UA Little Rock Hosts First On-Campus Phi Kappa Phi Induction Ceremony in Over Two Years

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock welcomed 40 new members into the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi on April 11, 2026, marking the first on-campus induction ceremony held in more than two years. University Chancellor Christina Drale attended, along with administrative representatives and deans from colleges across campus.

Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective multidisciplinary collegiate honor society. Membership is by invitation only and reserved for those who have demonstrated the highest levels of academic achievement. Only the top 7.5% of juniors and seniors and the top 10% of graduate students are eligible. Each year, approximately 20,000 members are initiated across more than 300 campuses in the United States and its territories. Since its founding, more than 1.75 million scholars and professionals have joined its ranks.

“UA Little Rock has a fantastic student body, and Phi Kappa Phi represents the cream of the crop,” said Dr. Rex Richard Wilkins, assistant professor of Spanish and UA Little Rock’s Phi Kappa Phi chapter president. “We are proud of our students’ achievements both inside and outside the classroom, and we want our UA Little Rock Trojans to get the recognition they so fully deserve.”

UA Little Rock’s connection to Phi Kappa Phi runs deep. In January 1972, Arkansas’s first chapter of the honor society — Chapter 134 — was installed at the university, making it the longest-running chapter in the state. The chapter’s founding members were drawn from the Sword and Shield Society, the honors organization that preceded Phi Kappa Phi at UA Little Rock. Today, the chapter boasts more than 3,900 members.

Membership in Phi Kappa Phi is about more than a credential. Eligibility is determined not only by academic record, but by professionalism, integrity, and ethical reputation. Members gain access to fellowships, grants, and awards across all fields of study, along with professional mentorship, networking opportunities through a national alumni base, and corporate partner benefits.

“Phi Kappa Phi is a way to recognize students on a national level,” said Wilkins. “To be invited to our organization is no small thing; only the most academically meritorious are invited to join. So if you get an invite from us in the future, you’d better believe it is an honor!”

UA Little Rock congratulates the 40 students and scholars formally inducted the following students:

• Ayorinde Alase
• Fariba Allahyoorti Dehaghi
• Sydney Ambrus
• Heaven Anderson
• Amber Lynn Anderson
• Jessica Aston
• Rebecca Bandy
• Megan Benedict
• Parikshya Bhandari
• Heather Suzanne Bridges
• Amanda Campbell Thomas
• Kaylen Coke
• Margarita Cortina
• Tiffany Davis
• Elias Aaron Dulany
• Ty Ebsen
• Madeleine Flegal
• Allie Rose Gardner
• Madeline Ginsburg
• Bobbye S Guy
• China Higginbotham
• Ragen Jane Hodge
• Jason Matthew Hobby
• Aubry Janann Hutton
• Elizabeth Carol Johnston
• Jessica Limbaugh
• Taylor Long
• Grace Marie Oakes
• Rana Olwan
• Janiya Pettus
• Michaela Reynolds
• Lila Riggs
• Brandy Rollins
• Hannah Schneider
• Vicki Renae Shadell
• Kaylee Jewel Smith
• Amy Suddeth
• Jennifer Swafford
• Darby Tanner
• Joseph Veer

Their achievement reflects not only exceptional academic performance, but the sustained dedication and character that define the Trojan spirit.

For more information about UA Little Rock’s Phi Kappa Phi Chapter 134, contact Chapter President Dr. Rex Richard Wilkins at [email protected] or Chapter President-Elect Dr. David Montague at [email protected].