DO
Duane Ovitt
  • Business Management
  • Class of 2014
  • Utica, NY

Duane Ovitt Inducted into Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society

2012 Sep 24

Mother Nature provided a beautiful fall day at the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society Induction Ceremony for Duane Ovitt from Utica, NY majoring in Business Management at Mohawk Valley Community College. Ovitt was one of the 69 students inducted into the Lambda Beta Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society in the Dr. Michael I. Schafer Theater on the Utica Campus.

This year's event marks the 52nd Anniversary for the Lambda Beta Chapter at MVCC, which was started in 1960 with the induction of 24 students when the College was known as the Mohawk Valley Technical Institute.

On hand to celebrate the accomplishments of these students were Randall J. VanWagoner, Ph.D., president of MVCC, Maryrose Eannace, vice president of Learning and Academic Affairs and John Bullis, executive director of Organizational Development at MVCC. The keynote speaker, Bullis addressed the inductees along with their family, friends and mentors on overcoming adversity in life. He told the inductees of how he has lived his life by the words of Alexander Hamilton-"The harder I work, the luckier I get" and he encouraged the inductees to do the same.

In addition to academic excellence, Phi Theta Kappans take part in many community activities, as well as helping with various activities at MVCC. Those members who have chosen to participate in various events have enriched their lives and broadened their knowledge beyond the scope of their academics."

Phi Theta Kappa is the International Honor Society which serves to recognize and encourage the academic achievement of two-year College students while providing opportunities for individual growth and development through academic, leadership, and service programming. It is the largest honor society in American higher education, having been established in 1918 by two Missouri two-year college presidents.

According to the 1961 MVCC yearbook, "Phi Theta Kappa is a scholarly fellowship which embraces junior colleges not only of New York State but of the nation. The purpose of this non-secretive fraternity is to foster a spirit of devotion to study and to scholarly ideals among its members. The principles of Phi Theta Kappa are embodied in the Greek letters which stand for phronimon, thuermos, kathariotes (wisdom, aspiration, purity)."

Phi Theta Kappa continues to promote Leadership, Scholarship, Fellowship and Service, while becoming the largest honor society in higher education with more than 2.5 million members and 1,275 chapters located in all 50 of the United States, U.S. territories, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Germany, and the Republic of Palau.