| Sigma Phi Alpha | |
| Letters: | Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΣΦΑ |
| Crest: | File:The_insignia_of_Sigma_Phi_Alpha_Society.jpeg |
| Colors: | Deep purple Bright gold |
| Birthplace: | American Association of Dental Schools, Detroit, Michigan |
| Chapters: | 139 |
| Status: | Active |
| Type: | Honorary |
| Scope: | International |
| Emphasis: | Dental Hygiene |
| Affiliation: | Independent |
| Address: | 8099 College Parkway |
| Zip Code: | 33919 |
| Country: | United States |
| Caption: | Sigma Phi Alpha keypin |
Sigma Phi Alpha (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΣΦΑ) is a national honorary society for women in the field of dental hygiene.[1]
Sigma Phi Alpha originated at the March 1958 business meeting of the Dental Hygiene Education section of the American Dental Hygiene Education Association (now American Dental Education Association). Its purpose is to promote, recognize, and honor scholarship of students in oral or dental hygiene schools. Chapters can only be chartered at schools with a dental hygiene program and membership must be in the upper twenty percent of their class.
The first chapter of Sigma Phi Alpha was installed as the Alpha chapter of Northwestern University in 1958. Seven other chapters were also installed in 1958, along with the Supreme chapter for honorary members. The society became international with the installation of Delta Eta chapter at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada.
Sigma Phi Alpha and Omicron Kappa Upsilon, an honorary society for dentistry, organize a joint symposium every other year at the American Dental Education Association annual meetings.[2]
The society's emblem is a rectangular gold keypin with the Greek letters Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΣΦΑ in a diagonal arrangement from the upper left corner to the lower right corner.[3] Its colors are deep purple and bright gold.
The Greek letters Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΣΦΑ represent Sophia meaning wisdom, Philanthropia meaning human feeling and action, and Arete meaning valor and virtue.[4]
See main article: List of Sigma Phi Alpha chapters. Most of the society's 139 chapters are in the United States, divided into three geographical regions: central, eastern, and western.
The society awards four competitive scholarships annually through the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) and American Dental Hygienists' Association Institute of Oral Health.[5]