November 10, 2005

 LIVINGSTON, Ala.--The University of West Alabama Phi Kappa Phi Chapter 276 hosted the “Strategies to Promote Academic Excellence in Alabama’s College Students” conference on Oct. 27-28. The goal of the conference was to provide undergraduate student scholars with a forum to present current research and to provide students and honors student advisors information on opportunities in PKP. Support for the conference came from a Phi Kappa Phi Promotion of Excellence Grant that was awarded to the UWA PKP Chapter in the spring of 2005.  

“The most successful aspect of the Conference,” according to Mary Pagliero, UWA PKP Public Relations Officer, “was the fact that undergraduates were given an opportunity to present well-researched topics to a predominantly student audience, from their and other institutions.  Students were the focus of the conference, not professionals.  This venue offered experience to undergraduate presenters, experience that might prepare them to make presentations at professional conferences.”

The two-day meeting opened Thursday evening with a welcome dinner.  Meg Andrews, Harvard graduate student and 2004 PKP Graduate Fellowship Recipient, served as the guest speaker, stressing the importance of interdisciplinary studies. 

Undergraduate students from three Alabama universities, Samford University, Jacksonville State University and the University of West Alabama, made presentations during the Friday morning sessions. In an afternoon session, Maria Davis, Senior Manager for Strategic Partnerships at PKP National Headquarters, spoke on opportunities in PKP.  Additionally, a four-member Study Abroad Panel convened in the afternoon to answer questions on study abroad program selection and grant application procedure. UWA Associate Professor Dr. Jeff Gentsch, UWA junior Allan Noble of Thomasville, Ala.; Andy Coughlin, North Carolina State University student and 2005 recipient of the PKP Study Abroad Scholarship, and Meg Andrews made up the panel.

Other conference participants include Joanne Wheeler, Collin Camacho, Marc Best, Sharon Pierce, Melissa Cantley, Cheryl Smith, Lauren Lanehart, Hannah Grace Rowland, John Ogorek, Carolyn Pritchett, Rachele Whorley and Andrea Youngman from Samford; Stephany Dukes from JSU; and Joel Bonner from UWA.