New 2013 OKU alumni members, from left, Nicole Russo, Erica Simon, Kristen Knecht, Justin Stanford, Christy Lottinger, Nickolas Maskas, Katie Evans, and Luong Khanh

Photos from 2013 OKU-Kells Banquet

Omicron Kappa Upsilon is a national dental honor society founded for the purpose of encouraging scholarship and advancing the ethical standards of the dental profession. Members, elected from the top 20 percent of the graduating class, show potential for professional growth and serve as examples among their peers.

The Supreme Chapter of OKU was founded in 1914 at Northwestern University School of Dentistry. Click here to read the history of OKU.

The LSUSD chapter, created in 1971, is the Theta Kappa chapter.  There are four categories of members:

Alumni Members: 
Senior students. A list containing the names of at least the upper 20% of the senior class who rank highest in scholarship for the entire period that they have been in attendance at this dental school shall be submitted by or secured from the Dean. From any on this list, a number constituting not more than 12% of the entire senior class, who, in addition to scholarship have demonstrated exemplary traits of character and potential qualities of future professional growth and attainments, may be elected to alumni membership by the active members of this component chapter.
Faculty:
Dentists on the dental school faculty who have been elected to membership after service as a full-time teacher for three years or a part-time teacher for six years.
Honorary:
Any member of the dental profession who has made outstanding contribution to the art, science, or literature of dentistry, and others not members of dental profession who have made similar contribution to the advancement of dentistry.
Life:
Active members for 30 years and having reached the age of 60. Life Members retain all privileges of Active Members while remaining a member of the dental school faculty, and are exempt from dues.

Theta Kappa Officers, 2013:
Dr. Laurie Moeller, president
Dr. Richard Ballard, president-elect
Dr. Toula Palaiologou, vice-president
Dr. J Hochstedler, secretary-treasurer (2011-2013)
Dr. John Ritchie, past-president

New Members, 2013:
Faculty: Dr. Phillip Carruth
Honorary Member: Caroline Mason
Alumni: Katie Evans, Luong Khanh, Kristen Knecht, Christy Lottinger, Nicholas Maskas, Nicole Russo,
Erica Simon, Justin Stanford
Life Member:  none

Scholarship Winners:
Kramer Award (created by the Supreme Chapter in 1986)
2000: Tanya al-Talib
2001: Melanie Fowler
2002: Noelle Paige Manuel
2003: Jill Zerangue
2004: Robert Vance Costello
2005: Laura Leigh Flattmann
2006: Lauren van Bebber
2007: Elizabeth Russell
2008: Lindsey Brown
2009: Benjamin Foster
2010: Ruby Nhan
2011: Alexis Nacchio
2012: Katie Evans
2013: Matthew Davis

Randolph Malloy/OKU Scholarship for Academic Excellence:
2008:  Lindsey Brown, Jamie Toso
2009:  David Barton, Son Nguyen
2010/11:  Ruby Nhan, Joshua Parker
2011/12: Mohammed Ismail, Nicole Thieler
2012/13: Katie Evans

Robert Brannon/OKU Scholarship for Academic Excellence:
2012/13: Nickolas Maskas

Past Presidents of Theta Kappa Chapter