The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi—the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines—today announced the three finalists for its 2020 Excellence in Innovation Award. The $100,000 award, given once per biennium, recognizes one institution of higher learning for achievement in finding powerful answers to important local, regional, national or global challenges.

The finalists, selected by a jury of emeritus presidents and provosts, were chosen from a pool of six semifinalists representing multifaceted projects at institutions across the nation. Each institution was assessed on the project’s ability to achieve meaningful, measurable outcomes to create systemic large-scale change.

The three institutions chosen as finalists are:

• Nazareth College
• Texas State University
• Widener University

“The projects presented by the semifinalists in the Phi Kappa Phi Excellence in Innovation Award posed a challenge to the jury, as each represents a fine example of the innovation for which higher education is known. We are so pleased to recognize all six of these fine institutions and celebrate their excellence,” said Society Executive Director Dr. Mary Todd.

The 2020 recipient will be announced Tuesday, May 26, and will receive $100,000 in tangible recognition of its best practice in response to the changes and challenges facing higher education in the 21st century.

The three semifinalist institutions receiving honorable mention are Moravian College, the University of Houston-Downtown, and the University of Memphis.

The Phi Kappa Phi Excellence in Innovation award is part of the Society’s robust awards program, which gives nearly $1 million each year to outstanding members and students on chapter campuses through study abroad grants, dissertation fellowships, funding for post-baccalaureate development, member and chapter awards, and grants for local, national and international literacy initiatives. The Excellence in Innovation Award, first awarded in 2016 to Tulane University, is the Society’s only award for institutions.

For more information about the award, visit www.phikappaphi.org/innovation.

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 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni annually. The Society has chapters on more than 300 select colleges and universities in the United States 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 engage the community of scholars in service to others.” For more information, visit www.PhiKappaPhi.org.

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Media Contact
Alyssa Perez
Communications Director
aperez@phikappaphi.org
(225) 923-7777