Jackson State University’s Phi Kappa Phi, chapter 188, inducted 63 members (58 students and five faculty members) on March 27, 2019. The honor society is the first Phi Kappa Phi chapter at an HBCU.
“We are so excited to welcome our new student and faculty inductees into the legacy of our JSU chapter 188 of Phi Kappa Phi. This is a wonderful opportunity to honor students for their love of learning and academic success and to provide them with various opportunities to continue pursuing their scholarly and leadership endeavors,” said Dr. Helen Crump, associate professor of English.
Among the new members, Landrie Tchakoua, computer engineering major, became part of a Phi Kappa Phi family legacy. Her mother, Clauditte Tchakoua, who holds a doctorate in educational administration and supervision, became a member in 2013. Her twin sisters, Astride and Ingrid Tchakoua, computer engineering majors, were inducted in 2018.
Left to right: Astride Tchakoua, Landrie Tchakoua, Clauditte Tchakoua and Ingrid Tchakoua. (Photo special to JSU)
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 organization has chapters on more than 300 select colleges and universities in North America and the Philippines.
According to Crump, JSU’s chapter was established in February 1976 as a result of the vision, dedication, hard work, and overall efforts of the late Dr. Maria Luisa Alvarez Harvey. Alvarez Harvey is the former Dean of the W.E.B. DuBois Honors College (renamed the W.E.B. DuBois and Maria Luisa Alvarez Harvey Honors College) and Spanish professor in the Department of English, Foreign Languages, & Speech.
“Dr. Harvey worked diligently to bring Phi Kappa Phi to Jackson State University, and to date, PKP still stands as the highest national honor society at the university,” said Crump, who is also a member of PKP and was inducted by Alvarez Harvey.
Newly inducted faculty members include –
• Dr. Candis Pizzetta, interim chair and associate professor, Department of English and coordinator, faculty development for student success;
• Dr. Glenda Windfield, project director of the Deep South Synergy TVI project;
• Dr. Byron D’Andra Orey, professor of political science;
• Dr. A.W. Crump, chair of the Department of History and Philosophy and coordinator of the philosophy program; and
• Dr. Brian Anderson, associate professor of social work.
More About Phi Kappa Phi
Phi Kappa Phi inducts approximately 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni annually. Membership is by invitation only to the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students and 7.5 percent of second-term juniors. Faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction also qualify.
The society’s mission is “To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others.” For more information, visit https://www.phikappaphi.org/.