Visitors from 13 countries joined Phi Beta Delta at a reception to honor the International scholars who attended Sacramento State on Friday, Oct. 27.

Chapter members came from nations like Thailand, Iran, Canada and Mexico.

In an e-mail interview, Yvonne Captain, the executive director of Phi Beta Delta, said the organization is an honor society that recognizes the scholarly achievements and high level of global activity of people in the international organization.

“Since Phi Beta Delta’s founding in 1986, our purpose has expanded to achieve the complete internationalization of the university,” she said in an e-mail.

Phi Beta Delta has continued to grow around the world and has become an organization that works around the world, Captain added.

“There are over one hundred and sixty (chapters) on college campuses and most of them are quite active,” Captain said in an e-mail. “We currently have four chapters in Europe, four in Mexico and we are looking to expand our membership with more chapters in those regions, as well as chapters throughout Asia and Africa.”

Monica Freeman, the coordinator of International Programs in the Global Education department at Sac State, said in an e-mail, that International scholars are people who come from all over the world and want to do their research at Sac State.

“An individual international research scholar is affiliated with a specific department on campus that relates to the scholar’s field of interest and expertise,” Freeman said in an e-mail.

Freeman also said the scholars work with members of the faculty in their specific field and they use the school’s resources to conduct their research.

“Many are faculty members from universities in other countries, but we also have scholars who are government officials and even artists,” Freeman said in an e-mail. “For example, right now, one of our research scholars is a well-known photographer from Korea.”

A lot of the scholars end up working on projects with faculty and even co-publishing books and articles, Freeman said in an e-mail.

“I am a mentor for students from Taiwan, and I am going to be the first student from Sac State to go and study there,” said Tony Lam, an International Business major.

He also said the International Research Scholar event is a good way to meet scholars from around the world and to connect with people from other cultures.

Former Sac State President Don Gerth was also at the event and Freeman said he has always been involved with the International Research Scholars program.

“He has always been very involved in all things foreign and he was actively involved in the group even when he was the president,” Freeman said.

Catherine Turrill, the chair of the art department and a member of Phi Beta Delta, was one of the people who welcomed all of the different scholars from around the world.

“You all come from places in the world that I want to visit, and I want to welcome all of you,” Turrill said.