Kolawole Ayinuola, a doctoral candidate in the chemisty and biochemistry program , recently was awarded a Love of Learning Award worth $500 by the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi—the nation's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. He is one of 147 recipients nationwide to receive the award.

Ayinuola, who is from Lagos, Nigeria, was initiated into the society in 2011 at University of Arkansas. He plans to apply funds from the award toward obtaining Project Management Certification.

The Phi Kappa Phi Love of Learning Award program was initiated in 2007 to help fund graduate or professional studies, doctoral dissertations, continuing education, career development and travel related to teaching and studies for active society members. The Society's robust award program grants $1 million each biennium to qualifying students and members through graduate fellowships, undergraduate study abroad grants, member and chapter awards and grants for local and national literacy initiatives.

Founded in 1897, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Phi Kappa Phi inducts annually 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.

The society's mission is "To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others." For more information, visit www.PhiKappaPhi.org.