Tau Chapter of Phi Zeta

History

Phi Zeta is the honor society for veterinary medicine. It originated in 1925 with a group of senior veterinary students in the New York State Veterinary College at Cornell University. With the assistance of a group of faculty members, including the dean of the college, Dr. Veranus A. Moore, the Society was organized and Dean Moore was elected as the first president of the Alpha Chapter. The Society of Phi Zeta was organized in 1929 at a meeting in Detroit, Michigan, and Dean Moore became the first president of the Society. There are currently 32 chapters of the Society of Phi Zeta have been established, one at each of the schools or colleges of Veterinary Medicine in the United States.

Also in 1929, a charter was granted to the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and the Beta Chapter was established. In 1931, the Executive Committee approved the petition of a group from Iowa State College, and the Gamma Chapter was established. Chapters of the Society may be formed at any recognized veterinary medical college or at any other institution of higher learning.

LSU Vet Med Chapter

The Tau Chapter of the Society of Phi Zeta was chartered at LSU Vet Med in 1977, the year LSU graduated its first class of veterinarians.

Phi Zeta Research Day

 

PHI ZETA RESEARCH DAY2024 Phi Zeta AwardsNational Society of Phi Zeta

Origin of the Name

The organizers of the Society, when seeking a suitable name, sought the help of a learned Greek scholar, Professor George P. Bristol of Cornell University.  Professor Bristol suggested a Greek word, which in the Latin form is spelled PHILOZOI and means “love for animals.” The abbreviation of Phi Zeta was adopted as the name of the Society.

Emblem

The emblem consists of a pendant formed by the letter Phi superimposed by the letter Zeta.  The design was the work of Louis Agassiz Fuertes, the great naturalist and artist.

Phi Zeta logo

Goals

  • The overall goal of the Society of Phi Zeta is to promote scholarship and research in matters pertaining to the welfare and diseases of animals.
  • To promote scholarship in the veterinary curriculum, the Society recognizes students who have excelled in all aspects of veterinary medicine.
  • To promote research in veterinary medicine, the Society sponsors research competition at the national level. The Tau chapter sponsors an annual Research Emphasis Day which features research competition for students, advanced studies students and faculty.

Bylaws of the Tau Chapter of Phi Zeta

DOWNLOAD BYLAWS

Membership Criteria

Membership in the Society of Phi Zeta consists of two classifications, Active  and Honorary. Those eligible to election as Active Members are

  • Any candidate for the DVM/VMD degree in a veterinary medical college where a chapter exists and who has completed at least two years of the professional curriculum and who meet the following requirements:
    • The candidate must have an acceptable personality, be of good moral character, and possess high ideals regarding professional services and conduct.
    • When elected in the junior or third year, students must rank scholastically in the highest 10 percent of their veterinary medical class.
  • Any veterinarian who has been in possession of a veterinary medical degree for at least two years, and who has displayed ability of high order in dealing with one or more phases of the science of veterinary medicine, and who meets one of the following criteria:
    • The candidate is enrolled as a graduate student in a college of veterinary medicine and has completed at least twenty semester (thirty quarter) hours of graduate credit or has successfully passed preliminary examinations.
    • The candidate has been engaged in an intern or residency program for at least two years or has become board certified in his/her specialty.
    • The candidate has completed two years or more on the faculty of an institution or scientific staff of a scientific institution within commuting distance of the nearest chapter of Phi Zeta and has been involved in veterinary research or service.
  • Those eligible for election as Honorary Members are:
    • Distinguished veterinarians in possession of their veterinary medical degrees for at least five years and who have rendered notable service to their profession
    • Persons not in possession of the veterinary medical degree, who have rendered distinguished service in the advancement of the science relating to the animal industry and particularly of animal diseases.
    • Only in exceptional instances shall more than two honorary members be elected by any one chapter in any one academic year.

Membership Dues

PAY TAU CHAPTER DUES ONLINE using https://commerce.cashnet.com/LSUVETMED