March 14, 2008

LIVINGSTON, Ala.--More than 20 academically achieving juniors, seniors and graduate students at The University of West Alabama are new members of the university chapter of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.

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

Phi Kappa Phi annually inducts approximately 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni on nearly 300 select college and university campuses in North America and the Philippines. Membership is by invitation only to the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students and 7.5 percent of juniors. Faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction also qualify. More than 1 million members have been initiated.

In addition to the student honorees, four faculty members were also inducted. They include Dr. Martha Hocutt, dean of the Julia Tutwiler College of Education; Dr. Jeffery Merida and Dr. Ketia Shumaker of biological sciences; and Dr. Rob Riser of history and social sciences.

UWA student members inducted at the March ceremony include (by hometown):

BAY MINETTE—Senior physical education major Mitchell L. Warfield.

BELLFLOWER, Cal.—Junior pre-law major Aubree A. Hudson.

BRENT—Senior elementary education major Jenny L. Tubbs.

CHATOM—School counseling graduate student Lisa Connell.

DEATSVILLE—Junior English language arts major Hannah E. Meherg.

DEMOPOLIS—Senior elementary education major Anna Elizabeth Barger and senior English language arts major Donmonique D. Gracie.

EUFAULA—Senior physical education major Timothy Ryan Freeman.

GALLION—Senior history major Pamela C. McAlpine.

JACKSON—Junior nursing major Kimberly M. DuBose.

LIVINGSTON—Senior pre-professional major Kate Cartwright; junior environmental science major James Clayton Elliott; junior accounting major Sarah E. Lenning; senior business administration major Denton J. Meintjes; and junior business administration major Kimberly E. Smith.

MOBILE—Junior elementary education major Olivier Charles and senior English language arts major Amanda R. Peabody.

PANOLA—Library media graduate student Phyllis McClure.

RAGLAND—Senior physical education major Laura C. Bagwell.

SWEET WATER—Senior computer information systems major Deldric A. Dunning.

TUSCALOOSA—Junior pre-medicine major Jonathan M. Sherrill.

WINFIELD—Junior elementary education majors Jessica M. Hynds and Megan L. Spann.