Honor Society Phi Beta Kappa Inducts 87 Students

The Society of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest academic honor society, welcomed 87 members to the Gamma of Connecticut Chapter May 21.

Election to the society is based on fulfillment of eligibility requirements, including a grade point average of 90 or above and the satisfactory completion of general education requirements prior to commencement. Phi Beta Kappa was founded in 1776, during the American Revolution. The organization’s Greek initials signify the motto, “Love of learning is the guide of life.”

The students join the ninth oldest Phi Beta Kappa chapter in the United States—founded in 1845.

During the ceremony, Wesleyan president Michael Roth made welcoming remarks and Alberto Ibargüen ’66, HON ’11 CEO of The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, delivered the keynote address. Chapter President Gary Yohe, the Huffington Foundation Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies, initiated the members.

Sally Bachner, assistant professor of English, is the chapter’s vice president and Anna Shusterman, assistant professor of psychology, is the chapter treasurer.

Fifteen seniors from the Class of 2011 were elected to Phi Beta Kappa during the 2010 fall semester. These students and their majors are:

Arion Blas – economics

Wei Dai – physics, mathematics

Elizabeth Dalton – art and art history

Laura Geronimo – university major

Allison House – classical studies, music

Della Keyser – history

Daniel Kieval – biology

Julia Leonard – neuroscience and behavior

Joseph Rabison – psychology

Hannah Robinson – molecular biology and biochemistry

James Schultheis – philosophy

Joanna Seirup – psychology, religion

Emma Sherr-Ziarko – theater

Joel Specter – mathematics

Wan Yang – economics, physics

 

Seventy-two seniors from the Class of 2011 were elected during the 2011 spring semester. These students and their majors are:

Solomon Adler – history

Charles Alderman – English

Angela Allan – English

Alaina Aristide – Italian studies

Jae Aron – American studies

Camara Rich – biology, English

Ellen Bartolini – psychology

Alison Burstein – philosophy

Michael Yu-Pu Chou – mathematics

Nora Christiani – Latin American studies

 

Alison Cies – government

Hayley Corson-Rikert – earth and environmental sciences

Ian Coss – music

Katie DiBona – feminist, gender and sexuality studies, psychology

Christopher Doucette – molecular biology and biochemistry, science in society

John Durst – American studies, French studies

Lauren Feld – psychology

Rebecca Friendly – government

Brenna Galvin – film studies

Elizabeth Goldgar – classical Studies, French studies

 

Aaron Greenberg – biology, science in society

Ashley Greenham – English

Chalmers Hamill – anthropology

Laura Heath – archaeology

Devon Hopkins – psychology, dance

James Hounsell – economics

Emily Iversen – college of social studies

Nicholas Jackson – physics

Zoe Jick – religion

Marshall Johnson – astronomy, physics

 

Jonathan Katz – College of Letters, Iberian studies

Matthew Katz – economics, government

Davis Knittle – African American studies, English

Emily Kossow – psychology, French studies

William Krieger – German Studies, art and art history

Yannick LeJacq – history

Emilia Levitas – American studies

Qianqian Lin – math, computer science

Daria Ruth Lombroso – art and art history, anthropology

Rosa McElheny – art and art history

 

Gabriel Medrash – sociology

David Mingolla – English, Italian studies

Jonas Mishara-Blomberger – math, physics

Kelly Morgan – music, French studies

Juliet Nebolon – sociology, American studies

Olivia Parkes – art and art history, art studio

Janine Petito – biology, science in society

Jessica Plager – neuroscience and behavior

Harrison Polans – government, history

Charles Puelz – mathematics, physics

 

David Puelz – mathematics, physics

Nathaniel Rook – mathematics, computer science

Sophia Sadinsky – French Studies, science in society

Leah Shesler – neuroscience and behavior, psychology

Katherine Scahill – music

Julian Sonnenfeld – biology, science in society

Yupawadee Srisukvattananan – math-economics

Alessandra Stachowski – Latin American studies

Catherine Goodrich Steidl – archaeology, German studies

Meredith Steinman – psychology

 

Shirin Sulaiman – College of Letters

Chelsea Swete – economics

Rachel Tecott – government

Nomi Teutsch – philosophy

David Thompson – government

Kelsey Townsend – African American Studies, government

Kelsey Tyssowski – molecular biology and biochemistry, neuroscience and behavior

Carlo Urmy – art and art history

Fanny Valentin – government, philosophy

Emily Weiss – music, psychology

 

Carl West – science in society, mathematics, physics

Robert Wohl – history, sociology