Campus News

UK's Phi Kappa Phi Chapter Welcomes 82 New Members

UK Phi Kappa Phi Class of 2016
UK Phi Kappa Phi Class of 2016

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 8, 2016) — The University of Kentucky chapter of the honor society of Phi Kappa Phi recently inducted a total of 82 new members in ceremonies at the E.S. Good Barn on campus.

Seventy-nine students together with three faculty and administrative honorees were welcomed into the nation's oldest and most selective all-discipline honor society.

The faculty inductees are:

  • Sharon Brennan, a faculty member and director of clinical experiences and school partnerships, UK College of Education.
  • Rebecca Dutch, a faculty member and associate dean for biomedical education, UK College of Medicine.
  • Phil Harling, a faculty member in the College of Arts and Sciences, interim dean of the new Lewis Honors College at UK, and executive director of the Gaines Center for Humanities.

The 79 student inductees represent both undergraduates and graduate students at UK. Student inductees are: Shaimaa A. Abdeljaber, Paulina Alatriste, Kelsey Alexandra Allmon, Rami Abdulkarim Almatani, Bailey Anderson, Kristin Nicole Baker, Maryann K. Bandy, Kaelyn Ann Broell, David Aaron Brown, Candace E. H. Brunk, Elliott Campbell, Usha Chatterjee, Asir Chishti, Kellan Hiatt Coffey, Mary Combs, Erin Lindsey Cooper, Abigail G. Craig, Anne Crowner, Hannah Dvorak, Stephanie  Fahs, Danielle Victoria Fontanez, Fiona K. Foster, Renee Gallagher, Joyce Carol Gilfillan, Margo Goetting, Heather Gosnell, Catherine Jordan Graham, Hannah Harris, Morgan E. Hay, Heather Hayes, Emanuel Hernandez, Anna Rachel Herrington, Deaton J. Hildabrand, Justin A. Holt, Ryan Jenkins, Will Jones, Audrey Kinder, Michael Koenig, Riley I. Krieg, Tanner J. Lamb, Sarah Laytham, Rachel Lietzow, Ryan Lush, Kelly C. Lynch, Patrick Chase Mason, Anna Mayo, Clare McClafferty, Elizabeth Meek, Patrick Durfee Michael, Caroline Miller, Mariana Moreira de Carvalho, Evan Nixon, Kyle Oligee, Aya Omar, Samuel J. Owens, Courtney Elizabeth Page, Henry Rand, Ethan Russell, Dylan Ryan, Jack Santos, Abby Schroering, Matthew Schumacher, Jasen Sonday, Lexington Souers, Belal A. Suleiman, Benjamin Harris Troupe, Jeff Tucker, Connor VanMeter, Jessica Vogt, Daniel S. Walker, Aria Watkins, Angela Wei, Benjamin R. Wells, Kelsey J. West, Laura A. Wick, James Wright Williams, Lindsey Woosley, Thomas Wright and Hanan Yusuf.

The mission of Phi Kappa Phi (PKP), which was founded in 1897, is "to recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others."

Membership is strictly determined by the standards set forth in the society’s bylaws. Juniors must be in the top 7.5 percent of their class, seniors in the top 10 percent of their class, and graduate students in the top 10 percent of their class.

The characteristic of PKP that makes it unique among the leading honor societies is its policy of electing undergraduate and graduate members from all schools, divisions or departments of the institution. Faculty, professional staff, alumni and community members who have achieved scholarly distinction also may qualify.

Strong participation by members in campus and national activities resulted in UK's PKP chapter being named a 2015 Chapter of Excellence by the national organization.

Nationally, PKP's robust award programs give more than $1 million each biennium to qualifying students and members through fellowships, undergraduate study abroad grants, grants for literacy initiatives, and member and chapter awards. To learn more about these programs, visit www.phikappaphi.org/awards.

"The University of Kentucky Chapter of the honor society of Phi Kappa Phi continues to distinguish itself nationally," said UK Earth and Environmental Sciences Professor Frank Ettensohn, president of PKP on campus.

For more information on the UK chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, go to www.uky.edu/academy/phi-kappa-phi, or visit www.phikappaphi.org.