2000
Worth Seagondollar Service Award
University of Dayton
George Miner has served the Society of Students throughout a long and distinguished career. He has served longer on the National Council and Executive Committee than any other person since the foundation of SPS. He has been a chapter advisor, a Zone Councilor, the President of Sigma Pi Sigma, and At-Large Member of the National Council. He has been a consistent voice of reason, wisdom, and experience on the National Council. He fought long, hard, and successfully to establish systematic records of the progress of the society. His vision for dramatic increases in the scholarship program has been realized in a wonderful way. Outside of his efforts for SPS, he has significantly improved Physics education as a leader of the NSF Chatauqua Program for faculty. In every way, he has served the Physics Community, Sigma Pi Sigma, and the Society of Physics Students with distinction.
As a member of the SPS Governing Council from 1980-2000, George was one of the earliest and staunchest advocates for SPS scholarships for physics students. Starting from a single scholarship in 1985, more than 500 SPS Leadership Scholarships have now been granted. George was also prominent among those who acted to re-establish the tradition of the Sigma Pi Sigma Congresses: he was the local chair of the first modern Congress held in Dayton in 1992, and he served as the planning committee chair of the 1996 Diamond Jubilee Congress in Atlanta in 1996. Now as a member of the Sigma Pi Sigma Development Committee, George continues his efforts to provide resources and guidance for physics students and for the society. In addition, George and his late wife Ruth have generously supported Sigma Pi Sigma financially over the years through donations, and through the transfer of stock holdings.