The Sigma Chi International Fraternity at FIU earned its charter and initiated 41 worthy men as chartering members on Saturday, January 22, 2011. Initiation ceremonies took place at Our Lady of Divine Providence in Miami, and installation celebrations followed that evening at the Hilton Miami Airport waterfront hotel with our new brothers, their families, local and international officers of Sigma Chi, headquarters staff, International Sweetheart Sydney Binnington, and countless other guests and Sigma Chi alumni in attendance.
Installation ceremonies were led and facilitated by Chapter Advisor Brett Miller, South Florida Grand Praetor Julio Varela, Grand Consul L. Wayne Tucker, Jr., and countless alumni, including Nicholas Hugo, Rodney Bennett, Charles Perretti, Vincent Fernald, and R. Dylan Hermelee.
Chartering Members of the Lambda Iota Chapter:
A History of Excellence
Sigma Chi at FIU has had a history of excellence. From leaders in virtually every organization on campus, to NCAA athletes and retired and active duty military. Our brothers can be found in all parts of the world, leading with the virtues taught at Sigma Chi.
Lambda Iota By the Numbers (as of Spring 2026)
- 38 active undergraduates
- 419 lifetime initiates
Chapter Accolades
Lamba Iota's accolades are recognized at the international level:
- 3 J. Dwight Peterson Significant Chapter Awards
- 8 Province Balfour Award Recipients
- 1 Robert E. Joseph Risk Management Foundation (RMF) Award
- 10 Horizons Huntsman Leadership Summit Alumni
- 12 Sigma Chi Foundation Scholarship Recipients
- 36 Life Loyal Sig Designations
- 18 Certified Ritual Peers
Learn More About J. Dwight Peterson Chapter Awards
- 21 FIU Interfraternity Council (IFC) Awards
- 28 Student Government Association (SGA) Members
- 4 Sports Cups and over two dozen Intramural Sports Championships
Developing Leaders for Tomorrow
Started in 2018, Sigma Chi's Transformational Leaders™ program equips undergraduates with real-world skills including:
- Critical thinking
- Effective communication
- Problem-solving
- Team leadership
Through leadership certificates, stackable credentials, and digital badges, Sigma Chi provides a distinctive advantage that prepares members to excel well beyond college.
The Krach Transformational Leaders Workshop (KTLW), named after Significant Sig Keith Krach (PURDUE 1979), takes place every summer. Lambda Iota proudly embraces this mission and honors its past while investing boldly in the leaders of tomorrow.
Philanthropy & Service
Derby Days & the Huntsman Cancer Institute
In Derby Days 2026, Lambda Iota again raised over $20,000 for the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI). This brings our lifetime Derby Days giving to over $250,000 for the benefit of HCI and other charitable causes.
For more on our dedication to Philanthropy and Service, see Philanthropy.
Lambda Iota Chapter History
Sigma Chi History
Sigma Chi International Fraternity is one of the largest social fraternities in North America. The fraternity has 236 active chapters across the United States and Canada and has initiated more than 380,000 members. The Fraternity was founded on June 28, 1855, at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, by members who split from the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity.
Sigma Chi is based upon the ideals of Friendship, Justice and Learning. Sigma Chi Fraternity encourages its members to cultivate, maintain and achieve true friendship, equal justice for all and to realize the fulfillment of learning as a part of a member’s overall responsibilities. Sigma Chi Fraternity offers programs that foster leadership, build character, and promote positive relationship skills among its members.
Through world-class leadership training, extensive mentoring programs, and a strong focus on academic achievement, Sigma Chi sets itself apart as the preeminent collegiate leadership development organization, challenging members to live by its core values and exemplify Character-in-Action™ in every aspect of their lives and the lives of others.
The Sigma Chi Foundation. The Best in the Greek-Letter World.
The Sigma Chi Foundation was founded in 1939 and serves to fund the creation, development, and operations of leadership initiatives affecting our members. This includes support for the 2021 launch of Sigma Chi’s new Transformational Leader platform, which is a series of certificate programs delivered to every Sigma Chi undergraduate member administered by the Sigma Chi Leadership Institute (SCLI). The Sigma Chi Foundation provides more support to our members than any other Greek-letter organization (fraternity or sorority)—over 6.7 times more grant support on average when compared to other Greek-letter foundations over the past five years. The Sigma Chi Foundation remains at the forefront of providing value to our members across North America.
The Sigma Chi Foundation awards more than $600,000 in annual scholarships, making it the leader in the fraternity world. Awards include undergraduate general academic scholarships, chapter sweetheart scholarships, military service awards and graduate scholarships in international business, engineering, medicine, general academic studies, media and law.
