Illinois State University 

Kansas State University 

Longwood University 

Lyon College 

Purdue University 

Rhodes College 

San Diego State University 

Texas Tech University 

The Ohio State University 

The University of Alabama 

The University of Nebraska at Kearney 

University of Hawaii at Manoa 

University of Mississippi 

University of San Diego 

University of South Alabama 

Wichita State University 

Region 1 – Northeast and Atlantic Coast
Carnegie Mellon University
College of William and Mary
Endicott College
Grove City College
Hood College
Lenoir-Rhyne University
The University of Vermont
University of Maryland
University of Richmond

Region 2 – South/Southeast
Agnes Scott College
Auburn University
College of Charleston
Jackson State University
Mississippi College
Rhodes College
Troy University
University of Louisville

Region 3 – Midwest-East
Butler University
Northern Michigan University
Ohio Northern University
The University of Toledo
Xavier University

Region 4 – Midwest-West
Carleton College
Monmouth College
North Dakota State University
The University of Nebraska- Lincoln
University of North Dakota

Region 5 – Great Plains South/Southwest
Oklahoma Baptist University
The University of New Mexico
University of Arizona
West Texas A & M University

Region 6 – Rocky Mountain and Pacific
Chapman University
University of Montana
University of the Pacific
University of Wyoming

Project Excellence in Leadership is awarded to Lyon College for their Student Creative Arts and Research Forum, and Purdue University for Panel of the Presidents. 

Lyon College’s Student Creative Arts & Research Forum (SCARF) had 33 abstracts this year representing artistic/performance (3), business (7), humanities (5), STEM research (9), and social sciences research (9) categories. Two talented recent alumni, Daniel Armstrong (Mortar Board class of 2019) and Benji Norton (Mortar Board class of 2021), were the keynote speakers. The SCARF judges were Lyon professors as well as local community members who are experts in their respective fields. 

The Panel of the Presidents was a captivating event designed exclusively for Purdue University undergraduate students, offering a unique opportunity to gain insights from their esteemed university and Mortar Board leaders as they share their remarkable journeys in leadership. The panel featured Mortar Board’s National President Dr. Cassandra Lucas and Executive Director Dr. Kirsten Fox. This event was an enriching and enlightening experience for over 50 undergraduate students, as they got a firsthand look at the wisdom and expertise of these accomplished leaders. 

Project Excellence in Service to Alma Mater recipients are the University of Mississippi for Bears and Books Drive and the Last Lecture, and the University of San Diego for their Last Lecture Series. 

The Tassels chapter at the University of Mississippi participated in three major service projects impacting our Alma Mater and held a public service event. The first major service project impacting our Alma Mater was assisting with the Black Faculty and Staff Association’s Books and Bears Drive. The second was The Big Event,  the single largest student-led day of service in Mississippi which allows students the opportunity to volunteer at service projects across the Lafayette University Oxford Community. The final project was The Last Lecture. The Last Lecture is a public event hosted by the Tassels chapter that recognizes a retiring University professor and allows them to give a final lecture before the end of the school year. 

The University of San Diego hosted a Last Lecture Series. It features lectures given by professors across the university. It’s an important platform to share their knowledge and passion with the wider campus community, and those who joined the event virtually. They publicized all lectures heavily for weeks prior in collaboration with their co-sponsor, the USD Humanities Department. 

Project Excellence in Community Service is awarded to Purdue University for Nearly Naked Mile and The University of Toledo for Wrap Up Toledo. 

Purdue’s Nearly Naked Mile is a fundraising event to support Wheeler Mission, a homeless shelter in Indianapolis. It was a fun and engaging race that took place around the campus and encouraged participants to donate clothing. Their over 70 attendees were able to collect over 300 articles of clothing. 

The University of Toledo hosted Wrap Up Toledo, a philanthropic, tent-building competition that aims to provide blankets to the homeless population of Toledo through Tent City. Student organizations are given pipes, pipe attachments, blankets, and tape to build their best tent in an hour. They can “purchase” additional supplies during the competition such as more blankets or tape, and all money from the incentives is donated to Tent City. 

