ΦΚΦ Member Spotlight – December 2020

Originally from the Province of Cavite, Philippines, Rodiel "Kirby" Baloy is a physical therapist, educator and therapeutic pain specialist practicing in Orange County, California. He earned a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy and a master’s degree in human movement science from the University of the Philippines, and in 2015, graduated from the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at The College of St. Scholastica. Kirby went on to earn a specialist in education degree from Fort Hays State University where he was initiated into Phi Kappa Phi in 2018.

As a full-time therapist, Kirby specializes in orthopedic and geriatric populations experiencing persistent pain at a clinic in Huntington Beach, California. As an educator, he holds faculty appointments at The College of St. Scholastica and Stanbridge University. He is also enrolled in the Doctorate in Public Health Education program at the American College of Education.

Kirby enjoys giving back to his professional and local communities by serving on the National Credentialing Committee of the American College of Sports Medicine and volunteering for the Surf City Marathon and the Los Angeles Marathon as part of the medical staff.

Let’s get to know Kirby!

1. Why did you accept the invitation to join Phi Kappa Phi?
   I consider Phi Kappa Phi membership a privilege and an honor. When my dissertation adviser informed me of my nomination, I immediately searched for Phi Kappa Phi's history and mission. Recognizing the contributions of its members to society and academic excellence, I wholeheartedly accepted the opportunity to join.


2. If you could share a meal with any two individuals, living or dead, who would they be?
   It would have to be Abraham Lincoln for his wisdom and Richard Pryor for his humor.


3. What is your definition of success?
   For me, success is being able to help as many people achieve their goals and successes as possible.


4. A genie gives you three wishes—what are they?
   This is a fun one and will bring out the geek in me! First, I wish that Star Trek's replicator, a machine that can create and recycle most things, becomes real and available to everyone. I think it would help solve worldwide hunger and free humans to pursue self-actualization and self-improvement. Second, once food and maybe even money is no longer the human pursuit and society can transition into meritocracy, my wish is that all humans will have the ability to better themselves and achieve their humanitarian goals. Third, I wish chocolate will cease to have calories nor make anyone fat.


5. If you were stranded on a deserted island, what’s the one item you would want to have?
   The Star Trek replicator I wished for from the genie in question 4!


6. What is the greatest movie of all time?
   It would have to be a tie between Shawshank Redemption and Saving Private Ryan.


7. What’s the best vacation you have ever taken?
   So far, a recent trip to Dubai with my wife was probably one of the best vacations I have taken. It was simply a different experience being in that part of the world, and we were lucky enough to be able to experience their history, traditions and cuisines. We even got to ride a camel and do a safari. 


8. If you could time travel, when and where would you go?
   I would travel to the '90s and talk to the 15-year-old version of myself who is about to head into the unknown that was college.


9. What are your favorite hobbies?
   I do Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It is not something I enjoy, but it is something that I have kept coming back to for almost thirteen years now!


10. What is one thing you're excited about that's coming in 2021?
    I’m looking forward to finishing up a Defense and Strategic Studies Graduate Certificate from Missouri State University and the development of a vaccine for COVID-19 that will allow everyone to live life normally again.

To learn more about Kirby and connect, visit his profile within our online member community, here.

Is there someone you would like to see in the spotlight? Send your nomination to engagement@phikappaphi.org and be sure to include basic information for the nomination.

Phi Kappa Phi Members Among Forbes 30 Under 30 Honorees

Forbes recently announced its 10th annual 30 Under 30 list for 2021 highlighting young entrepreneurs, activists, scientists and entertainers who they say “give everyone reason to hope" at the end of a difficult year.

“Some are defying the odds and building businesses despite COVID-19; others are helping to fight the illness, serving on hospital frontlines or working with A.I. to discover new drugs. Collectively, our Under 30 trailblazers have raised over $1 billion in venture funding and are proof positive that ambition and innovation can’t be quarantined,” according to Forbes.

An expert community narrowed the nominees down to the final 2021 list. Among those selected were three honorees we are proud to call Phi Kappa Phi members.

Kristen Choi (University of Michigan) – Assistant Professor, University of California, Los Angeles
Choi's research focuses on mental health policy for vulnerable children and communities.

Gabriela Schieve Fleury (James Madison University) – Conservation Partnerships Officer, Rainforest Trust
Fleury looks for ways for humans to co-exist with wild carnivores. She is dedicated to wildlife conservation and has traveled the world in her research.

Paul Suhey (Pennsylvania State University) – Cofounder, Revel
Suhey helped to found Revel, a moped rental service, that hopes to lure riders that want to social distance.

