Phi Zeta is the only honors society of veterinary medicine

Veterinary medicine

Veterinary Medicine is the branch of science that deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, disorder and injury in non-human animals...

 in the United States.

History

Phi Zeta was established at Cornell University

Cornell University

Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...

 in 1925 with the assistance of Dr. Veranus Alva Moore

Veranus Alva Moore

Veranus Alva Moore was a U.S. bacteriologist and pathologist.He was born in Hounsfield, New York. A Cornell University graduate and faculty member, Moore served as second dean of the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine from 1908 to 1929....

 

Name and Symbols of the Society

Greek Scholar, Dr. George P. Bristol of Cornell University, suggested that the organization use the Greek word, spelled in its Latin form: PHILOZOI; meaning “love for animals”.

The emblem was designed by the great artist and naturalist Louis Agassiz Fuertes

Louis Agassiz Fuertes

Louis Agassiz Fuertes was an American ornithologist, illustrator and artist.-Biography:Fuertes was the son of Estevan and Mary Stone Perry Fuertes....

Purpose

The purpose of Phi Zeta is to promote, acknowledge, and reward scholarship in the profession of veterinary medicine.

Membership

Third-year students ranking in the top 10% of the class and fourth-year students ranking in the top 25% of the class are invited to become members.

Honorary membership may also be bestowed upon interns, residents, faculty, and non-veterinary field related persons who have made significant contributions to veterinary medicine.

Chapter

Every veterinary school in the United States now has a chapter.

• Alpha, Cornell University, 1925
• Beta, University of Pennsylvania, 1929
• Gamma, Iowa State University, 1931
• Delta, The Ohio State University, 1934
• Epsilon, Auburn University, 1948
• Zeta, Michigan State University, 1950
• Eta, Texas A&M University, 1950
• Theta, Colorado State University, 1950
• Iota, Washington State University, 1952
• Kappa, University of Minnesota, 1952
• Lambda, University of California, 1953
• Mu, University of Illinois, 1953
• Nu, Oklahoma State University, 1958
• Xi, University of Georgia, 1959
• Omicron, Purdue University, 1962
• Pi, University of Missouri, 1965
• Rho, Tuskegee University, 1967
• Sigma, Kansas State University, 1969
• Tau, Louisiana State University, 1977
• Upsilon, University of Florida, 1979
• Phi, University of Tennessee, 1979
• Chi, Virginia-Maryland Regional CVM, 1984
• Psi, North Carolina State University, 1984
• Alpha Alpha, University of Wisconsin, 1987
• Alpha Gamma, Oregon State University, 1987
• Omega, Mississippi State University, 1988
• Alpha Beta, Tufts University, 1991
• Alpha Delta, St. George University, 2006
• Alpha Epsilon, Western University of Health Sciences, 2006