NDSU’s Phi Kappa Phi student lectureship scheduled

North Dakota State University, in partnership with the NDSU Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, is pleased to announce Emily Mikhail, an undergraduate student in mechanical engineering, as a recipient of a NDSU Phi Kappa Phi Student Lectureship Award. Mikhail was selected for her outstanding undergraduate research and her ability to communicate complex ideas to a broad audience.

Mikhail’s lecture, titled “Seeing Inside a Hybrid Rocket,” exemplifies the spirit of Phi Kappa Phi’s mission to recognize academic excellence across all disciplines and to engage the community of scholars in service to others. Her work reflects both technical sophistication and a strong commitment to public communication, aligning closely with NDSU’s land‑grant mission.

Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective all‑discipline honor society, dedicated to honoring excellence in all fields of higher education. Its motto — Philosophìa Krateìto Photôn, meaning “Let the love of learning rule humanity”— captures the values embodied by the Student Lectureship.

Through the NDSU Phi Kappa Phi Student Lectureship, the university annually recognizes undergraduate and graduate students whose research, scholarship or creative activity supports NDSU’s mission and demonstrates a proven ability to communicate effectively with audiences beyond their own discipline. Each awardee receives a $500 honorarium and delivers a public lecture intended for an intelligent, non‑specialist audience.

Mikhail was selected for her demonstrated ability to present research dynamically and accessibly, as well as for her passion for helping others appreciate both the beauty and real‑world implications of engineering research.

The NDSU Phi Kappa Phi Student Lectureship is held each academic year and may feature multiple student lectures across the fall and spring semesters.