About
TAK is an honors society for undergraduate and graduate students in Religious Studies. There are a number of benefits of belonging to a professional organization like TAK:
- Sharing professional information and collegiality
- Eligibility for academic prizes and awards
- Possibility of publication in student academic journal
- Pins and other regalia items
History
In 1976, Professor Albert Clark, F.S.C., established Theta Alpha Kappa at Manhattan College in Riverdale (the Bronx), New York for the purpose of recognizing the academic achievements of religion and theology students. Since then, Theta Alpha Kappa has grown to more than two hundred chapters nationally in four-year educational institutions ranging from small religiously affiliated colleges to large public research institutions. It is the only national honor society dedicated to recognizing academic excellence in baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate students and in scholars in the fields of Religious Studies and Theology.
Official Membership
We are proud of our membership in the Alpha Gamma Pi local chapter of TAK. Our current practice is to induct undergraduate and graduate students into TAK when they:
- Have completed at least 15 credits in Religious Studies courses
- Have maintained at least a 3.5 GPA average in Religious Studies courses
- Have maintained at least a 3.0 overall GPA
- Have fully matriculated as MA students (applies only to graduate students)
- Have declared a major in Religious Studies (applies only to undergraduate students)
- The Department of Religious Studies pays for membership dues and certificates: $25 for Member Certificate at https://thetaalphakappa.org/
Unofficial Membership
Theta Alpha Kappa also functions as a Registered Student Organization at FIU. The chapter organizes many events throughout the academic year, including monthly coffee hours and lectures on topics related to the study of religion.
As such it is open to all FIU students regardless of their specialization.
To get involved with Theta Alpha Kappa, contact its faculty advisor Dr. Carlos Grenier (cagrenie@fiu.edu).
- TAK's events and activities on campus.
- You do not have to be an official member to participate in Theta Alpha Kappa at the university level.
Journal
One of the outstanding benefits of TAK membership is the opportunity to submit articles for publication in the society's Journal of Theta Alpha Kappa. This is a refereed, scholarly journal, with two issues appearing each year. The journal exists primarily to honor and disseminate student academic work in religious studies or theology. This is an excellent initial publication venue for grad students. Publication in the journal provides terrific training for the process of proposing and preparing an article without expecting students to compete against experienced academics for acceptance—articles are selected competitively, but on a "level playing field" with other students.
The journal editor (see below) receives submissions for possible publication on an ongoing basis. Subscriptions to this journal are automatic to "active" (dues-paying) members, and to special lifetime members who have served on the national Board of Directors.
Inquiries about the journal should be directed to the editor.
Dr. Dexter E. Callender (JTAK till June 2027)
Department of Religious Studies
University of Miami
To contact them directly for questions: https://thetaalphakappa.org/contact/
Awards
TAK offers two national awards.
The ALBERT CLARK AWARDS are given for the best papers in religious studies or theology. The award consists of $200 each for the best undergraduate and best graduate papers. Winning essays are published in JTAK.
The Kathleen Connolly-Weinert Leader-of-the-Year Award is given annually to one of Theta Alpha Kappa's outstanding faculty advisors/chapter oderators. Nominations are received from individual members or chapters, and the winner is selected by the Board of Directors.
The National Dean's List is a national educational organization providing scholarships to worthy students and publishing an annual "who's who" volume listing students from a number of national honor societies (including Theta Alpha Kappa) who have been honored with induction. Theta Alpha Kappa participates in this program in two ways: 1. It annually nominates all inducted students to be listed in the National Dean's List (NDL), and to be eligible for scholarship monies; and 2) it receives a special $100 grant annually from the NDL to use as it sees fit in honoring some particular student. In the latter case, Theta Alpha Kappa asks that its Kathleen Connolly-Weinert Leader- of-the-Year award winner select the student to receive this grant, and Theta Alpha Kappa grants that student the award.
Officers
Inducted Members
- 2011-2012
Undergraduate:
- Anna Ladowski
- Kimberly Tucker
- Elvis Perez
- Meltem Erdogan
- Patrick Rabulan
- Lyzbeth Armenteros
- Diana Trujillo
- Jesse Botella
- Luis Alvarado
- Christopher Crowley
- Crystal Ferro
- Mark Sweeney
- Ami Emanuel
- Steven Ocampo
- Carolyn Lamour
- Jovanni Hernandez
- Maria Muriel
- Samantha Webb
- Catherine Fernandez
Graduate:
- Elena Amato
- Jose Andion
- Ivanessa Arostegui
- John Shearer
- Daniel Gonzalez
- Michael Bender
- Curtis Lanoue
- Flora Vena
- 2009
- Lyzbeth Armenteros
- Daniel Brizan
- Nilam Gajwani
- Jonathan Koscheski
- Comfort Max-Wirth
- Jeremy Paulovkin
- Patrick Rabulan
- Karina Ryan
- Valeria Schindler
- Molly Thiemann
- Isabel Toledo
- 2008
- Lillie Adkins-Falco
- Jackie Biver
- Andrew Cohen
- Upananda Dedunupitiye
- Leonard Goenaga
- Dolores Heredia-Wood
- Jennifer Mitchell
- Genevieve Nrenzah
- Maria Ordonez
- Elizabeth Perez
- Sai Paulovkin
- Antonella Regueiro
- Sandra Rios
- Gudny Rossen
- Anna Scharnagl
- 2007
- Alexander Albert
- Willis Ekowati
- Moises Frastai
- Sarah Glynn
- Anthony Gonzalez
- Sita Hidayah
- Jennifer Houston
- Peter Levenda
- Juan Sanchez
- Michael Zolondek
- Ursula Ziegler
