The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi

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The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi to Install Chapter 364 at Oregon Institute of Technology

by Alyssa Papa

Baton Rouge, LA (10/24/2025) — The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi will install its 364th chapter at Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls, Oregon, on Oct. 24. 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.

The installation of the Oregon Institute of Technology chapter comes after a thorough petitioning process, site visit and approval from the Society's board of directors. To be eligible, 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.

"Congratulations to the outstanding students, faculty, and staff establishing the Oregon Institute of Technology chapter of Phi Kappa Phi. 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," said Society Executive Director Dr. Bradley R. Newcomer

Officers elected by the chartering group to serve the newly installed chapter include President Christopher J. Syrnyk, President-elect Christy VanRooyen, Secretary Mary-Jane Owen, and Treasurer Pake Melland.

Phi Kappa Phi was founded when Marcus L. Urann had a desire to create a different kind of honor society-one that recognized excellence in all academic disciplines. Today, the Society has chapters on more than 300 select campuses in the United States and its territories and inducts approximately 20,000 new members each year. Membership is by invitation only to the top 7.5 percent of juniors and the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students, along with faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.

About Phi Kappa Phi

Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. The Society's mission is to "cultivate a community that celebrates and advances the love of learning." Since its founding, more than 1.75 million members have been initiated. Some of the organization's more notable members include former President Jimmy Carter, NASA astronaut Wendy Lawrence, novelist John Grisham and YouTube cofounder Chad Hurley. Each year, Phi Kappa Phi awards more than $1 million to qualifying students and members through graduate fellowships, undergraduate study abroad grants, member and chapter awards, and grants for local and national literacy initiatives. For more information about Phi Kappa Phi, visit www.PhiKappaPhi.org.

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