Project Excellence in Reading is Leading recipients are Illinois State University for their joint book drive with Kappa Delta Pi education honor society and the University of Maryland for their tutoring and book drive partnership with En Camino and CARing Kids. 

The Red Tassels chapter at ISU conducted a joint book drive with Kappa Delta Pi (a national honor society for future educators). They set up drop box locations, sent out campus-wide emails, tabled for 4 hours on the quad, transported hundreds of pounds of books, sorted through each of these books by grade level, and distributed these books to low-income schools in the Bloomington-Normal area. In total, they collected and distributed 1,033 books! 

The Adele Stamp chapter at UMD, via a partnership with En Camino and CARing Kids, had members volunteer to help tutor and further the education of the marginalized children in their community. For those members who were unable to participate, they collected dozens of books to donate to a local library.

Project Excellence in Fundraising is awarded to The University of Toledo for Tent City, and Wichita State University’s Pickleball Tournament. 

In conjunction with The University of Toledo’s Wrap Up Toledo event, they were able to donate around 400 blankets and $1,700 in the form of a check to Tent City. A grand total of $2,623 was raised when factoring in the money raised that was used to purchase blankets. 

The chapter at Wichita State organized a highly successful 15-team pickleball tournament featuring a competitive round-robin bracket and fun prizes. The event attracted over 30 participants, each engaging in multiple games and thoroughly enjoying the experience. As a result, they raised nearly $400 for the chapter, contributing significantly to our ongoing initiatives. 

Project Excellence in Mortar Board Week recipients are College of Charleston’s Diversity & Equity Fair and Texas Tech University for their week-long programming including President for A Day and a Women’s Athletics Breakfast.  

The College of Charleston’s chapter celebrated National Mortar Board Week with enthusiasm and pride, honoring our values and accomplishments as a collective force for good. They hosted our first diversity and Inclusion event, a Diversity and Equity Fair. They partnered with the Campus Neurodiversity Initiative Group, Asian Student Association, Students for Support (peer counseling and mental health/wellness group), and Muslim Student Association. 

The chapter at Texas Tech went all out for Mortar Board Week this year. This year, they wanted to use Mortar Board Week as a time to spread the word about our organization by representing what it means to be in Mortar Board. They hosted the Texas Tech Women’s Athletics Breakfast to recognize our female athletes and get to know our peers better, and they kicked off President for a Day with the President of the University, a fundraising event in which the President picks the raffle winner. The chapter also handed out roses to students in the Free Speech Area, with kind words of love attached to each rose. To incorporate the pillar of service, they had a service event with Lubbock Impact in the clothing closet.  

Project Excellence in Faculty, Staff, and Student Recognition is awarded to The Ohio State University for their Faculty/Staff reception co-hosted by Sphinx honorary, and the University of South Alabama for Top Prof. 

The Ohio State chapter of Mortar Board partnered with another Senior Honorary called Sphinx for the Faculty/Staff Reception. This year, nearly all members of the 110th class nominated and honored a faculty member. The chapter was proud to be able to appreciate so many faculty, professors, and staff of the University. 

Each year, the chapter at the University of South Alabama hosts Top Prof, a faculty recognition event. Each chapter member selects one faculty member who has made an impact on the student’s life and invites them to a fancy dinner. The students hand-deliver a formal invitation to their selected faculty member. The dinner provided is for both the student and recipient, approximately 100 people. The chapter has been putting on this event for 20 years now because of how impactful it is to those who are recognized. The deans are proud to recognize their faculty invited to this event, and the faculty are beyond thankful.

Project Excellence in Alumni Involvement recipients are the University of Mississippi for hosting alumni guest speakers at chapter meetings and Wichita State University’s interview panel featuring Mortar Board alumni. 

The Tassels chapter at the University of Mississippi is built on the foundation of the many alumni members. They prioritized projects that allow for more alumni involvement. Some of these projects included Alumni Speakers at Chapter Meetings, the return and expansion of our nationally award-winning Alumni Newsletter, hosting an Alumni and Awards Reception in the fall, and a project to expand their records of Alumni emails. A new alumni initiative spearheaded by the chapter’s Alumni Chair was hosting alumni guest speakers at chapter meetings. The goal of inviting alumni speakers to meetings was to allow members to network with alumni while allowing alumni to speak about the importance of Mortar Board and how to continue to live its mission. 

