What does Sgt. 1st Class Delories M. Houchens of the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense have in common with Jane Addams, the first female winner of the Nobel Peace Prize (1931), Richard Byrd, the famed polar explorer, former U.S. president Lyndon B. Johnson, and Margaret Mead, pioneering cultural anthropologist? Like these and many other accomplished individuals, Houchens is a member of Pi Gamma Mu, which according to its website is "the oldest and preeminent honor society in the social sciences."

Houchens, a criminal justice major at the University of Maryland University College was inducted into the Pi Gamma Mu Honor Society April 12, 2014. The ceremony was held at the UMUC Academic Center at Largo, Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

"It's an honor to be recognized," said Houchens, "and I look forward to participating in future events with the organization."

Houchens arrived at the USAMRICD in February of this year and is assigned to the Training, Plans & Operations office. A medical laboratory specialist from Milton, Delaware, she has served in the Army for 17 years.

According to the Pi Gamma Mu website, the society's mission is "to encourage and recognize superior scholarship in social science disciplines and to foster cooperation and social service among its members."

While Houchens was invited to join the society, anyone who meets the criteria can request membership. Membership is open to junior, senior or graduate students who rank in the upper 35 percent of the class, with at least 20 semester hours in social sciences and a minimum average grade of B. Pi Gamma Mu has approximately 150 chapters throughout the world.