The Alpha of Arkansas Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa held its annual initiation ceremony on May 11, 2023 in Giffels Auditorium.
The chapter inducted new members, including three Juniors and more than 50 graduating Seniors. Each new initiate signed the book which has been used for the last 91 years to record names of Phi Beta Kappa members at the University of Arkansas and promised to have paramount regard for moral character and scholarly attainment in the election of future members. They all received a certificate and a light blue cord to wear at commencement.
Chapter historian Dr. Trish Starks related the history of the society, which was founded at the College of William and Mary in 1776 and is oldest and most distinguished honorary society in the country. Leaders of the American Revolution and delegates to the Constitutional Convention in 1787 were among its early members. Two of the founders became US senators and two became members of the Supreme Court. Six members of the current US Supreme Court are members of Phi Beta Kappa. Seventeen American presidents have been members of Phi Beta Kappa.
University Professor of Political Science Dr. Janine Parry addressed the new initiates and their families as keynote speaker. Her heartfelt words of congratulation and encouragement inspired almost 200 people in attendance.
The chapter recognized two graduating seniors as Phi Beta Kappa Distinguished Scholars, both of whom exhibit the love of learning and outstanding achievement that characterizes chapter members: Julianna Kantner and Joshua Jacobs, who each received the 20th edition of Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable to commemorate the award.
At the end of the program, chapter president Dr. Daniel Levine instructed the new members in the Phi Beta Kappa secret handshake and its history and traditions.
The ceremony was followed by a reception for members, new initiates, and their families.
Below is a list of this year’s initiates.
Juniors
Sophie McAdara
Benjamin Pierce
Amber Rosamond
Seniors
Christopher Adair
Yodalys Aguilar-Quiros
Amber Alzufari
Ashley Ault
Miller Bacon
Kyle Burks
Rachel Chrisman
Leah Christenson
Abriana Ciabattari
Katelyn Clark
Cesca Craig
Taylen Day
Ashlyn DesCarpentrie
Abigail Doran
Kaitlyn Dunlap
Brooklin Edwards
Luke Elliott
Lydia Fink
Caroline Ford
Elizabeth Ford
Lillian Franklin
Mary Grace Fuhrman
Emily Furlow
Gabrielle Gies
Paul Gramling
Spencer Hazeslip
Samantha Hernandez
Evan Hinchliffe
Laney Hoggatt
Hannah Holaday
Thomas Hollis
Christine Honn
Sidney Hudelson
Joshua Jacobs
Ridhikaanth Kalaiselvan
Julianna Kantner
Alexandria Lim
Lauren Loften
Xinyi Mao
Margaret Martin
Luke McClanahan
Grier McClard
Kaitlyn Murray
Haley O’Dwyer
Alexa Payne
Allison Primm
Nathan Rives
Quinette Rogers
Joseph Roll
Julianna Rose
Anna Rumpz
Eli Schwartz-Yermack
Kenneth Seiter
Margaret Smith
Kayla Wilcox
Caroline Wilson
Grace Wood
Madeline Wood
Laura Workman
Bryant Xie
Grayson Young
Laura Young
For information about the Phi Beta Kappa’s Arkansas Alpha Chapter, contact Dr. Daniel Levine (dlevine@uark.edu). For information about Phi Beta Kappa nationally, visit https://www.pbk.org/.
