Three area students at the University of Southern Mississippi were recently initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.

Area students initiated were Samuel Powell of Jayess; Bridy Foster of Sontag; and Erma Butler of Smithdale. They are among 25,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into PKP each year. 

Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors are eligible. Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.

Founded in 1897, the Society has chapters on more than 325 campuses in the United States, its territories and the Philippines. Its 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.”