Seven Texas State Graduate Students Receive Phi Kappa Phi's Love of Learning Award

The Graduate College is pleased to announce that seven Texas State students received the Phi Kappa Phi Love of Learning Award in 2021. This $500 award helps active Phi Kappa Phi members fund post-baccalaureate professional development pertaining to their graduate and professional studies, including costs associated with theses and dissertations, continuing education, career development, and travel expenses related to teaching, research, or learning.

The awardees include:

Olufadeke (Fadeke) Adeniyi – alumna, M.S. in Data Analytics and Information Systems
Petra Banks – doctoral student in Applied Anthropology
Mariana Davila – specialist student in School Psychology
Justin Goldstein – doctoral student in Applied Anthropology
Alisa Hartsell – doctoral student in Geography
Kaitlyn McKenna - master's student in Biological Anthropology
Shayne O’Brien – doctoral student in Geography

While the Love of Learning Award amount is modest, The Graduate College’s external funding coordinators encourage all Phi Kappa Phi members to apply for the award because its many uses make it one of the most flexible graduate external funding awards. For example, Mariana Davila requested funds to support her tuition costs for the Specialist in School Psychology program. Justin Goldstein used his award to enroll in statistical training courses instrumental to his dissertation research. Other students, such as Alisa Hartsell and Shayne O’Brien, used the funds for conference-related expenses. Specifically, O’Brien will travel to New York City in February 2022 to present the results of his dissertation research at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geographers. Another reason that external funding coordinators Dr. Andrea Hilkovitz and Dr. Brian Smith encourage all eligible students to apply is that applicants for the Love of Learning Award generally need only minimal assistance with their applications, if any. According to Hartsell, “the application is easy and straightforward to complete.”

Congratulations to all on being awarded!