SUNY Plattsburgh Biology Major to Compete for National Fellowship

PLATTSBURGH, NY (04/02/2009)(readMedia)-- The SUNY Plattsburgh chapter of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi has nominated Leanna-Marie Robertson for the national Phi Kappa Phi Graduate Fellowship Competition for the 2009-2010 academic year.

Robertson, who will graduate in May with a bachelor's degree in biology and a minor in chemistry, will represent the Plattsburgh chapter of PKP in the national competition.

Selection for the program is based on a number of criteria, including the applicant's scholastic achievement and test scores, promise of success in graduate or professional work and leadership experience.

Students submit their applications to the graduate fellowship committee for review. Although dozens of students apply, the committee can only chose one student to compete at the national level. The committee uses the same criteria as that of the national program to select its chapter representative. This ensures that the student can compete with the more than 400 other students eligible for the competition. Fellowship winners are announced in mid-April.

"The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is the most selective honor society, so being chosen as the nominee to represent SUNY Plattsburgh is really a privilege," said Robertson.

Chair of Graduate Fellowship committee, Associate Professor of Music Jo Ellen Miano says that the committee "hopes that Leanna-Marie will succeed this year at the national level of this PKP competition."

"I am thankful to all the professors who nominated me for this award," said Robertson. She added that receiving the national award would be very beneficial to her as it would help her pay for her first year of medical school.

In addition to the excitement surrounding the national competition, the SUNY Plattsburgh chapter of Phi Kappa Phi will hold its annual induction ceremony on Sunday, April 26 from 1-3 p.m. in the E. Glenn Giltz Auditorium in Hawkins Hall on the SUNY Plattsburgh campus. The induction ceremony will acknowledge senior students in the top 10 percent within their major as well as junior students who are in the top seven and a half percent of their major. PKP is open to all majors on campus.

Founded in 1897, The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is the oldest and largest interdisciplinary honor society. Its Graduate Fellowship Program recognizes and promotes academic excellence in all fields of higher education.

For more information about the Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship please contact Jo Ellen Miano, chair of graduate fellowship committee at 518-564-2472 or joellen.miano@plattsburgh.edu.

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