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Austin Peay State University’s Phi Alpha Theta wins Best Chapter Award, APSU Student Organization of the Year

Austin Peay State University - APSUClarksville, TN – Assuming Austin Peay State University’s Phi Alpha Theta National Honor Society (PAT) continues down the path it’s followed for the past nine years, the University’s award-winning history honor society chapter, Theta-Delta, could very soon be celebrating “one for the thumb.”

That’s because Theta-Delta is once again home to the Nels A. Cleven Award for Best Chapter of the Year, Division IV. The award is given annually to the best chapter in the nation for the organization’s Division IV, which consists of schools with between 10,001-15,000 students.

Austin Peay State University’s Phi Alpha Theta National Honor Society
Austin Peay State University’s Phi Alpha Theta National Honor Society

Best Chapter Awards are presented to chapters that excel in promoting the mission of the honor society on their campus and in their community. To be considered, chapters must present an electronic scrapbook highlighting chapter activities, including fund raising events, field trips, hosting or attending regional meetings and attending the national biennial convention.

Austin Peay professor of history, and PAT advisor, Dr. Minoa Uffelman, said the competition for a ninth-consecutive award was fierce, but noted that PAT’s continued excellence is a testament to the type of students the chapter attracts.

“It is my honor to work with these bright history students to prepare them for careers,” Uffelman said. “Presenting at conferences provides valuable experience in researching, writing and presenting — all skills valued by most fields.”

Recent PAT alumni have found work as teachers and historians, while others have applied the skills they have honed to pursue careers in law, social work and any number of other professions.

Many PAT alumni also choose to continue their academic careers, with 2016-17 PAT alumni gaining acceptance to, among other institutions, New York University, Cambridge University and Lipscomb University in pursuit of master’s or doctoral degrees.

This recent success continues a trend for PAT alumni, as recent alumni have pursued master’s or doctoral degrees at, among other schools, the University of Connecticut and Northwestern University, as well as international universities including the University of Glasgow and Brandenburg Technical University in Cottbus, Germany.

Dr. Cameron Sutt, associate professor of history and chair of the Department of History and Philosophy, said that PAT is a major driver of student and departmental success for APSU.

“I cannot express just how important PAT is to our students and the university,” Sutt said. “PAT provides Austin Peay students with a perfect opportunity to showcase their abilities, and to explore history in greater detail. When they present their research in regional and national conferences, they raise the profile of Austin Peay.

The best chapter award is a culmination of another full year of activity for PAT, which hosted or attended over 30 events during the Fall 2016 and Spring 2017 semesters. In April, PAT’s excellence was honored within the campus community, as it beat out over 156 other campus organizations to be named Student Organization of the Year at APSU’s Student Life & Engagement Award Ceremony.

“Phi Alpha Theta continues as a shining star in the College of Arts and Letters,” Dixie Webb, dean of the College of Arts and Letters, said. “Faculty can teach, mentor and inspire, but in the end, the students’ work reveal the fruits of those educational experiences.

“Best Chapter recognition for a ninth year, and receiving Student Organization of the Year confirms, both locally and nationally, the excellence of our Phi Alpha Theta students.”

For more information on APSU’s PAT chapter, contact Dr. Minoa Uffelman at uffelmanm@apsu.edu or call 931.221.7704.

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