PDK Events

Spring Initiation Dinner, Saturday, March 24, 2012

The USF Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa held its spring initiation dinner at the McLaren Center on the main campus. The event was a wonderful opportunity for graduate students, faculty of the USF School of Education, and PDK members to celebrate together and network.

Guest Speaker
PDK was honored to have Dr. Christopher N. Thomas, Assistant Professor and Chair of the Department of Leadership Studies at the University of San Francisco, as a guest speaker for the event. Dr. Thomas talked about the importance of data in equity-driven leadership. He emphasized the significance of making data real, understandable, and meaningful in order to be utilized in decision-making and be valued and maximized by leaders and the community.

Members of PDK are looking forward to meet during the summer to craft plans for the next school year.
For more information, please contact Dr. Patricia Mitchell.

Fall Initiation Dinner, Saturday, October 29, 2011

The University of San Francisco Chapter of PDK held its fall initiation dinner at the Hyatt at Fisherman’s Wharf where eight School of Education graduate students were initiated as new members to the organization.

Guest Speaker
PDK welcomed Dr. Suzanne Flannigan, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Accreditation from Hartnell College in Central California who gave the address for the evening. Dr. Flannigan spoke to PDK members regarding the importance of culture and reminded students that a movement starts with one person. She encouraged students to stay connected with their community and inspire others with their example.

Honors and Awards

Chapter members, Matthew Escover, Mitchell Freidman, Stacy Jones, and Katia Pena were honored during the evening. Leann Pereira and Susan Stryker were awarded travel scholarships to help defray costs to the Tenth Annual Hawaii International Conference on Education, where they will be presenting in January.

Gwendolyn M. Williams Excellence Award
Mark Gutierrez was presented the Gwendolyn M. Williams Excellence Award, a scholarship awarded each year to a worthy PDK member in a School of Education graduate program at USF. The scholarship was established in honor of Mrs. Gwendolyn M. Williams, a doctoral student in the Organization and Leadership Program who passed away in June 2009 of cancer. This scholarship serves as a reminder of her legacy and excellence in scholarship while a student at USF.

Special thanks were also given to Dr. Patricia Mitchell, faculty advisor for PDK, for her contributions to the PDK organization and to students in the Organization and Leadership program. Students were inspired by the event and had a wonderful time connecting with their classmates and other faculty. Planning is underway to hold a second initiation event in March.