School of Food and Agriculture alumna to speak at Phi Kappa Phi 120th anniversary celebration

Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective multidisciplinary collegiate honor society which was founded at the University of Maine, will celebrate its 120th anniversary during its annual induction ceremony April 4.

The top 10 percent of senior undergraduate and graduate students, and top 7.5 percent of juniors were invited to join the society. In addition to more than 112 top students, seven distinguished faculty/staff members and two alumni also will be initiated during the official ceremony that will begin at 5 p.m. in Wells Conference Center.

The event will include a keynote speech by Brianna Hughes, a UMaine alumna who works at Ocean Spray, a company that was formed through cranberry cooperatives organized by Phi Kappa Phi co-founder Marcus L. Urann.

Phi Kappa Phi was founded in 1897 at UMaine by 10 seniors led by Urann in an effort to start an honorary society that recognizes outstanding students, faculty and staff from all disciplines.

In 1900, the University of Tennessee and Pennsylvania State University joined the society originally named Lambda Sigma Eta Society, making it a national society. Phi Kappa Phi has since grown to an international society with more than one million members from more than 300 campuses across the United States, Puerto Rico and the Philippines.

All student, faculty and staff members of Phi Kappa Phi are invited to attend. To RSVP, email cugr@maine.edu. More about Phi Kappa Phi — Chapter 1 is online.