UT Dallas invites new crop of students to join Phi Kappa Phi

Faculty and administrators from the University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas) surprised many students by visiting them in their classrooms to invite them to join Phi Kappa Phi (PKP), a prestigious honor society.

Seeking out the students in their classrooms is a tradition that dates back over a century.

“I was shocked,” senior Iqra Ali, who was part of the Phi Kappa Phi initiates made up of 532 upperclassmen, said. “I had heard of PKP, but when I saw the procession of faculty in their academic robes, I was really surprised. It was nice to see this happen in one of my classes.”

Dr. Andrew Blanchard, president of the UT Dallas PKP chapter, and Dr. Edward Harpham, PKP member, were among the faculty and administrators to present the invitations.

“We want everyone on campus to know that honoring students is how we do business,” Blanchard said. “We do it in a public way to recognize these students in front of their peers as a model of academic excellence.