Last month, 82 new members of Marymount University’s chapter of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi were inducted through a hybrid ceremony, with participants gathered together in Rowley Hall and online as well.
The Marymount chapter, which was chartered in 2019, is part of the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.
“Not only are you being inducted into this phenomenal, extraordinary honor society, but you did this in the middle of an incredible challenge – a global pandemic,” said Dr. Irma Becerra, President of Marymount University. “Our student inductees did not stop their studies – they continued to forge forward, so I think they have something incredible to be proud of.”
New faculty and staff member inductees include:
- Rebecca Barnes, President of Marymount University’s Staff Council
- Stephanie Foster, Faculty Athletics Representative
- Marnel Niles Goins, Interim Dean of the College of Sciences and Humanities
- Kenneth Harwood, Dean of the College of Health and Education
- James Ryerson, Professor in the College of Business, Innovation, Leadership and Technology
Twenty-three undergraduate students were inducted, including: Rima Bilek; Rebecca Deakin; Charles Donnelly-Justus; Camille Giacomello; Liam Kendall; Anjan Khatri; Samantha King; Danielle Leff; Mia Londregan; Ruth McCuen; Nicholas McKenna; Khiarah Miles Williams; Kathleen Miller; Veronica Olivera Rojas; Joseph Rosas; Kayla Rugg; James Sanders; Joseph Sanz; Alyssa Schroeder; