New chapter of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society to hold first induction ceremony Sept. 29

The Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and the S.G. Atkins Honor Society will host induction ceremonies for each group from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 29, at Dillard Auditorium in the Anderson Center.

This will be the first induction ceremony for Phi Kappa Phi, said Dr. Jeremiah Shipp, senior faculty development specialist for the WSSU Center for Innovative and Transformative Instruction. There will be 58 students inducted into the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi including students, faculty, professional staff and community leaders.

Membership is by invitation only to WSSU’s top 7.5 percent of second-term juniors and the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students. Faculty, professional staff, alumni and community leaders of scholarly distinction are also eligible for membership, he said.

“We celebrate excellence in its many forms embodied by our students, faculty, professional staff and community leaders. Our inaugural ceremony aligns with the 2024-2025 strategic priorities of enhancing the student experience and improving satisfactory academic persistence,” Shipp said. “As we recognize the academic achievements and servant leadership of our newest members, it is a testament to the academic rigor of the WSSU curricula, the resilience of our learners, the value of community collaborations, and the fulfillment of our institutional vision to unleash the genius.”

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi installed WSSU as its 361st chapter in January. Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society recognizing academic excellence.

Officers elected by the chartering group to serve the newly-installed chapter were president Jeremiah Shipp; president-elect Sara Migliarese; secretary and treasurer Jon Kapell; awards officer Leslie Winbush; and public relations officer Nancy Smith.

The Simon Green Atkins Scholars Society is an interdisciplinary, institutional undergraduate program that includes both curricular and co-curricular components, as well as a variety of experiential learning initiatives. Events are tailored to the needs of highly motivated students with academic enrichment being the central goal.

Both ceremonies will run concurrently. While one group is getting inducted in Dillard, the other group will participate in a reception in the hallway.