UWG
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UWG advisor honored
February 7, 2005
CARROLLTON, GA - In keeping with the University of West Georgia’s theme of “Educational Excellence in a Personal Environment,” a UWG advisor recently collected a national honor from Phi Sigma Pi.
The
national honor fraternity named Laurel Starling, coordinator of Orientation
and Special Programs and advisor to UWG’s Gamma Delta chapter of
Phi Sigma Pi, “National Advisor of the Year” at the end of
Fall semester.
“It was pretty exciting,” said Starling, who has been advisor to Gamma Delta for three years. “They are an awesome group. I love those kids. They’re amazing.”
The organization also inducted Starling as an honorary member of the fraternity — a nationwide first, according to Phi Sigma Pi. Most advisors were members of Phi Sigma Pi when they attended college, but Starling’s alma mater, the University of Arkansas, did not have a chapter when she attended.
E.L. Hendricks, C.A. Phillips and C.H. McClure founded Phi Sigma Pi at Central Missouri State University on Feb. 14, 1916. The fraternity became national in 1921 when a second chapter was founded at Bradley University in Peoria, Ill. The national fraternity has since evolved from an honorary professional fraternity to a professional education fraternity, and since 1966, to an honor fraternity for all disciplines. Phi Sigma Pi became coeducational in 1977.
The Gamma Delta Chapter was chartered at UWG, on Nov. 9. 1995. The membership numbers have fluctuated over the years and the chapter currently consists of 26 active brothers, 14 initiates, and 2 chapter advisors, Aran MacKinnon and Starling.
Starling said Phi Sigma Pi was more than just an honor fraternity.
“They are very social and community service oriented,” she said.
For more information on Phi Sigma Pi, please visit www.phisigmapi.org.
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