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Volunteer Spotlight – January 2018

Jan 2, 2018

Pankaj JaiswalPankaj Jaiswal
Oregon State University

Chapter Position: President

University Position: Associate Professor, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology

Years of Service to the Chapter: 3

Degree(s)/Discipline: B.Sc., Botany and Chemistry; M.Sc., Biochemistry; Ph.D., Botany

How did you become involved as a chapter officer? I was invited by my chapter president to join the Chapter Executive Committee. Since I was an Emerging Scholar Awardee the prior year, it was an excellent way to introduce scholars and faculty who are interested in supporting the ΦΚΦ mission. During the first two years, I was a member of the committee as faculty vice president where I learned about the Phi Kappa Phi mission and chapter activities in addition to being part of them. 

What has your chapter done that has made you proud? The chapter has always stood for bringing success and motivation to our student members and faculty. Our student vice presidents make extra efforts to organize events such as textbook drives, blood donations, and Phi Kappa Phi informational nights which take great efforts on motivating new members to join. I am also proud of our faculty vice presidents and scholars for mentoring and networking with the student members and their motivation to increase and support diversity. The chapter encourages members to come up with innovative ideas to help support student success. For example, starting in 2018, two new OSU-ΦΚΦ Impact awards will be awarded to two junior students who are Phi Kappa Phi members. The awardees will present their impact projects at the annual initiation banquet night. 
 
What does Phi Kappa Phi mean to you? Motivation and support for students to succeed and be recognized for their scholarly achievements. The same goes for faculty member scholars. 

What do you enjoy most about being a chapter officer? Participating in ΦΚΦ activities brings me closer to students and faculty from diverse programs and provides me an opportunity to interact and learn new things from them. 

What advice would you give to a new chapter officer? Be innovative in engaging student members in chapter activities and their success. 

What are your hobbies? Photography and soccer.

Where are you from? India

Click here to see Pankaj's bio.