95 University of Kansas students initiated into Phi Beta Kappa

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas Alpha chapter of Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society has initiated 95 new members.

Dietrich Earnhart, president of KU’s Phi Beta Kappa chapter and professor of economics, presided at the May 18 ceremony. Initiates were individually recognized, presented with a certificate of membership and invited to sign their names in the chapter register — a tradition that dates to 1912.

Arash Mafi, executive dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, was inducted as an honorary member of Phi Beta Kappa and delivered remarks on the value of higher education. Emily Ward, graduating senior in political science and anthropology and a 2024 Phi Beta Kappa inductee, gave the student response.

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 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. No more than 10% of liberal arts and sciences graduates are invited to join.

Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest national academic honorary society, was founded Dec. 5, 1776, at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. KU’s Alpha chapter, founded in 1890, was the first chapter west of the Mississippi and is one of 290 Phi Beta Kappa chapters nationwide. The chapter’s vice president is Jonathan Lamb, professor of English. The secretary-treasurer is Harry Swartz, associate director for Admissions & Operations in the University Honors Program.  Sarah-Crawford-Parker, director of the University Honors Program and associate teaching professor of museum studies, serves as the chapter’s historian. 

Elected members:

• Brenlee Adamson, Tulsa, Oklahoma
• Retham Al-Suleimani, Muscat, Oman
• Kennedy Allen, Arcadia
• Haris Ashfaq, Overland Park
• Emma Atherton, Chanute
• Julie Bardelmeier, St. Louis
• Mikah Beaty, Lawrence
• Leishae Beerbower, Tulsa, Oklahoma
• Rubie Benke, Lawrence
• Carlina Bogdon, Trimble, Missouri
• Caitlin Brown, Olathe
• Kaley Bruning, Aurora, Colorado
• Danny Campbell, Eudora
• Camryn Caruthers, Foothill Ranch, California
• Nick Caterine, Overland Park
• Hannah Chern, Shawnee
• Julia Cummings, Wichita
• Meghan Dean, Lee’s Summit, Missouri
• Ally Denton, O’Fallon, Illinois
• Barbara Dezutter, Prairie Village
• Evanna Dominic, Overland Park
• Grace Epperly, Olathe
• Fatemeh Farassati, Leawood
• Connor Fenlon, Frankfort, Illinois
• Kendal Fenton, Lincoln, Nebraska
• Allison Fitzsimmons, Lincoln, Nebraska
• Marian Frick, Lawrence
• Olivia Frye, Springfield, Missouri
• Brian Garretson, Overland Park
• Jacque Garza, Dallas, Texas
• Jenna Ghannam, Louisburg
• Maleah Greenslade, Des Moines, Iowa
• Andrea Gunara, Overland Park
• Hayley Harman, Hoyt
• Tyler Hausthor, Topeka
• Jaydn Hayes, Wichita
• Maddie Holland, Hutchinson
• Naomi James, Overland Park
• Lily Jordan-Marweg, Fort Collins, Colorado
• Kathryn Keefe, St. Louis
• Theodore Keesee, Phillipsburg
• Emma Kneller, Overland Park
• Zach Knemeyer, Mound City
• Michael Koch, Stilwell
• Rachel Kricsfeld, Omaha, Nebraska
• Nikita Kuzin, Odesa, Ukraine
• Chanu Lee, Pittsburg
• Kristina Lincoln, Wichita
• Emma Lindsey, Overland Park
• Kiana Lomany, Overland Park
• Andrea Lopez, Hays
• Maleah Marquez, Kansas City, Missouri
• Olivia Matthes, Clive, Iowa
• Sofia Mccoy, Olathe
• Mia Mcranie, Springfield, Missouri
• Mahika Meesa, Overland Park
• Robbie Metz, Colorado Springs, Colorado
• Jadyn Miller, Hutchinson
• Grant Misse, Gardner
• Peter Mombello, Overland Park
• Blake Moore, Gardner
• Ben Mosier, Manhattan
• Joohye Oh, Lawrence
• Jillian Parsons, Overland Park
• Chloe Peacock, St. Louis
• Alex Perez, Eden Prairie, Minnesota
• Rita Pham, Lee’s Summit, Missouri
• Grace Price, Olathe
• Lillian Puntney, Platte City, Missouri
• Armina Raheel, Leawood
• Elliot Rausch, Olathe
• Allison Reed, Lawrence
• Lily Reeder, Overland Park
• Madeleine Ryan, St. Louis
• Sylvia Saadat, Overland Park
• Kaitlyn Savoy, Olathe
• Natalie Scholz, Fairway
• Kyra Schrock, Olathe
• Aarush Sehgal, Chandigarh, India
• Sasha Sharman, Spokane, Washington
• Lexi Speed, Merriam
• Jackson Stephens, Olathe
• Avery Strathman, McPherson
• Jackson Taylor, Topeka
• Laura Teska, Lawrence
• Ian Todt, Kansas City, Missouri
• Kalie Traverse, Olathe
• Emma Vanatta, Overland Park
• Lucy Vincent, Overland Park
• Regan Virnoche, Madison, Wisconsin
• Eden Westfahl, Manhattan
• Aprilia Winemiller, Bonner Springs
• Zach Wirtz, Overland Park
• Naz Worpel, Wichita
• Sofie Young, Shorewood, Illinois.