This year, the chapter at Wichita State University focused on enhancing alumni engagement through two key events. The first was an industry-specific interview panel that featured four distinguished Mortar Board alumni, including two former presidents. This event brought together our current chapter of 25 students to interact with and learn from the experiences of these seasoned professionals. The second event was our initiation ceremony, highlighted by a speech and recitation of The Torch from another esteemed alumnus and past president.

The Outstanding Achievement in Chapter Reactivation goes to Auburn University and the University of Maryland. 

The chapter at Auburn University effectively reactivated the chapter by finding a new advisor. They restarted our community service project, Park Like a Dean, and had effective chapter emails and regular meetings. They hosted their Banquet for the first time in 3 years, inviting notable Mortar Board and Auburn University Alumni, with a guest speaker being the. The chapter had a record-breaking number of applications due to our reactivation of their scholarship program. 

The chapter at UMD showed a huge growth, given their inactivity during the pandemic. They were successfully able to partner with numerous organizations to conduct service projects. They engaged over 30 of our members to participate this year. They received over 100 applications for next year’s cohort, with 74 being accepted for membership! 

The Outstanding Achievement in Recruitment and Selection awardees are The Ohio State University and the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. 

The Mabel G. Freeman chapter at The Ohio State University began the application planning process in October. They notified/nominated students all across campus based on their involvement and character to get much more visibility and interest across the board. They achieved record numbers in applications, acceptances, tappings, and participation in the initiation ceremony. They even had so much interest in executive board positions that elections lasted over three hours! 

The Hui Po’okela chapter at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa worked hard to share the word about their chapter and advertise applying. They sent out an email blast to potential students and also learned ways to improve recruitment, including adding it to the weekly UHM newsletter, posting flyers on campus, posting on their Instagram to share with larger UHM Instagrams, and hosting a recruitment service project. They worked tirelessly for months to try and improve the chances of getting strong applicants who knew what we do and stand for. And it was a success – the new cohort has ten more members than last year!

The Outstanding Achievement in Campus Visibility goes to Kansas State University and the University of Mississippi. 

This year, the XIX chapter at Kansas State University substantially increased chapter visibility. With over 20 events (tabling, service, fundraisers, recognitions, etc.) conducted on campus and supporting Kansas State organizations, Mortar Board became a recognized and sought-after organization for partnerships. For some KSU organizations, partnering with Mortar Board became a pathway to success. 

To increase overall campus visibility, the Tassels chapter at the University of Mississippi continued to find partnerships around campus and would assist with events that aligned with our mission and purpose. Some of the events and partnerships they participated in were the Falling for Involvement Event by hosting a table at the Trunk-or-Treat, assisting the Black Faculty and Staff Association during their Books and Bears Drive by creating and overseeing donation drop boxes around campus, and having members volunteer for The Big Event. Another important way they increased campus visibility was through social media platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, as well as Tapping Week. 

The Outstanding Achievement in Officer and Advisor Transition awardees are Auburn University and The University of Toledo. 

The chapter at Auburn University worked incredibly hard to find their new advisor, Julie Huff. They onboarded her and partnered with her all year to increase chapter sustainability and success on campus. Julie was so effective, that the chapter awarded her an Honorary Membership. 

To best transition officers at The University of Toledo, a Google Drive was created specifically for the executive board where documents were made outlining each officer’s entire term. Any Google forms/templates/exec meeting minutes were also added to this Google Drive to set the next executive board up for success. 

The Outstanding Achievement in Chapter Communication goes to San Diego State University and Wichita State University. 

The VP of Communication at San Diego State worked tirelessly to make sure the chapter not only communicated well with members but that the SDSU community knew and understood Mortar Board. They send a monthly newsletter to all their members and several hundred alumni each month and also communicated through GroupMe. 

The chapter at Wichita State University significantly improved internal communications by adopting the GroupMe app. They established dedicated channels for the Chapter-Wide communications, Executive Board, Orientation, Initiation, and Gala planning committees, as well as for collaboration with other student organizations such as the Ambassadors for Diversity and Inclusion. These channels were vital for sharing meeting details, event photographs, and fostering a connected community, especially highlighted during Mortar Board week when new members were introduced and celebrated across the chapter.

