Alicia Hodge selected to serve as Faculty Scholar for national PTK conference

Brazosport College Phi Theta Kappa Psi Psi Chapter co-advisor Alicia Hodge was recently selected to serve as a Faculty Scholar and will lead discussion groups during the organization’s 2020 summer conference.

Hodge was one of only 30 chapter advisors and alumni from across the country and the lone Texas representative selected for this honor.

“This is a wonderful professional development experience for me as an advisor for Phi Theta Kappa and my own growth as a leader,” Hodge said. “I will get to guide students during the seminar sessions at the Honors Institute, which I have never had the opportunity to attend, and I will learn more about Phi Theta Kappa, which will benefit our chapter here at Brazosport College. I put a lot of thought into my application, and I was so excited to find out I was selected as a 2020 Faculty Scholar. It is going to be a very memorable experience. “

Faculty Scholars are key figures at Honors Institute, PTK’s annual week-long honors conference, as they lead small groups of the attendees in discussions about presentations by keynote speakers. Each speaker is an expert on an idea related to PTK’s Honors Study Topic, the focus of the organization’s honors program.

“Honors Institute sets the stage for many of our chapters to begin their honors projects, which is where some of the deepest benefits of PTK membership come into play,” said Dr. Blake Ellis, PTK’s Vice President of Student Engagement. “The guidance Faculty Scholars give can be the first step in igniting a student’s passion, getting them involved, and setting them on a course to gain leadership experience and develop soft skills.”

Phi Theta Kappa’s honors program guides chapters in a research-based, action-oriented project on their campuses and in their communities. The timely, interdisciplinary topic is developed biannually by a group of volunteer chapter advisors known as the Honors Program Council.

Eight Honors Program Council members also serve as Faculty Scholars. PTK chapter advisors, most of whom are college faculty and staff members, and PTK alumni, or former members, were eligible to apply for the 22 remaining spots.

“The training that Faculty Scholars receive is a professional development experience like no other,” said Susan Edwards, PTK’s Associate Vice President of Honors Programming and Undergraduate Research. “Faculty Scholars come away with new skills and a completely new way to engage with and learn from a diverse group of individuals.”

Phi Theta Kappa is the premier honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges and helping them to grow as scholars and leaders. The Society is made up of more than 3.5 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in 11 nations, with approximately 250,000 active members in the nation’s colleges. Learn more at ptk.org.