Apply Now! 2021 Phi Kappa Phi Awards

Phi Kappa Phi is accepting applications for its 2021 awards program including Fellowships, Literacy Grants and Love of Learning Awards. These awards provide funding for graduate study, continuing education, professional development, and local, national and international literacy initiatives.

Since 1932, Phi Kappa Phi’s awards program has recognized members and students on its chapter campuses for outstanding academic achievement. Each year $1 million is awarded through programs that last year recognized 375 individuals.

Programs accepting applications include:

• Fellowships: A total of 58 fellowships are available to members entering their first year of graduate or professional study – Two Fellowships at $35,000 each, six at $20,000 each, and 50 at $8,500. Application deadlines vary, so contact your local chapter for more information.
• Literacy Grants: Grants of up to $2,500 are available to Phi Kappa Phi chapters and individual members seeking funding for literacy initiatives. The deadline to apply is April 1. 2021.
• Love of Learning Awards: 200 awards, at $500 each, are available to help fund post-baccalaureate studies and professional development for active members. The deadline to apply is June 30, 2021.
  
• Study Abroad Grants: 75 grants of $1,000 each will be awarded to both members and non-members studying abroad. The program is currently suspended due to COVID-19 and will open when travel restrictions are lifted. Check back for updated open/deadline dates.

"The Love of Learning Award has accelerated my research timeline by at least six months. Having the funds to field a survey quicker than anticipated will pay dividends in the quality of research conducted," said Tristan Hightower, a 2020 Phi Kappa Phi award recipient.

For more information including eligibility requirements and application instructions, please visit www.phikappaphi.org/awards.

Keep Your Eyes on the Road

This is the thirty-fourth column I have written as executive director, and readers who take time to visit this space know I frequently refer to my discipline of history, which always informs my worldview and thought processes.

History is not the same as hindsight. Merriam-Webster defines hindsight as “perception of the nature of an event after it has happened.” Most often the term is used by people reflecting on an outcome they had not foreseen but wish they’d considered. In that case, hindsight carries an implication of regret. “Oh, if I’d only known what I know now. . . .”

There’s a reason our cars are equipped with rearview mirrors: so we can pay attention to what is behind us on the road or as we are backing up. But it’s obvious we can’t drive well if we’re always looking in the mirror to see where we’ve been. So even while making a case for knowing history, I’d prefer here to make a case for foresight.

What do we mean by foresight? Clearly we have no crystal ball, if there even was such a means of seeing into the future. Nor do most of us consult psychics. Let’s again go to the reference shelf and look in the dictionary, which defines foresight as “the ability to predict or the action of predicting what will happen or be needed in the future.”

For an organization like our honor society, predicting what will happen is directly tied to trends in higher education. We have known for a few years the rather dire prediction of what’s come to be known as “the cliff” — a decline in college enrollments of up to fifteen percent by 2025. Such decline, which has already begun, will have clear impact on the number of students eligible for Phi Kappa Phi membership in the near future. And so we must factor that reality into our enrollment and revenue projections for the next decade.

But look again at the definition, which speaks not only of what will happen but of what will be needed as we consider possible futures. Yes, plural, meaning envisioning possible scenarios, or what-ifs. (By the way, historians really dislike what-ifs about past events, because the answer has to be, we don’t know!)

Foresight involves critical thinking, environmental scanning, strategic analysis, and agility. As The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi nears its 125th anniversary in 2022, what questions does it need to ask itself? What might be considered desirable futures post-COVID-19? While it’s obviously a disruption, some nonprofit leaders think the virus may become an impetus for fresh thinking, even strategic transformation.

New drivers are always told to keep their eyes on the road, avoid distractions, yet remember to look in the rearview mirror from time to time. Established organizations would be wise to do the same, as our history informs our future.

One word I have used repeatedly since March is uncertainty. I look forward to replacing it with one of my favorite words: possibility. Onward.

Phi Kappa Phi Announces 2020-2021 Circle of Excellence Chapters

Phi Kappa Phi today announced the chapters receiving a 2020-2021 Circle of Excellence commendation. The awards—Platinum, Gold, and Silver—are given to the Society’s top chapters that excel in recognizing and promoting academic excellence on their local campus and engaging the community of scholars in service to others.

The Circle of Excellence distinction was introduced in 2018. This year, the program named 67 chapters with recognition including 21 as Platinum, 20 as Gold, and 26 as Silver.

“Phi Kappa Phi is proud to recognize these chapters with the Circle of Excellence award. Our chapters are the lifeblood of our Society and we are delighted to celebrate their success,” said Society Executive Director Dr. Mary Todd.

