UT Tyler Phi Kappa Phi Honor Chapter inducts members

The University of Texas at Tyler Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society inducted 77 charter members, Dr. Muthukrishnan Sathyamoorthy, associate provost of academic affairs, announced.

Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation's oldest, largest and most selective honor society for all academic disciplines.

"It is an honor for us to start this highly-regarded honor society at UT Tyler. We have outstanding students who excel academically, and we are proud to recognize them," Sathyamoorthy said.

Membership is by invitation only to the top 7.5 percent of second-semester juniors and the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students. It is a stamp of excellence that is recognized by graduate and professional school admissions committees and employers alike.

Administrative and faculty charter members include President Mabry, Barbara Bextine, Suzanne Brians, Dr. Donna Dickerson, Dr. Jim Ferguson, Dr. Brenda Gilliam, Dr. George Hamm, Dr. Linda Klotz, Dr. Jeffrey Lancaster, Gregg Lassen, Dr. John Miller, Dr. Richard Osburn, Sathyamoorthy, Dr. Karen Sloan, Merlyn Spain, Dr. Paul Streufert, Karen Twomey, Joe Vorsas and Dr. Mary Ellen Wright.

Officers for the chapter include Sathyamoorthy, president; Gilliam, presidentelect; Streufert, secretary; Lancaster, treasurer; and Brians, public relations.

Local student inductees by hometown are:

Brownsboro - Lindsay Megan Owen.

Flint - Miki Saegusa Cornett, Janis LaRaye Hollenshead.

Van - Susan Lynn Savage.

Phi Kappa Phi chapters are on more than 300 campuses of the UT System, UT Tyler offers excellence in teaching, research, artistic performance and community service. More than 90 undergraduate and graduate degrees are available at UT Tyler, which has an enrollment of more than 6,000 high-ability students at its campuses in Tyler, Longview and Palestine.