LSUS inducts 37 in to honor society 04/27/03

Three LSUS faculty members and 34 students were initiated into the local university’s chapter of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi Sunday. The students included one graduate student, 20 juniors and 13 seniors.

Dr. Martha Mangin, the chapter’s 2002-03 president, said the primary objective of the national Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is “the recognition and encouragement of superior scholarship in all academic disciplines. The society is convinced that recognizing and honoring those persons of good character who have excelled in scholarship, in whatever field, will stimulate others to strive for excellence.”

The initiates included:

Faculty – LaMoyne Batten, professor and chair of the Arts/Humanities/Languages Department; Dr. Diane Knight, associate professor, special education, and Dr. Ken Masters, associate professor, management/marketing.

Graduate Student – Laura Lea Beliech.

Seniors – Michelle Leanne Ashby, Sara Burney, Susan Croft, Brian Dupree, August Hurtel, Jennifer Knafla, Sharon Lawrence, Julianna Petchak, Courtney Prothro, Abdul Rehman-Fanian, Marcia Sample, Deserie Templeton and Christen Waldrop.

Juniors – Amina Bader, Stacey Belden, Amanda Bell, Virginia Blake, Joshua Cason, Michael Collins, Melissa Dean, Martha Durham, Stephanie Johnson, Krystal King, Joe Lawler, Benjamin Liscano, Dianna McCormick, Heather Marzec, William Murray Jr., Jessica Phipps, Sara Sullivan, Shauna Vaughn, Lindsay Westmoreland and Jeffery Whitton.

Chapter officers for 2003-04 were also installed: Dr. Cindy Sisson, president; Krystal King, student vice-president; Rhonda Failey, president-elect; Dr. Stephen Banks, public relations, and Dr. Binshan Lin, secretary-treasurer.

The guest speaker for the invitation ceremony was Mr. Dennis L. Lower, vice-president of planning and development and director of InterTech Science Park, Biomedical Research Foundation of Northwest Louisiana.

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is America’s oldest and most selective honor society that recognizes excellence in all academic disciplines.

Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine, Phi Kappa Phi has more that 1 million members in all parts of the world. Its 282 chapters are on college and university campuses throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and the Philippines.

Juniors must have completed one term and rank scholastically in the top 7.5 percent of their class. Seniors must rank in the top 10 percent of their class. Graduate students, as well, must rank in the upper 10 percent of their class. Certain faculty, professional staff and alumni may also be eligible for membership. Membership in Phi Kappa Phi is by invitation only.

Although many major curricula have their own honor societies within the major, Phi Kappa Phi is the only honor society at LSUS that chooses from the best students across all majors – the best of the best. Committed to its motto, “Let the love of learning rule mankind,” Phi Kappa Phi promotes academic excellence in all fields of higher education.