Ron Wirtz
UNK Phi Kappa Phi adviser, wirtzrl@unk.edu or 308.865.8592
University of Nebraska at Kearney graduate Martin Demoret has received a $5,000 Fellowship from Phi Kappa Phi, a national honor society.
Demoret, son of Steve and Sara Demoret of Scottsbluff, graduated from UNK in 2007 with a bachelor of science in psychology and a minor in political science. He is beginning his law degree studies at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln this fall. He was also accepted into Harvard University and Duke University.
“My wife and I want really want to live in Nebraska,” Demoret said. “We visited the other schools, and honestly Nebraska was my favorite.”
Demoret is one of only 60 recipients of the Phi Kappa Phi Fellowships nationwide this year. The selection process for the Phi Kappa Phi Fellowships is based on the applicants’ undergraduate academic performance, leadership and service on the campus and in the community, evidence of graduate potential, personal statement of educational perspective, purpose and objectives, and the evaluation reports from three individuals who are in a position to attest to the student’s performance, citizenship and character.
As an undergraduate at UNK, Demoret received numerous scholarships, including Nebraska Regents Scholar, Ed and Betty Cook Honors Scholar, Honors Room Scholarship, George Norris Scholarship and the B.M. Stevenson Family Scholarship. He also received a UNK Student Summer Research Grant. His honor society memberships include: Phi Kappa Phi, Psi Chi and Sigma Xi, the scientific research society.
In addition to receiving numerous prestigious scholarships, he earned multiple faculty-selected awards and honors, including outstanding student in psychology, an award for outstanding service to the Department of Psychology, psychology department student fellow, outstanding student in political science and UNK Sigma Xi outstanding student research project. He was also selected by UNK faculty to assist in teaching a class, Introduction to Political Thought and the Honors Program Special Topics Course: Science and Skepticism. Demoret has published three papers, two of which were published in the Journal of Psychological Inquiry.
He is well-known at UNK for founding the Campus Kitchen local chapter, a student-led service organization that provides approximately 400 free meals per week to low income members of the community. He served as the program director from November of 2005 until he graduated in May of 2007. His work as director involved recruiting and training student leaders and volunteers, working with the campus cafeteria and local food vendors to obtain free or low cost food sources, working with local social service agencies to identify and contact potential meal recipients, and directing grant writing, marketing and fund-raising efforts. Campus Kitchen has provided more than 40,000 free meals since 2006.
His efforts extended well beyond the campus. He also conducted an art supplies drive for the St. Pius X Parochial School in Chicago. The drive helped develop an after-school art program at the school for children from low-income families. He also directed a high school youth group of 50 students at Cornerstone Berean Church in Kearney.
After graduating from UNK, Demoret was employed as a recovery specialist at Richard Young Psychiatric Hospital, and was also responsible for facilitating recreational and educational programming.
