Department of World Languages and Cultures professor named executive director of national French honor society, Pi Delta Phi

In early August, French Professor Olga Amarie, Ph.D., in Georgia Southern University’s Department of World Languages and Cultures, was named the newest executive director of the board of Pi Delta Phi, the oldest national academic honor society for a world language within the United States.

The organization also provides opportunities for students to connect with leading scholars in French studies and assists students in applying for study abroad scholarships. However, Amarie’s involvement extends beyond her current title.

“I joined Pi Delta Phi as a graduate student at the University of Notre Dame, chapter Mu Phi. It is not common for European universities to have honor societies for each specific field. It was completely new and interesting for me as an international student,” she said.

In 2012, Amarie took her commitment to the organization and the students it serves a step further.

“Dr. David Seaman, emeritus, advised me to visit the Pi Delta Phi board at the Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association Conference because they had an open session, which I did,” Amarie said. “Soon after, I volunteered to serve as vice president for the society and opened nine chapters of Pi Delta Phi,” Amarie said.

Although this is her first time with the Executive Director title, this veteran educator has spent more than three decades devoting her career to supporting future generations of French scholars.

“The responsibilities are new but something I like to do: maintain all sorts of records for the society; represent the society at the annual meeting of the Association of College Honor Societies; work with chapter moderators on Pi Delta Phi materials; and work with scholarship recipients who will study abroad in Chicoutimi, Canada, and in Paris, Aix-en-Provence, France, etc.,” Amarie said.

As technology continues to rapidly evolve, Amarie stresses the importance of world culture and language as an integral part of human connection, scholarship and meaningful advancement.

“Many employers value multilingual employees. I personally speak four languages: Romanian, French, English and Russian. Foreign language skills are useful in many fields, including education, business, health care, government, tourism, international relations and technology. Being bilingual or multilingual can make job candidates more competitive,” she said.

Looking ahead while honoring history, Amarie anticipates future generations of eager undergraduate and graduate students as they explore academic and career opportunities, connecting scholars from across the globe and unifying learners through their shared admiration and commitment to French language and Francophone literatures.

“The motto of Pi Delta Phi is very inspirational: «Avançons, amis fidèles de la culture française», which means, ‘Let us move forward, faithful friends of French culture,’” she said. “I like this motto because it emphasizes both growth (avançons) and commitment (fidèles) to French studies. We work together toward shared language, cultural traditions and values.”