VCU Phi Kappa Phi Announces 2026 Student Scholarship Recipients
April 15, 2026
The VCU chapter of Phi Kappa Phi recently announced the recipients of its annual student scholarships. The chapter awards four types of scholarships to students: the Phi Kappa Phi National Fellowship Award Nomination and the Lauren A Woods Graduate Scholarship, the Wayne C. Hall Scholarship, the Susan E. Kennedy Scholarship, and the Robert G. Davis Undergraduate Writing and Research Award. Additionally, VCU academic units often award scholarships in the name of Phi Kappa Phi.
Elena Diaz, a student in both the School of Social Work and the College of Humanities and Sciences, was awarded the Lauren A. Woods Graduate Scholarship. This scholarship is given to the individual chosen by the awards selection committee and nominated by the VCU chapter for the Phi Kappa Phi National Fellowship Award. The applicant must be a graduating senior who plans to pursue graduate or professional study. Additionally, the Woods Scholarship winner is nominated by the chapter for the Phi Kappa Phi National Fellowship Award.
L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs student Gina Amedeka and College of Engineering student Corrine Leonard were awarded the Susan E. Kennedy Scholarship, named in honor of Susan E. Kennedy, former chair of the History Department and former Dean of the College of Humanities and Sciences. This award is given to a graduate student who has advanced the presence of women in higher education and has attained at least a 3.5 GPA in his/her graduate work.
Sonny Patterson, a student in the College of Health Professions, was awarded the Wayne C. Hall Undergraduate Scholarship. This university-wide award was named in honor of the former VCU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the second president of the VCU Phi Kappa Phi Chapter, Wayne C. Hall. This award is given to a rising senior who has achieved at least a 3.5 GPA and is qualified for membership into Phi Kappa Phi.
Students Zahra Akbar, Madeline Halstead, Mariah Nissenson, Aarushi Rao, and Ovyaswastika Sundaram were each awarded a Robert G. Davis Undergraduate Writing and Research Award, which is a scholarship given to students from HONR 200/UNIV 200 as chosen by the awards selection committee.
VCU academic units awarded scholarships to the following students in the name of VCU Phi Kappa Phi: Marissaa El sayah and Regina Frazier of the School of Education; Khaoula Fourkani, Eve Gilles, Sarai Goodwin, Mariajose Oceguera-Andrade, and Rachel Owens of the School of Social Work; and See Galloway and Jaden Harris of the College of Humanities & Sciences.
To learn more about student scholarships from the VCU Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, click here.
About the VCU chapter of Phi Kappa Phi
Phi Kappa Phi is the nation's oldest and most selective multidisciplinary collegiate honor society. The VCU chapter was installed on December 3, 1976, and continues to honor academic achievement by initiating members and awarding scholarships at annual ceremonies. The VCU chapter is administered by and Executive Committee of faculty and administrators. For more, see https://phikappaphi.vcu.edu/