Lydia Milligan, of Pavilion, was one of 49 students inducted into Phi Eta Sigma, the International Honor Society rewarding first-collegiate-year scholarship, during a ceremony held Family Weekend in Peterson Chapel.

In addition to the 49 students, Joel Stoker, professor of Religious Studies, was inducted as an honorary member. Professor Stoker was selected because the membership found him to exemplify the qualities of Phi Eta Sigma through his commitment to continually pursuing intellectual growth and encouraging his students to do the same. 

Phi Eta Sigma, the oldest and largest first-year honor society, was founded in 1923 at the University of Illinois with the goal of encouraging and rewarding academic excellence among full-time, first-year students in institutions of higher learning.

The Society has established chapters in over 350 institutions of higher learning in the United States. Elmira College is the 289th chapter, established in 1990.

The three Greek letters, Phi, Eta, and Sigma, represent the basis of the organization's membership, in that they mean literally "lovers of wisdom."

About Elmira College

Founded in 1855, Elmira College is a private, residential, liberal arts college offering 30-plus majors, an honors program, 17 academic societies, and 20 Division III varsity teams.

Located in the Southern Finger Lakes Region of New York, Elmira's undergraduate and graduate student population hails from more than 20 states and nine countries. Elmira is a Phi Beta Kappa College and has been ranked a top college, nationally, for student internships.

The College is also home to the Center for Mark Twain Studies, one of four historically significant Twain heritage sites in the United States, which attracts Twain scholars and educators from around the world for research on the famous literary icon. Proud of its history and tradition, the College is committed to the ideals of community service, and intellectual and individual growth.