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Haig Norian '08 EE, Wins 2008 Phi Kappa Phi Graduate Fellowship

Haig Norian, a senior Electrical Engineering student, was one of 60 students across the country to win the top award from The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. Every year, Phi Kappa Phi awards sixty Fellowships of $5,000 each to members entering the first year of graduate or professional study. Each Phi Kappa Phi chapter may select one candidate from among its local applicants to compete for the Society-wide awards.

Mr. Norian was also honored this year with an Honorable Mention for the 2008 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, and in 2007 he received a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, another major national award.

In the fall, he will start his studies at Columbia University as a doctoral research assistant in electrical engineering, specializing in mixed signal integrated circuit design as well as organic thin film fabrication in order to develop next generation sensors. He has published on research into "Energy Harvesting with Polyvinylidene Difluoiride Piezoelectric Film, "and he has participated with Dr. Pritpal Singh in his research on superlattice solar cells (please see the article, "Green Building Alliance Funds Research on High Efficiency, Low Cost Solar Cells"). During his time at Villanova, in addition to his many academic accomplishments, Mr. Norian has served as the president of Villanova's Armenian Students Association, organized the first ever Villanova International Dance Festival, and serves as a tutor in the Mathematics Learning and Resource Center.

Phi Kappa Phi Website states that it is the nation's oldest, largest, and most selective all-discipline honor society. The Society's mission is "To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others."