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��ɫ��Ƶ celebrated the installation of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society chapter at the university Oct. 24. Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society recognizing academic excellence.

The main values of Phi Kappa Phi are to recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others. Membership in Phi Kappa Phi is by invitation only to the top 7.5 percent of juniors and the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students, as well as faculty, professional staff, and alumni who have achieved academic success.

To be eligible as a chapter, an institution must be a regionally accredited four-year college or university with an established reputation of excellence and an expressed commitment to upholding the values of the Society. ��ɫ��Ƶ’s installation makes the university the 364^th chapter of Phi Kappa Phi.

“Congratulations to the outstanding students, faculty, and staff establishing the ��ɫ��Ƶ chapter of Phi Kappa Phi,” said Bradley R. Newcomer, Ph.D., Society Executive Director. “Your commitment to academic excellence, leadership, and service reflects the very core of our Society’s values. May this new chapter stand as a beacon of scholarship, integrity, and the pursuit of a better future for all.”

��ɫ��Ƶ President Nagi Naganathan, Ph.D., who has been a member of Phi Kappa Phi since his own college years, expressed pride in seeing a chapter formally established at the university. President Naganathan has supported the effort from its early stages and recognized the significance of bringing the Society’s values of scholarship, integrity, and service to the ��ɫ��Ƶ community.

The first officers elected to lead the chapter are:

• President: Christopher J. Syrnyk, Ph.D., Honors Program Executive Director, Executive Director of ��ɫ��Ƶ’s Office of National Scholarships, and a Professor of Rhetoric and Writing in the Communication Department, a current member of Phi Kappa Phi
• President-elect: Christy VanRooyen, Associate Professor of Natural Science, a current member of Phi Kappa Phi
• Secretary: Mary-Jane Owen, Associate Director of Educational Partnerships and Outreach
• Treasurer: Pake Melland, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Mathematics

“If students accept the invitation to join Phi Kappa Phi, they join an organization whose members include Nobel Prize winners and other notable public figures,” Syrnyk shared. “Membership shows a graduate school that you are ready for your next academic challenge or shows a future employer that you have held yourself to a higher standard. Members are also eligible to apply for scholarships and awards, offering financial opportunity in addition to joining a strong community.”

In addition to the first officers, 11 administrators joined the ��ɫ��Ƶ chapter during the installation. They include:

• Bonita Bontrager, Dean of Students
• Shawni Cayeteno-Ramos, Interim Director of Student Involvement and Belonging
• Mandi Clark, Ed.D., Vice President for Student Affairs
• Hesham El-Rewini, Ph.D., Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Strategic Enrollment Management
• Ken Fincher, Psy.D., Vice President for University Advancement and Board Secretary, a current member of Phi Kappa Phi
• Josie Hudspeth, Assistant Dean of Students, a current member of Phi Kappa Phi
• Wendy Ivie, University Registrar
• Josephine Ness, Director of Admissions
• Michelle Preston, Ph.D., Associate Dean of the College of Health, Arts, and Sciences
• Denise Seabert, Ph.D., Interim Dean of the College of Health, Arts, and Sciences
• ChihChien "Linus" Yu, Ph.D., Associate Vice Provost for Academic Excellence

“Academic culture thrives when people set a good example. When faculty and staff show what it means to love learning and students encourage one another to reach higher, ��ɫ��Ƶ becomes stronger,” Syrnyk said.

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