Volunteer Awards
Durward W. Owen Interfraternity Award for Greek Service
This award, named in honor of Durward W. Owen, Xi (Roanoke), who served as executive director from 1959 until 1994, is presented annually to a non-member of Pi Kappa Phi for exceptionally meritorious service in the Greek community. For his immeasurable impact, Owen was later named Pi Kappa Phi’s honorary fourth founder by the Supreme Chapter. Established in 1992, each year this award recognizes a non-member of Pi Kappa Phi for exceptionally meritorious service in the Greek community.
2026 Recipient
Kim Novak
Kim Novak is the 2026 recipient of the Durward W. Owen Interfraternity Award for Greek Service. A longtime friend of Pi Kappa Phi, Novak is a nationally respected leader in campus safety, student risk management, student organization conduct and hazing prevention. She is the founder and CEO of NovakTalks, an independent consulting practice focused on helping students, campuses and organizations build safer, healthier communities, and she also serves as Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity’s health and safety officer. Before founding NovakTalks, Novak held student affairs leadership roles at Arizona State University and Texas A&M University, where her work focused on risk management, student conduct, crisis response, advocacy services and organizational development. Her work in hazing prevention led to the development of the Novak Institute for Hazing Prevention, a successful program that later became the Interdisciplinary Institute for Hazing Prevention. Her exceptional contributions to the interfraternal community have earned her recognition from several fraternal organizations, including Alpha Omicron Pi Fraternity, Kappa Alpha Order and Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity.
Novak’s connection to Pi Kappa Phi is both professional and personal. She was a close friend of Durward W. Owen, Xi (Roanoke), and helped him participate in his final Supreme Chapter in 2022 despite significant health challenges. Through her care, Novak helped ensure that one of Pi Kappa Phi’s most beloved leaders and brothers remained connected to the brotherhood at an event that meant so much to him.
