Kappa Gamma Delta (ΚΓΔ) is a professional college sorority for women studying medicine and related professions.

History

Founding

Kappa Gamma Delta began during the winter quarter of 1993 at the University of California, Davis when students Charlene Tran and Marge Lee envisioned a professional sorority that would provide support for women during their premedical studies and graduate school. Tran and Lee were supported in their efforts by Sigma Mu Delta, a pre-health fraternity. The first meeting was held on March 3, 1994, in the lounge of Temescal apartments in Davis. With its founding, Kappa Gamma Delta became the first premedical sorority in the United States of America. The founding group included these twelve women: • Maricris Belisario • Chong Choe • Mindy Compton • Pamela Hy • Marge Lee • Kathy Pham • Jennifer Skinkle Schwartz • Charlene Tran • Gwen Tran • Aileen Tieu • Carolyn Trieu • Julie Tse Its constitution was affirmed on May 30, 1994. The sorority song and oath were adopted on June 10, 1994.

Expansion

In the Spring of 2002 Kappa Gamma Delta formed its Epsilon chapter at the University of California, Berkeley. In the winter of 2006 Zeta chapter was formed at the University of California, Santa Cruz. In April 2023 the Eta chapter of Kappa Gamma Delta was formed at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, marking the organization's first expansion outside of California. This milestone, achieved by Haley Gross, appears to have reignited Kappa Gamma Delta's ambition for growth and expansion, as, building on this momentum, the sorority soon established two additional chapters outside of California: the Theta chapter at Michigan State University founded by Rachel Roberts and the Iota chapter at DePaul University founded by Elise Villwock and Wafa Choubka.

Symbols

The Kappa Gamma Delta motto is "Service to Humanity". Its pillars are Sisterhood, Professionalism, and Service to Humanity. Its colors are burgundy and forest green. Its symbols are the caduceus, wings, and the female symbol. Its flower is the white rose. The sorority's nickname is KGD. Kappa Gamma Delta's first Coat-of-Arms consisted of an open book, a haystack, the sorority flower, the female symbol, and an Oil lamp. The haystack was later replaced by a torch surrounded by several rings.

Activities

As stated in the individual chapter's constitutions, the chapters all focus on hosting social, service, and academic events to support members throughout their undergraduate studies. The sorority participates in service projects such as the Bay to Breakers and various symposia such as "Life During and After Medical School. Its philanthropies vary by chapter and include Relay for Life and the Bone Marrow National Registry.

Chapters

Chapter list from the national website. Active chapters are noted in bold, and inactive chapters are noted in italics.