KU News Service
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 (67209)
- Arianna Fallahian, Overland Park
- Zach Fesen, Hutchinson
- Gabriela Guerrero, Lawrence
- Grace Hermes, Bucyrus
- Cheyenne Hillman, Wichita (67209)
- 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 (67230)
- 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 (67230)
- 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 (67220)
- Grace Claman, Salina
- Haley Cooper, Wichita (67205)
- 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 (67206)
- Audrey Meacham, Shawnee
- Kate O'Keefe, Prairie Village
- Paola Ramírez Peña, Wichita (67219)
- 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.