Contact: Sasha Steinberg
STARKVILLE, Miss.—For the seventh consecutive year, Mississippi State’s chapter of the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines is receiving major recognition.
The university’s Phi Kappa Phi organization again holds a Chapter of Excellence designation—one of only 29 chosen for the top honor from more than 300 active chapters under consideration this year.
The MSU chapter now has earned Chapter of Excellence status from 2009-2015. Of six active chapters in Mississippi, it is the only one in the 2014-15 contingent. In addition to special recognition on the Society’s website, at its Biennial Convention and in “The Chronicle of Higher Education,” the chapter receives a $500 award, among other accolades.
“The Chapter Recognition program offers Phi Kappa Phi the opportunity to say thank you to chapters who go above and beyond in promoting academic excellence on their campuses,” said Mary Todd, the society’s executive director.
By receiving the Chapter of Excellence distinction, the MSU chapter is recognized as a thriving organization that meets regularly, holds annual initiations and applies frequently for Phi Kappa Phi’s select award and grant programs.
“Excellence is a key feature in every aspect of Phi Kappa Phi,” said MSU forestry professor Steve Grado who also serves as the university’s Phi Kappa Phi chapter president. “Mississippi State University continually strives for academic excellence, so receiving the Chapter of Excellence award for the seventh consecutive year from the national office fits right in with our common goals and recognizes the teamwork and dedication present in our chapter.”
Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine, Phi Kappa Phi currently has more than 300 university and college chapters throughout North America and the Philippines. Since its inception, the organization has initiated more than one million members.
Membership is by invitation only to the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students and 7.5 percent of second-term juniors. Faculty and other non-students who have achieved scholarly distinction also qualify. For more, see www.PhiKappaPhi.org.
MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.