LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas Alpha chapter of Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society recently initiated 153 new members in a joint ceremony for 2020 and 2021.
David Slusky, president of KU’s Phi Beta Kappa chapter and associate professor of economics, presided at the virtual ceremony in May. The national secretary and CEO of Phi Beta Kappa, Frederick Lawrence, was a guest speaker. Jennifer Harrison, vice president of the chapter and director of the Business Leadership Program and the Jack Dicus Business Honors Program; Dietrich Earnhart, professor of economics and chapter historian, and Anne Wallen, secretary-treasurer and director of the Office of Fellowships, welcomed and congratulated the new initiates. Students received certificates and signed the register by appointment to allow for social distancing.
Sarah Crawford-Parker, director of the University Honors Program, was inducted as an honorary member of the chapter and gave an address on the value of the liberal arts and sciences.
Sam Steuart, a 2020 graduate and 2019 inductee, and Laura Phillips, a 2021 graduate and 2020 inductee, gave the student responses on the Phi Beta Kappa value of friendship.
Election to Phi Beta Kappa recognizes a student’s high academic achievement while pursuing a broad and substantive liberal arts curriculum. To be eligible for consideration for membership, students must be graduating seniors with a minimum grade-point average of 3.65 on a 4.0 scale, or be juniors with a minimum 3.9. Anonymous transcripts of candidates are reviewed holistically by a committee of Phi Beta Kappa faculty and staff members. For 2020, 47 seniors and 20 juniors were initiated. For 2021, 58 seniors and 28 juniors were initiated.
Elected members from Kansas are listed below. There may be multiple initiates from your coverage area. A complete list of new members is available online.
Seniors 2021
Karla Arana Vasquez, Pittsburg
Ilexa Axelrod, Overland Park
Taelyr Blehm, Russell
Jessica Blom, Lenexa
Rebecca Brodine, Overland Park
Abigail Byrd, Olathe
Nyla Chaudhry, Lawrence
Emily Curl, Ulysses
Uma Desai, Overland Park
Ashley Devore, Ulysses
Emily Doffing, Wichita
Arianna Fallahian, Overland Park
Zach Fesen, Hutchinson
Gabriela Guerrero, Lawrence
Grace Hermes, Bucyrus
Cheyenne Hillman, Wichita
Faith Hofaker, Logan
Noah Johnson, Humboldt
Catherine Johnston, Overland Park
Daegan Kingery, Overland Park
Hayley Koontz, Benton
Ye Joo Lee, Halstead
Sarra Ann Mahoney, Meriden
Laura Malagon-Palacios, Garden City
Natalie Martens, Shawnee
Naomi Mendoza, Olathe
Jen Meysing, Canton
Sarah Milgrim, Prairie Village
Mary Mylar, Salina
Kara Neely, Olathe
Amu Nuney, Overland Park
Abbie Pfannes, Louisburg
Katherine Price, Lawrence
Shimon Rosenblum, Lawrence
Hunter Schneider, Pittsburg
Sierra Sparbanie, Manhattan
Wil Ullmann, Wichita
Jaden Wilcoxson, Clay Center
Annabelle Wilder, Overland Park
Juniors 2021
Diego Acosta, Kansas City
Halle Arnold, Leawood
Emily Binkley, Overland Park
Neelie Browne, Olathe
Christina Carrington, Topeka
Ava Cormaney, Lawrence
Marilyn Curtis, Olathe
Emma Fornelli, Emporia
Savannah Glaves, Easton
Rachel Hall, Lenexa
Michaela Harding, Olathe
Natalie Lamb, Lenexa
Hannah Nuest, Hutchinson
Fernanda Reyes, Wichita
Evan Schrader, Overland Park
Leah Stein, Dodge City
Erin Sturd, Overland Park
Chloe VanBecelaere, Pittsburg
Seniors 2020
Azeez Baig, Leawood
Saif Bajwa, Overland Park
Elsa Bernauer, Leawood
Nolan Brey, Fairview
Tyler Cargill, Wichita
Grace Claman, Salina
Haley Cooper, Wichita
Alix Fisk, Topeka
Olivia Hansen, McPherson
Odalis Hernandez, Emporia
Maria Teresa Herrera, Overland Park
Katherine Hughes, McPherson
Henry Kircher, Prairie Village
Rylie Koester, Hoisington
Mackenzie Lawrence, Overland Park
Ally Lowden, Wichita
Audrey Meacham, Shawnee
Kate O'Keefe, Prairie Village
Paola Ramírez Peña, Wichita
Maranda Scheller, Emporia
Mikayla Schmitz, Olathe
Katherine Schroeder, Larned
Gwendolyn Sibley, Garnett
Emily Simmons, Spring Hill
Shelby Stauch, Lawrence
Christa Stenzel, Shawnee
Chelsea Stitt, Ottawa
Jennifer Straub, Bucyrus
Catalina Wedman, Harper
Emily Weiss, Baldwin City
Max Woodbury, Topeka
Juniors 2020
Raegan Billinger, Hays
Saron Demeke, Shawnee
Amelia Dunlap, Lawrence
Ross Fitzpatrick, Overland Park
Alissa Gilmer, Lenexa
Arman Hadjian, Overland Park
Andrew Hartnett, Fairway
Aroog Khaliq, Overland Park
Sarah Knisely, Overland Park
Liam Magathan, Meriden
Eleanor Matheis, Lawrence
Laura Phillips, Perry
Elaine Pope, Overland Park
Molly Reed, Lawrence
Ryan Sieben, Overland Park