Alpha Chi, a national honor society that accepts only the top 10 percent of juniors and seniors, recently initiated 71 new members and installed new officers at East Central University.
Alpha Chi members must have a minimum grade point average of 3.5.
Glenn Ronning of Ada was elected president of the Oklahoma Gamma chapter at ECU. He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and two of his three children also attend ECU.
Joe Trail of Ada was elected vice president. He served more than five years in the U.S. Marine Corps and completed two combat deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. After graduating with a political science degree, he will pursue master’s and law degrees. He ultimately hopes to become a U.S. senator.
Secretary Lindsy Polk, a senior biology major, is the founder and president of the ECU Dentistry Club. Convention delegate Rosa Denton of Porum received the ECU Education Department’s Rising Star Award in Early Childhood Education in 2011. Public Information Officer Daniel Manuel, a 14-year veteran of the Ada Fire Department, is working on a master’s degree in education in order to become a public school principal.
The ECU chapter also plans to attend Alpha Chi’s national convention in Baltimore from March 22-24. Students must be prepared to present scholarly research to be eligible for the convention. Students selected to attend are Conner Alford, McAlester, political science; Rosa Denton, Porum, education; Danny Manuel, Ada, education; Mary Newport, Paden, mass media; Carla Rodriguez, Allen, Texas, advertising/public relations; Glenn Ronning, Ada, education; Blake Scott, Newcastle, molecular biology; and Joe Trail, Ada, political science.
“It is very difficult to maintain standing in the top 10 percent of the class. It’s even more impressive to be selected as a leader of this elite group,” said Dr. Christine Pappas, Alpha Chi adviser. “Providing excellent educational opportunities such as a trip to a scholarly convention near the nation’s capital is just one of the things that ECU can do that many other schools cannot,” Pappas said.
New members of Alpha Chi are listed by hometowns:
ADA – Tamra Albritton, Emily Anderson, Danielle Armstrong, Sarah Barnes, Alexis Brendle, the late Carman Burns, Brianna Byrd, Marah Canfield, Kelsey Creed, Jerris Egge, Justin Erwin, Marta Ferraz Valles, Jennifer Harwell, Burke Healey, Heath Holt, Taylor Howard, Caitlyn James, Douglas Lee, Nadeca McLaughlin, Gracie Nail, William Palmer, Demola Peterkin, Mark Robinson, Bijayas Sapkota, Valina Sefa, Cody Soden, Jessica Stettler, Nichole West, Tiffany Wright.
ALLEN – Laura McNab
ARDMORE – Jaree Garrison.
ASHER – Amanda Browning.
EUFAULA – Lisa Henson, Amber Nelson.
EDMOND – Rachel Watson.
FOSTER – Quinton Ferguson.
HARTSHORNE – Rhonda Faulkner.
HENRYETTA – Hillary Konsure.
LANE – Mija Mendoza.
LONE GROVE – Trista Gannon, Jacqueline Jones, Heather Moiser.
MADILL – June Standridge.
McALESTER – Cassie Fabry.
MUSKOGEE – Nicholas Rackley.
NEWCASTLE – Blake Scott.
OKLAHOMA CITY – Samantha Bottoms, Aubrey Painter, Amy Southerland.
PADEN – Mary Newport.
PAULS VALLEY – Jesse Arthur, Lindsey Laxton, Dylan Perkins.
PRAGUE – Rebekah Jordan, Samantha Pearson.
RINGLING – Shelby McCarty.
SAPULPA – April Hiett.
SEMINOLE – Jerilyn Fixico, Kimberly Parks.
SHAWNEE – Elizabeth Finney.
SKIATOOK – Lindi Thompson.
SNOW – Katlyn Shepherd.
STRATFORD – Noelle Hurt, Donna Ray.
SULPHUR – Rebecca Moore.
TISHOMINGO – John Adlaon.
WETUMKA – Jayme Pack, Daphine Peck.
WEWOKA – Alicia Martinez.
WILSON – Amy Miller.
HUFFMAN, TEXAS – Jeffry Schmidt.