula vitae.

The total number of faculty members elected in any one year may not exceed 3 percent of the full-time faculty (a minimum of 1 is allowed each year).

Delta Omega Annual Student Poster Session

Delta Omega hosts an Annual Student Poster Session at the annual APHA meeting. All students are eligible to submit an abstract, regardless of year, program, or GPA.

The DSPH chapter reviews all submitted student abstracts based on the national competition criteria. The top ranked abstracts are submitted by our chapter to compete at the national level. We can submit up to two abstracts from graduate students and one abstract from an undergraduate student, to be considered for the national competition.

Abstracts must not exceed 250 words and will be evaluated based on the national competition. The structured abstract should include Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusion. Additionally, students must provide a statement briefly describing their specific role in the research project (250 words max.) The top-ranked abstracts will be selected by faculty members on our local review committee and submitted to the National Delta Omega Society for the national competition.

Learn more about deadlines and eligibility.

If you have questions about Delta Omega at Dornsife, please contact Faculty Advisor Yvonne Michael, ScD, SM, Professor and Interim Chair in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

Delta Omega Co-Presidents Patrick Smith and Edwin McCulley with some of the 2024 Delta Omega inductees.