Each year since 1985, Kappa Gamma Pi has awarded one or more Cornaro Scholarships for Graduate Studies. Because eligibility is limited to Kappa Gamma Pi members, all of whom are honors graduates, the quality of the recipients is exceptional. The Cornaro Scholarship is competitive and is based on a number of criteria, specifically how the recipient’s life reflects the Kappa Gamma Pi motto of Faith and Service. Recipients of the Cornaro Scholarship encompass the values of volunteer work, leadership experience, high academic standards and solid career aspirations. The scholarship program is supported by donations made by Kappa members and friends.
The Cornaro Scholarship derives its name from Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia, the first woman in the world to receive a university degree of any kind. Elena Cornaro, a member of a noble Venetian family, received the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in 1678 from the University of Padua, Italy. It was an accomplishment unparalleled for the time
