MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University alumnus and Honors Buchanan Fellow Ethan Estes has been awarded an $8,500 fellowship by The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi — the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Estes is one of 40 recipients nationwide to receive a Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship.
Estes received a bachelor’s degree in history from MTSU in 2025. As a Phi Kappa Phi Agatha Huepenbecker Burnet Fellow, Estes will pursue a master’s degree in history at Rutgers-Camden University.
“Ethan’s fellowship reflects the exceptional scholarship, dedication, and excellence that Phi Kappa Phi seeks to recognize,” said Philip Phillips, president of Phi Kappa Phi at the national level, immediate past president of the MTSU chapter, and MTSU Honors College associate dean. “We are proud of his accomplishments and excited to see the difference he will make in the world as he continues his academic journey.”
Since its creation in 1932, the Fellowship Program has become one of the society’s most visible and financially well-supported endeavors. This year’s program awarded two awards at $35,000 each, the 1897 Fellowship and the Sherrill Carlson Fellowship; six $15,000 Marcus L. Urann Fellowships, named for the society’s founder; and 40 fellowships of $8,500 each.
“Ethan joins a distinguished group of MTSU students who have earned Phi Kappa Phi Fellowships through their commitment to academic excellence and service,” said Dianna Rust, current president of the MTSU chapter. “His success is a testament to his hard work and the strong tradition of student achievement that continues to flourish at MTSU. We are proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition.”
The last fellowship recipient was Rachel Booher in 2024, when the English alumna was awarded the Marcus L. Urann Fellowship. Estes is now MTSU’s 21st fellowship recipient since 1999.
The selection process for a fellowship is based on the applicant’s evidence of graduate potential, undergraduate academic achievement, service and leadership experience, letters of recommendation, personal statement of educational perspective and career goals, and acceptance in an approved graduate or professional program.
Phi Kappa Phi Fellowships are part of the honor society’s robust portfolio of award and grant programs, which gives more than $1 million each year to outstanding members and students on chapter campuses through study abroad grants, graduate fellowships, funding for post-baccalaureate development, member and chapter awards, and grants for local, national, and international literacy initiatives.
About the fellowship
Established in 2015, this fellowship honors the memory of Agatha Huepenbecker Burnet, a dedicated chapter officer who served the honor society in leadership roles at the national, regional, and chapter levels. Burnet taught textiles and clothing at Iowa State University from 1956 until her retirement in 1993. The fellowship is awarded to a top-ranking nominee in any discipline.
About Phi Kappa Phi
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 approximately 20,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni annually and has chapters on more than 300 select colleges and universities in the United States and its territories. Membership is by invitation only to the top 10% of seniors and graduate students and 7.5% of juniors. Faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction also qualify. The society’s mission is to “cultivate a community that celebrates and advances the love of learning.” For more information, visit PhiKappaPhi.org.
— Robin E. Lee ([email protected])
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