WKU News

Dr. Kirk Atkinson, associate professor of information systems and faculty adviser for the Delta Sigma Pi Professional Business Fraternity, was named National Chapter Advisor of the Year during the organization’s 51^st  Grand Chapter Congress in New Orleans on August 18.

The Advisor of the Year Award is presented annually to one collegiate advisor who has excelled in service to the chapter and the Fraternity as a whole. Advisors are evaluated based on their professional accomplishments and contributions to chapter recruiting, service, scholarship, academics, and campus relations.

“It is truly an honor and I am humbled,” said Atkinson. “The advisor’s role is essentially a teaching moment. I’m not here to tell you how wrong you are. I simply ask, ‘How could we handle this differently next time?’”

Atkinson said he considers himself a surrogate parent, providing advice and guidance on not just fraternity matters, but life matters.

“They sometimes need someone to bounce ideas off,” Atkinson said. “Sometimes just talking things out helps them make a decision.”

“Delta Sigma Pi has a long tradition in the Gordon Ford College of Business,” said Dean of the Gordon Ford College Jeff Katz. “We are proud that Dr. Atkinson was recognized for his dedication to the success of this important student chapter.”

Delta Sigma Pi is the nation’s leading co-ed professional business fraternity, with a commitment to equipping its members to impact their personal and professional lives. It was founded in 1907 and now has more than 350 collegiate and alumni chapters across the country. The Zeta Theta Chapter at WKU was founded in 1964.