Professor appointed to foundation board

Patty Phelps has been appointed to the Kappa Delta Pi Educational Foundation Board.

The Kappa Delta Pi Educational Foundation secures funding and manages endowment programs that advance the goals of the Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education. The Foundation provides scholarships and grants to educators in their pursuit of excellence.

“I am delighted and honored to be asked to serve in this capacity. In my view, Kappa Delta Pi is the best example of a professional organization that is committed to excellence in education,” Phelps said. She currently serves are Director of the Instructional Development Center at the University of Central Arkansas.

The Foundation Board consists of seven members. Phelps is filling a vacated position for the next two years with the option of an additional three year appointment. Phelps has been affiliated with Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society since 1985 when she was a doctoral candidate at Texas A&M-Commerce. She joined the UCA faculty in 1987 and received the Distinguished Dissertation Award from KDP in 1988. At UCA she previously served for five years as the Pi Beta chapter counselor, which is the campus chapter of KDP. More recently, she served for three years as Academic Editor of the society’s publication, Kappa Delta Pi Record.

As part of her duties with the Foundation Board, Phelps will attend the organization’s biennial convocation this October in Dallas.

Founded by Dr. William Bagley in 1911 at the University of Illinois, KDP was established to foster excellence in education and promote fellowship among those dedicated to teaching. The founders chose the name from the Greek words to represent knowledge, duty, and power. Pioneering from its beginning by including women as well as men, Kappa Delta Pi grew from a local chapter to the international organization it is today, comprising 600 chapters and more than 40,000 members. The KDP Educational Foundation supports the scholarships, grants, and professional development programs of the Society. For additional information, go to http://www.kdp.org/.