Oregon Tech Celebrates Installation of New Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society Chapter

Oregon Tech celebrated the installation of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society chapter at the university Oct. 24. Phi Kappa Phi is the nation's oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society recognizing academic excellence.

The main values of Phi Kappa Phi are to recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others. Membership in Phi Kappa Phi is by invitation only to the top 7.5 percent of juniors and the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students, as well as faculty, professional staff, and alumni who have achieved academic success.

To be eligible as a chapter, an institution must be a regionally accredited four-year college or university with an established reputation of excellence and an expressed commitment to upholding the values of the Society. Oregon Tech's installation makes the university the 364^th chapter of Phi Kappa Phi.

"Congratulations to the outstanding students, faculty, and staff establishing the Oregon Institute of Technology chapter of Phi Kappa Phi," said Bradley R. Newcomer, Ph.D., Society Executive Director. "Your commitment to academic excellence, leadership, and service reflects the very core of our Society's values. May this new chapter stand as a beacon of scholarship, integrity, and the pursuit of a better future for all."

The first officers elected to lead the chapter are:

• President: Christopher J. Syrnyk, Ph.D., Honors Program Executive Director, Executive Director of Oregon Tech's Office of National Scholarships, and a Professor of Rhetoric and Writing in the Communication Department
• President-elect: Christy VanRooyen, Associate Professor of Natural Science
• Secretary: Mary-Jane Owen, Associate Director of Educational Partnerships and Outreach
• Treasurer: Pake Melland, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Mathematics

"If students accept the invitation to join Phi Kappa Phi, they join an organization whose members include Nobel Prize winners and other notable public figures," Syrnyk shared. "Membership shows a graduate school that you are ready for your next academic challenge or shows a future employer that you have held yourself to a higher standard. Student and faculty members are also eligible to apply for scholarships and awards, offering financial opportunity in addition to joining a strong community."

In addition to the first officers, 10 administrators joined the chapter during the installation. They include:

• Hesham El-Rewini, Ph.D., Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Strategic Enrollment Management
• Mandi Clark, Ed.D., Vice President for Student Affairs
• Ken Fincher, Psy.D., Vice President for University Advancement and Board Secretary
• ChihChien "Linus" Yu, Ph.D., Associate Vice Provost for Academic Excellence
• Denise Seabert, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Health, Arts, and Sciences
• Bonita Bontrager, Dean of Students
• Michelle Preston, Ph.D., Associate Dean of the College of Health, Arts, and Sciences
• Wendy Ivie, University Registrar
• Josephine Ness, Director of Admissions
• Shawni Cayeteno-Ramos, Interim Director of Student Involvement and Belonging

"Academic culture thrives when people set a good example. When faculty show what it means to love learning and students encourage one another to reach higher, Oregon Tech becomes stronger," Syrnyk said.

For more information, visit https://www.PhiKappaPhi.org.

###