Philip Phillips, Ph.D., professor of English and associate dean of the university honors college at Middle Tennessee State University, was recently elected to serve as president-elect for The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi—the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.

The election took place immediately following the 2024 Phi Kappa Phi Biennial Convention, held virtually Aug.1-2.

During his 2024-2026 term as president-elect, Phillips will serve on the Society’s 12-person board of directors. His election represents a six-year commitment to the Society including successive terms as president and past president.

“I am fully committed, both personally and professionally, to the mission of The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi,” Phillips said during his remarks to delegates at the Society’s convention. “I know firsthand the value of recognizing and promoting academic excellence, and especially supporting the scholarship, creative activity, study abroad opportunities, and community service projects of our students who represent the full range of disciplines,” he said.

Initiated into Phi Kappa Phi as a faculty member at MTSU in 2011, Phillips has been an active leader of Phi Kappa Phi at the local and national levels. He served on the Phi Kappa Phi board of directors from 2018-2020 and again from 2022-2024. He has been a member of the bylaws committee, finance and budget committee, fellowship committee, and the strategic planning taskforce.

“I am thankful for the presence of our president-elect, Philip Phillips, whose dedication and new ideas continue to invigorate our national board,” said Society President Sharhonda Rush. “Phi Kappa Phi’s governance structure thrives on the close collaboration among the president, past president, and president-elect. This teamwork ensures seamless and resilient leadership that continues to propel Phi Kappa Phi forward.”

Phillips holds both master’s and doctoral degrees in English from Vanderbilt University, and a B.A., also in English, from Belmont University. At MTSU, he has served as graduate admissions director for the English department and chair of the academic master plan committee for the university. He serves as immediate past president of his chapter. Outside the university, he has been a member of both the diversity and research committees of the National Collegiate Honors Council, a member of the editorial board of The Edgar Allan Poe Review, and founder and director of the Great Books in Middle Tennessee Prisons program.

About Phi Kappa Phi
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 20,000 students, faculty, professional staff, and alumni annually. The Society has chapters on more than 300 select colleges and universities in the United States, its territories, and the Philippines. Membership is by invitation only to the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students and 7.5 percent of juniors. In special cases, students with an exceptional GPA, and faculty, professional staff, and alumni who achieve scholarly distinction may also qualify. The Society’s mission is to “cultivate a community that celebrates and advances the love of learning.”  For more information, visit www.PhiKappaPhi.org.

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