142 new members join Phi Kappa Phi at UW-Madison

Phi Kappa Phi, Chapter 021 at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, has inducted 142 students into membership at its 98th Phi Kappa Phi Induction Ceremony.

The ceremony was held on April 22 in Tripp Commons in Memorial Union. The keynote speaker was David Danaher, professor of Slavic studies in the Department of German, Nordic and Slavic.

Honorary membership was granted to three UW–Madison Professors: Nicholas Hillman, associate professor of educational leadership and policy analysis; Ernesto Livorni, professor of Italian language and literature; and Antony Stretton, professor of integrative biology.

The UW–Madison’s Phi Kappa Phi Chapter also announced that seven UW–Madison students are the recipients of the Zillman Summer Research Fellowship. Zillman Fellowships are designed to encourage students from a variety of disciplines to enrich their educational programs through summer projects involving study, research, travel, and training that is not part of a formal curriculum.

This year’s Fellows are: Graduate students: Jessie Nixon, Curriculum and Instruction; Giselle Martinez Negeette, Curriculum and Instruction; and Morgan Smallwood, Civic Society and Community Research. Undergraduate students: Mackenzie Berry, English; Sarah Dyke, Biochemistry and French; Nicole Stephan, Molecular Biology; and Sarah Thimmesch, Biochemistry and Spanish.

A list of new members is available here.

Phi Kappa Phi was founded in 1897 at the University of Maine by a group of students who felt a need for an honor society that would recognize excellence across the whole range of academic disciplines Under the leadership of student Marcus L. Urann, the group formed the Lambda Sigma Eta Society, later renamed Phi Kappa Phi from the letters of the Greek words forming its motto, Philosophìa Krateìto Photôn, “Let the love of learning guide humanity.” Today, Phi Kappa Phi recognizes and promotes academic excellence in all fields of higher education and engages the community of scholars in service to others.

Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honor society that is open to students across disciplines. Phi Kappa Phi recognizes the achievements of the most outstanding students in every school and college at UW–Madison. The UW–Madison chapter of Phi Kappa Phi was founded in 1920 and has had a continuous presence on this campus ever since. Each fall invitations are sent to the top 10 percent of graduate students, the top 10 percent of seniors and the top 7.5 percent of second-semester juniors in each school and college.