Wilkes University’s Delta Omicron chapter of Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity was named a top performing chapter for the 2016-2017 school year at the fraternity’s 58 Grand Council Convention in Naples, Florida, which took place from Aug. 1 to 5.

Delta Omicron was one of 36 chapters who received the award out of 110 chapters. Awards are based on a point system factoring in things like community service, involvement, grades, philanthropy and more. The Wilkes Chapter earned 93% of the possible points.

According to Dr. Vicky Shah, an assistant professor of pharmacy as well as the adviser and grand council deputy of the chapter, it is unusual that a small school like Wilkes gets such a high rank.

“Chapters can get the top ten awards … those are mostly the bigger Universities. For us being such a small school and getting a top performance award, it’s very rare,” he explained. “We got 93%, and to be nominated for a top performance award you need anything above 85%, so we were up there,” he added.

Shah also said that the chapter ranked 11th or 12th in the entire fraternity. “We were right there for the top ten,” he said.

Katy Campf, corresponding secretary of the chapter and P3 student, said that chapters enter with a “Chapter of the Year” form.

“Everyone is eligible to submit, but you have to be up to date on dues and you have to be in good standing with the organization,” she explained, adding that not every chapter submits.

Shah estimated that around 75% of all chapters submitted, saying that around 85 or 90 submitted in total.

Students from the chapter who attended the biannual conference were Antonia Gobo, Leslie Shumlas, Campf, Bethany Chmil, Kelly Sones and Nicole Jankowski. Shah was also in attendance.

“We’re an international fraternity because we have chapters in the Bahamas and Canada, so it’s a chance for us to get all together in one spot, and basically we do everything relating to Kappa Psi,” Campf explained. “It’s really cool, and a great opportunity to network. Over 650 brothers were there, which is huge.”

Shah added that the chapter was selected for one of three presentations at the conference.

“I presented along with Katy and Beth. They had an opportunity to present at a national level,” Shah said.

While it may be confusing to hear women of the chapter referred to as brothers, it is common in fraternities, the group said. Delta Omicron is composed of a large proportion of women, but that is not reflected across the board.

“There are still male only chapters,” Campf said.

“That’s changing little by little. Over the last year, three of the male only chapters started incorporating women there as well, even if it’s just one or two,” Shah said, explaining that the pharmacy school at Wilkes has a higher ratio of women to men, so that is reflected in the fraternity chapter.