Anita Welch, assistant professor in the School of Education, was named to the national board of directors of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. She joins the board as a regional vice president.

In a news release dated Aug. 22, the organization announced it filled nine vacant positions and six members returned to the board during its 2012 Biennial Convention in St. Louis.

Welch serves on the society’s Chapter Relations Committee as north central regional vice president. Previously, Welch served on the society’s Marketing and Member Benefits Committee during the 2010-2012 biennium. In addition to her national responsibilities, she is also president of the NDSU chapter.

Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Baton Rouge, La., Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. It annually inducts approximately 32,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni. The society has chapters on more than 300 select colleges and universities in North America and the Philippines. Membership is by invitation only to the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students and 7.5 percent of juniors. Faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction also qualify.

NDSU is recognized as one of the nation's top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.