Omicron Kappa Upsilon () is a national honorary

society A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Soci ...

serving the field of dentistry.

History

The Society originated with the 1914 graduating class of the dental school at

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

in Chicago. The idea for the fraternity came from the Dean of the

Northwestern University Dental School The Northwestern University Dental School closed in 2001, 110 years after opening in 1891. Its first dean was Edgar Swain. According to the trustees, the mentioned financial stresses and reputation as reasons for the closure of the program. Histo ...

, Dr. Green Vardiman Black, "G.V. Black", who soon invited the deans of 51 other dental school extant at the time to organize chapters of their own, forming a network of locals. The Society was incorporated on by the State of Illinois. It quickly expanded, with its ''Alpha'' through ''Kappa'' chapters considered to be "founding chapters." Omicron Kappa Upsilon's first Canadian chapter was ''Tau Tau'', at the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 ...

, followed by chapters at the

University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba.University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks among the top thre ...

, and the

University of Western Ontario The University of Western Ontario (UWO), also known as Western University or Western, is a public research university in London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by residential neighbourhoods and the Thames R ...

. Of these, only the Toronto unit remains active. The Society has expanded to serve most US and Canadian dental schools, with few exceptions. Several dental schools have shuttered over the years, resulting in the cessation of active chapters on those campuses. The Society's ''Alpha chapter'' at Northwestern closed in 2001 when that school's dental program ceased. The Society has 63 active chapters as of 2022.

Membership

Membership is conferred in a two-step process, first by the student's attainment within the top 20% of a school's graduating class, then by a faculty vote based on qualities including character, service, research, etc. Thus only the top 12% of students are selected. The Society also offers faculty and honorary membership categories.

Symbols and traditions

Lilac is the traditional symbol of Dentistry. It features prominently on graduation stoles for students and faculty within the field, and is used as the primary color for materials and publications. The official colors of the society are Navy blue and gold, using Lilac trim. The official key of the society is a monogram of the letters of the name of the society, , and , superimposed on a larger, stylized Sigma () which represents the word ''Conservation'', in Greek.

Chapters

Chapters of Omicron Kappa Upsilon include the following. Active chapters noted in bold, inactive chapters noted in ''italics''.OKU national chapter list
accessed 19 May 2022.

History

Membership

Symbols and traditions

Chapters

References

See also