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ORU Chapter Mu-ves On Up

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Click Photo to Enlarge (left to right) Dr. John Korstad, Tim Barrette, Isaac Mitropoulos, Sarah Hofstra, Tom Massey, Tommy O'Neal, and Prashant Joseph

"Consistently outstanding" is the best way to describe ORU's Mu Kappa Chapter of the Tri Beta Biological Honor Society. Rated number one in Oklahoma in 1998 and number two in 1999, Mu Kappa is back on top in 2000, having received the "Outstanding Chapter in Oklahoma" award in early April at the Tri Beta regional meeting.

About 15 colleges and universities belong to Tri Beta in this region, which encompasses Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, and Louisiana. At the April meeting, ORU seniors Tommy O'Neal and Tim Barrette presented research projects. Mu Kappa's officers were also in attendance.

"I am part of Mu Kappa because it increases the relationship between the students and the faculty," says Prashant Joseph, the president of ORU's honor society chapter. He is the son of engineering professor Dr. Joseph Joseph. Another advantage, he said, is that "we can bring in doctors (to speak) who help us in understanding what's going on in our classes. We also get a good idea of what graduate programs are available." For him personally, "it's an opportunity to be a leader, and to help other students achieve their academic goals."

Joseph, who went on spring break missions to Tijuana, Mexico, last year, has his eye on medical school at the University of Oklahoma after he graduates next spring. "I've known I wanted to be a doctor for a while," he says. He plans to focus on geriatrics. This summer, he is doing research on Alzheimer's disease at the OU Health Sciences Center and Presbyterian Hospital--research he can use on his senior paper.