Ph.D. Student to Be Inducted Into USC’s Oldest Honor Society

For academic excellence, Sarinnapha Vasunilashorn will be inducted into Phi Kappa Phi, one of USC’s most distinguished honor societies.

USC Davis School of Gerontology doctoral candidate Sarinnapha Vasunilashorn, on the heels of winning the university-wide Oakley Fellowship last month, has now been nominated for membership in Phi Kappa Phi, USC’s oldest honor society.                       

Sarinnapha Vasunilashorn

One of the nation’s first and largest honor societies, Phi Kappa Phi, is a charter member of the Association of College Honor Societies with membership of more than 900,000 scholars from across the globe.  Members, nominated by invitation only, are initiated each spring on the basis of academic excellence.  Vasunialshorn was nominated by her faculty advisor Eileen Crimmins, Ph.D., Edna M. Jones Chair of Gerontology and professor of sociology.

"Being inducted into Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest all-discipline honor society, is recognition of not only the work that I do, but also of the importance of working within the gerontological community,” Vasunialshorn said.  “For me, that is a really great message.  I am grateful to the USC Davis School faculty, namely Dr. Eileen Crimmins, for this honor."   

Drawing membership from all divisions within the academic institution, Phi Kappa Phi is the world’s largest interdisciplinary honor society.  According to the USC website, “It is in a unique position to cultivate consciousness of relationships by bringing together individuals from a variety of disciplines.”

The Spring Initiation Ceremony will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13, 2009, in the Bing Theater.