UK Phi Kappa Phi Chapter Welcomes New Initiates
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 30, 2020) — A total of 48 new members were welcomed into the University of Kentucky's chapter of Phi Kappa Phi (PKP) recently during the 2019-2020 induction ceremony.
Forty-four undergraduate and graduate students, together with four honorees representing faculty, alumni and community members, were initiated into the prestigious honor society.
Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine, The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest, largest and most selective all-discipline honor society. Each year, approximately 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni are initiated into the organization's chapters on more than 300 campuses in the United States, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. Membership is by invitation only to the top 10% of seniors and graduate students and 7.5% of juniors. Faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction also qualify.
Starting Feb. 3, PKP will be celebrating PKP Week. The purpose of the week is to promote the society and its chapters by celebrating member achievements and hosting chapter activities that reinforce the love of learning shared among members. Members are encouraged to show pride by participating in chapter activities, wearing PKP apparel, pins and the colors navy and gold.
During the week, UK's chapter will host an open office from 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 5, in Room 224 of Funkhouser Building. The open house will provide students with information about the organization, including information on PKP fellowship awards and the April 1 deadline to apply.
PKP currently awards 50 fellowships of $8,500 each, six at $20,000 each, and two at $35,000 each to members entering the first year of graduate or professional study. Each active Phi Kappa Phi chapter may select one candidate from among its local applicants to compete for the society-wide awards. The grants available through the honor society help students to further their educational pursuits and help others through their service.
Recently, the UK chapter achieved Circle of Excellence Gold Status for the 2018-2019 school year, the second highest form of recognition a chapter can receive from national headquarters. This status recognizes the chapters activity in the community.
The UK PKP chapter is participating in a nationwide book drive with the national PKP Council of Students, where books are being collected and donated to the chapter's organization of choice. The chapter also started its own Council of Students on campus to recognize the hard work that their students put into their education, as well as creating their own chapter-led community service activity that will have a positive impact on the city of Lexington.
“Receiving Gold status for the UK chapter is a tribute to the energy and excellence of the student vice presidents and the active student members,” said Patricia Whitlow, director of the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards and co-director of the Chellgren Student Fellows.
For a list of the individual students who were inducted, click here. For more information on the open office, visit the chapter's Facebook.
The UK chapter of The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is supported by the Chellgren Center for Undergraduate Excellence within Student and Academic Life at UK. For more information on UK's chapter, follow this link.
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