Eastern Kentucky University faculty member Dr. Minh Nguyen represented the campus chapter of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi – the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines – at the Society’s 45th Biennial Convention.
Nguyen, president of the EKU chapter, attended the convention, held Aug. 2-4 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as the chapter’s voting delegate. He is a professor of philosophy and Asian studies, associate director of the Honors Program, and coordinator of nationally competitive scholarships at Eastern.
The convention, themed “Keep Calm and Carry on Excellence,” brought together more than 250 attendees, including chapter officers, board members, national office staff and guests from across the nation. The event started with a keynote address from Julie Schumacher, best-selling author and professor of creative writing and literature at the University of Minnesota.
EKU’s campus chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, the highest academic honor to which Eastern students may aspire, was chartered in 1971. Dr. Robert Rogow, retired dean and accounting professor emeritus in EKU’s College of Business and Technology, is a past national president of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. For more information about the chapter, visit eku.orgsync.com/org/phikappaphi/home.
Phi Kappa Phi annually inducts approximately 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni. Once inducted, Phi Kappa Phi members gain a lifelong passport to a global network of academic and professional opportunities. Since its founding in 1897, more than 1 million members have been initiated. Some of the more notable members include former President Jimmy Carter, writer John Grisham, YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley and retired NASA astronaut Wendy Lawrence. Phi Kappa Phi boasts chapters on more than 300 select college and university campuses in North America and the Philippines. 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 qualify. The Society’s mission is “to recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others.” Each year, Phi Kappa Phi awards nearly $1 million to outstanding students and members through graduate fellowships, study abroad grants, member and chapter awards, and grants for local, national and international literacy initiatives. For more information, visit www.phikappaphi.org.