The Outstanding Achievement in Digital Communication awardees are College of Charleston and the University of Mississippi.  

Though the College of Charleston’s chapter is one year old, it has been operating like one established for years. One of their most impressive feats has been their chapter Instagram account (@cofcmortarboard). The chapter highlights their outstanding events and hosts member spotlights. 

The chapter at Ole Miss continually posted graphics, member spotlights, holiday celebrations, and pictures from Mortar Board events to our social media platforms (@um.mortarboard). They posted 36 posts to their social media accounts and over 100 posts on our Instagram stories and highlights, each consisting of two or more pictures and graphics. Posts and stories include members’ shoutouts, updates regarding chapter events, and celebrating holidays throughout the year.

The Outstanding Achievement in Alumni Engagement goes to San Diego State University and The Ohio State University. 

The chapter at San Diego State is very close with its alumni. They have an alumni group that helps volunteer at events, and they host a luncheon with current members and key alumni to help build connections and network. 

The chapter at OSU partnered frequently with their Ohio State Mortar Board Alumni Council and Greater Columbus Alumni Chapter throughout the year. This included a special event featuring WNBA star, Olympian, and Mortar Board, Katie Smith, where the chapter and alumni held a talk and then went to a women’s basketball game together. They also partnered together for homecoming, a spring luncheon, and the faculty/staff appreciation event. The alumni groups are very active on social media promoting chapter events.

During the 2023-2024 school year, Kansas State University’s XIX Chapter of Mortar Board strove to create, facilitate, and support a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus culture. Though the student population of Kansas State University is predominantly white, the XIX Chapter has striven to select members that represent the diversity of student life, not just the majority. In addition, the chapter has intentionally sought out partner organizations that represent the diversity of the community and/or serve to educate the community on the value of diversity, such as the Black Student Union and MANNRS. They also led 20+ groups in the facilitation of cross-cultural conversation during Wildcat Dialogues.

World Cafe-Zoom interacts with students from South Korea, Taiwan, and 10+ additional countries. The chapter hosts these dialogues to promote learning across countries. They also changed their university planner to include QR codes and information about all campus cultural centers and work with the Center for Intercultural Relations. This helped ensure the campus community had DEI&B resources readily available. 

Besides the establishment of a Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, and Belonging Chair in the Tassels chapter Executive Board, The chapter incorporated two new DEIB initiatives that greatly impacted the recruitment and selection process. The first step was Implicit Bias Training led by the University’s Diversity and Community Engagement Office prior to Mortar Board Selection. The second was instituting a partial blind review of applications to ensure the best candidates were selected. The Tassels chapter increased its partnerships with campus offices and organizations. They expanded their partnership with the Black Faculty and Staff Association’s annual Books and Bears Drive, and they created a new partnership with the Office of Diversity and Community Engagement. 

The 2024 WSU Belonging Gala marked a milestone as the inaugural event of its kind on the Wichita State Campus. Held on April 6th, this event attracted around 100 attendees, including staff, students, professors, and community members, making it the crowning achievement of their semester. The gala was made possible through strategic partnerships with the Ambassadors for Diversity and Inclusion student organization and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Wichita State. It featured inspiring speeches by Wichita City Councilman Brandon Johnson and WSU’s Dr. Sara Mata, who discussed the theme of belonging in a potentially unwelcoming world. The evening also included performances by the Thor Bonner Jazz Quartet and vocalist Christiane Fox, and a multicultural fashion show highlighting over ten countries, which educated attendees on the significance of each featured attire.

Honorable mention to College of Charleston’s Diversity & Equity Fair.

Kristi supports the chapter by helping them achieve their goals and is always willing to lend a hand. Her positive attitude helps keep chapter officers engaged and connected. Kristi’s frequent attendance at meetings helps her best guide the chapter. The chapter has an 80.7% yield and had 25 members this year. Kristi is in regular communication with the National Office and serves on a national committee. Kristi received the Excellence in Advising Award in 2015, and we are pleased to award her the Excellence in Advising with Distinction Award.

