Phi Kappa Phi Attains Merit Status; Will Hold Induction

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 14, 2011) - On the heels of achieving "Merit" status in only its third year of existence, the University of Kentucky Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi tonight will welcome a new class of honorees in ceremonies to be held in the Small Ballroom of the UK Student Center.

Founded 114 years ago at the University of Maine, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation's oldest, largest, and most selective all-discipline honor society.  Its chapters are on more than 300 campuses in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Phillippines.  UK's chapter, chartered in the spring of 2009, is one of only 31 chapters who received 'Merit' recognition from the society's headquarters in Baton Rouge, La. during the past year.

Recent UK Chapter highlights which led to the designation include:

• Jenna Brashear of Beaver Dam (Ohio County), Ky., former undergraduate student vice president of the UK Chapter, was awarded a $5,000 Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship from the national organization to continue her educational pursuits.

• Amanda Fickey of Red Star (Letcher County), Ky., former graduate student vice president of the chapter who is a doctoral candidate in geography at UK, earned a Love of Learning Award from national headquarters.

As part of this evening's ceremonies, UK Board of Trustees member and author Rev. C.B. Akins, Sr.; UK Alumni Professor in the colleges of Nursing and Public Health and faculty associate at the Markey Cancer Center Ellen J. Hahn; and, UK Associate Professor of English and Director of African American and Africana Studies Frank X. Walker will be inducted into Phi Kappa Phi together with a number of outstanding undergraduate and graduate students.

Membership is by invitation only to the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students and 7.5 percent of juniors.  Faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction also can qualify.

"This latest class of inductees further strenghtens the prestige of Phi Kappa Phi on the  campus," said UK Chapter President Emmett "Buzz" Burnam, director of recruitment, diversity initiatives for undergraduate admission in the Office of the Registrar.

Phi Kappa Phi has bestowed nearly $13 million since the inception of its awards program in 1932.  Today, approximately $800,000 is awarded annually to qualifying members and nonmembers through graduate fellowships, undergraduate study abroad scholarships, member and chapter awards, and grants for local and national literacy initiatives.  The society's mission is “to recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others.”

For more information on the UK Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, call Lynn Hiler at (859) 257-6894, or email: clynnhiler@uky.edu.  To contact the national organization, call (800) 804-9880, or visit www.PhiKappaPhi.org.

Today's induction ceremonies begin at 6 p.m. with a reception to follow.  The campus community and the public are welcome to attend.