By receiving the Circle of Excellence honor, these chapters are recognized as thriving organizations that hold annual initiations, uphold the Society Bylaws, regularly attend chapter training opportunities and submit a chapter-endorsed nominee to the Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship Program.

Chapters achieving the Circle of Excellence distinction receive:

• a commendation letter from the Society sent to campus administration
• special recognition on the Phi Kappa Phi website
• specially-designed logo for use in chapter communications
• a cash award

Click here to learn more about the Circle of Excellence program and see the full list of 2020-2021 chapters.

Forum Sneak Peek: Hindsight

The latest edition of the Phi Kappa Phi Forum will be arriving in your mailbox soon. Wrapping up the 2020 vision-based topics, the winter edition's theme is "Hindsight." The featured stories, regular columnists, and even our custom crossword puzzle will all dive deeper into that idea.

The feature articles discuss:

The Rear View of Retirement – Regrets? Journalist Rheta Grimsley Johnson has a few after a long career as a columnist.

The Joy of Rereading – Literary commentator James Mustich decides to revisit the Nero Wolfe mysteries by Rex Stout, finding new things to like along the way.

Erik Larson's Time Machine – From a desk in Manhattan, a best-selling author takes readers into the past with history books as compelling as novels.

Past Lives – At her Canada home, poet Carla Funk considers the people who once roamed the land that's now been tamed by suburbia.

Kenny and Ernest – Literary scholar Michael J. Finnegan used the work of Ernest Hemingway to better grasp the challenges faced by his late uncle as a soldier in World War II.

As always, we welcome letters to the editor, member news, poetry submissions and story ideas for upcoming themes. Visit our Forum page to learn more.

Member Benefits: UPS Holiday Shipping Savings

The holidays are here! Phi Kappa Phi partner, UPS, is ready to help you prepare and manage your shipments so they arrive as expected.

Ship early and save up to 50%. Take advantage of this exclusive benefit with member-only savings throughout the holidays and receive:

• 50% off Domestic Next Day / Deferred
• 30% off Ground Commercial / Residential
• 50% off International Exports & 40% off Imports
• Plus, UPS Smart Pickup service is free

Get the latest information on UPS’s holiday shipping calendar, services and ship-by dates. Download the 2020 Year-End Schedule from www.UPS.com/Holidays for quick access to:

• The most up-to-date information about important details of UPS operations, day-by-day.
• Year-end service and commitment time modifications.
• Recommended last shipping days before Dec. 25, 2020.
• Information on how you can avoid surcharges.
• Don’t forget to bookmark the holiday webpage and make it your first stop for answers to your questions about holiday season shipping.

To learn more about our partnership with UPS, visit www.SaveWithUPS.com/PhiKappaPhi or call 800-MEMBERS to speak with a UPS Member Benefit Consultant. Be sure to mention your membership in The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.

We hope you will take advantage of this and all the other member-only discounts available to you this holiday season. Happy holidays!

Submit Your Graduation Photo for a Chance to Win!

Your graduation ceremony may have been put on hold this year, but that doesn’t mean the celebration has to be! Whether you donned Phi Kappa Phi graduation regalia at a commencement ceremony or in a photoshoot to commemorate your day, share your photos with us for a chance to win an Amazon gift card of up to $100 and be featured in Society materials.

To enter, click here to submit your photo(s) by Jan. 31. Please limit your submission to no more than five photos. High resolution images (JPEG or PNG) are preferred.

The first-place winner will receive a $100 Amazon gift card, second place will receive a $50 Amazon gift card and third place will receive a $25 Amazon gift card.

Click here for more details including official rules and submissions from previous graduation photo contests.

If you have questions about the contest, contact Alyssa Perez at aperez@phikappaphi.org.

For 24 Hours – You Can Make an Impact!

Today is Giving Tuesday – a global day of generosity.

Here at Phi Kappa Phi, we strive to make a difference by providing benefits that include an awards program that gifts $1 million each year to deserving students, professionals and organizations. You can help support that mission with your gift today – a gift that can last a lifetime.

Please join us today, Dec. 1, by making a tax-deductible gift in support of our mission – to let the love of learning rule humanity. All donations, no matter the size, will play a part in transforming lives around the world. And as a special thank you this year, donors of $65 or more will have the option to receive a Phi Kappa Phi blanket.

Your gift could make the difference—it could determine the path a student chooses after graduation, give someone that extra push to pursue continued education many years later, or put books in the hands of young learners in communities both near and far.

When you give on Giving Tuesday, you won't just be making a donation. You'll be making a lasting impact.