Four from San Marcos awarded ‘Love of Learning’ award from Phi Kappa Phi

BATON ROUGE — Four local residents recently won a Love of Learning Award from The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. The awards were given to 100 recipients nationwide.

They are Walter W. Furness, Shadi Maleki, Damilola Runsewe and Sara Weaver.

Love of Learning Awards are designed to help fund post-baccalaureate professional development for active Phi Kappa Phi members including graduate or professional studies, doctoral dissertations, continuing education, travel related to teaching and research, career development and more.

Established in 2007, the Love of Learning Program gives 200 awards annually. The selection process for a Love of Learning Award is based on the applicant’s academic achievement, campus and community service, intended use of award funds as it relates to academic and career goals, and a personal statement.

Since 1932, Phi Kappa Phi’s award programs have recognized members and students on its chapter campuses for outstanding academic achievement. In addition to the Love of Learning Program, Phi Kappa Phi awards graduate and dissertation fellowships, study abroad grants, and grants for local, national and international literacy initiatives. Nearly $1 million is awarded each year through programs that last year recognized more than 350 individuals.

To learn more about Phi Kappa Phi’s award programs, visit www.PhiKappaPhi.org/Awards.

Founded in 1897, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Phi Kappa Phi inducts approximately 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni annually. The Society has chapters on more than 300 select colleges and universities 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. The Society’s mission is “To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others.” For more information, visit Phi Kappa Phi's website.