Darlene has been an advisor for 10 years, this year pulling on a co-advisor for chapter sustainability. She is in constant communication with the National Office and is often at the monthly Advisor Meet-Ups. The chapter has a 91.4% yield and has a record 74 members this year.

Brian completed his final year as an advisor at OSU. Not only did he assist the chapter in increasing visibility and size on campus, but he has been in constant communication with the National Office to ensure the chapter meets all requirements. The chapter has a 90.6% yield and had 48 members this year.

The chapter’s nomination discussed how much Eugene cares about the chapter and its members, taking the time to know them personally and checking in on them throughout the year. He’s a kind leader who leads by example and he is always willing to lend a hand. Eugene works to make sure the chapter meets all national requirements. The chapter has an 81.8% yield and had 18 members this year. 

The chapter’s nomination shared David’s kindness and enthusiasm for both Mortar Board and its members. He leveraged his position on campus to help the chapter expand campus partnerships, and his advising style allows for a staff-supported but student-led chapter. David completed his final year as an advisor. He attended a few Advisor Meet-Ups and an Advisor Focus Group and is a great support to both the chapter and the National Office. The chapter has a 96.7% yield and had 89 members this year. 

Chrissy is a role model for members, leveraging her campus knowledge and connections to support the chapter. She works to promote belonging in the chapter and promotes connectedness among members. Her service to the chapter remains steadfast, and she communicates regularly with the National Office to ensure the chapter is on track and meeting requirements. The chapter has a 63.3% yield and had 19 members this year. 

Gerry lives and breathes Mortar Board and works tirelessly to support the UL chapter. This year, while he was down a co-advisor, he brought on a graduate student advisor to assist with administration. He is in regular communication with the National Office and frequently attends the monthly Advisor Meet-Ups. The chapter has an 84.6% yield and had 22 members this year.

In its centennial year, the chapter doubled its membership and used public tapping to help increase chapter visibility. Last year the chapter brought on a new advisor who has continued to help support and grow the chapter. The chapter held two meetings after initiation to help onboard the new group and assist with officer transition. The chapter also increased chapter visibility through more events and service projects, bake sales, posters, and social media.

Honorable mentions to Case Western Reserve University and the University of Maryland.

Serving two consecutive years as Membership Chair under two executive boards, Nick played a pivotal role not only in recruiting top-tier candidates who epitomize Scholarship, Leadership, and Service but also in orchestrating the logistics that underpin the effective functioning of the chapter. Additionally, Nick’s innovative approach to member initiation contributed significantly to the chapter’s visibility and inclusivity on campus. He introduced elements like a photo booth, a balloon arch in school colors, and high-quality audio/visual technology, creating a celebratory and welcoming atmosphere for new members and their families. Nick’s commitment to making Mortar Board the premier honor society at Wichita State University is evident through both his leadership actions and personal dedication. 

Bella has dedicated herself to helping others and being a leader in providing opportunities for her peers to help others. As President of the Red Tassel Chapter, Bella has put together amazing meetings and events for their members this past year, some of the most memorable including leadership-building opportunities, a graduate association guest speaker, and team bonding activities for members. Bella has been dedicated to visibility on campus, specifically through finals week gift bags throughout the campus library as well as hosting campus-wide fundraisers. These events helped spread the word about Mortar Board and in turn, aided the chapter during selections. Bella specifically has been involved in sending out mass campus-wide emails as well as creating and posting flyers for each event the chapter hosts. 

The Tassels chapter experienced an exponential increase in student interest in joining the Mortar Board, leading to a record-breaking number of nominations and ultimately the largest new member class to date as far as we know. To illustrate, the Tassels chapter experienced a 192% and 181% increase in nominations and applications, respectively, and the tapping of 

60 new members. This year, the Tassels chapter took it upon itself to revamp and redesign its selection process following a substantial increase in student interest. The chapter found it imperative to make the process fair and equitable for both members and applicants. To increase overall campus visibility, the Tassels chapter continued to find partnerships around 

campus and would assist with events that aligned with its mission and purpose. Another important way the chapter increased its campus visibility was through social media platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram. The first initiative to encourage participation year-round was the revitalization of the point system; the second was to find new programming to encourage in-person meeting attendance.

Honorable mentions to Lyon College and Texas Tech University.