Story by Bridgette McAuliffe, Staff writer

Photo courtesy of Melony Shemberger

The Murray State University chapter of Phi Kappa Phi honor society celebrated several achievements by students and faculty.

Murray State alumna and Phi Kappa Phi member Rachel Wood was honored as one of 51 members to receive a $5,000 fellowship for graduate study.

“I am extremely grateful for receiving a fellowship from Phi Kappa Phi,” Wood said. “This organization has created a wonderful community of learners — both at Murray State and nationally — and I am proud to represent them through this award.”

Bill Mulligan, professor of history and president of Murray State’s chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, was elected as division III vice president during the organization’s biennial convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota, according to the press release.

“I was honored to be nominated for a divisional vice presidency and humbled to be elected,” Mulligan said. “Phi Kappa Phi exists to honor and encourage academic excellence. Central to that mission are strong chapters. I look forward to working with chapters at our peer schools to build stronger chapters across the country so we can recognize more students and encourage and assist them toward success.”

Mulligan said Murray State’s chapter of Phi Kappa Phi has been around for 11 years, but the national organization was founded in 1897, making it the oldest honor society for all collegiate disciplines.

The organization is also noted as one of the most selective of its kind.

Melony Shemberger, associate professor of journalism and mass communications, said acceptance into the organization is by invitation only.

“Invitations are issued to the top 7.5 percent of juniors, the top 10 percent of seniors and the top 10 percent of graduate students,” Shemberger said.

Shemberger is the first Murray State member to serve on the organization’s national board. She ended her second year as board director, where she chaired the advisory council for Forum, the organization’s national magazine, according to the press release.

Chapters of this society strive to live by their motto of, “Let the love of learning rule humanity.”

“Our chapter tries to meet a couple of times a semester, and do an activity each semester,” Shemberger said. “Fall of last year we did a GRE test prep. We try not to overload our members, but we do enough to promote our mission, which is to advance the love of learning, and anything we do, that needs to be inherent in those activities.”

The chapter also hosts a book drive each spring, collecting children’s books to donate to a local elementary school.

Mulligan said this past spring, one of the student vice presidents was able to go with the faculty to deliver the books.

“The kids were climbing all over them and thanking them, and you could tell it really meant a lot to the students,” Mulligan said.

Shemberger and Mulligan said honors societies like Phi Kappa Phi provide long-term, tangible benefits for students.

“I know from being on the hiring end at my old job, I looked for things like honors societies and if they did belong to Phi Kappa Phi, I regarded their application a little more highly than other applicants,” Shemberger said. “There are other advantages to being a member and you get to be a part of a community that promotes academic excellence.”

She said she loves being a part of new learning experiences and promoting scholarly ideas.

“When you achieve this high level of academic excellence, it’s something to be embraced and celebrated,” Shemberger said.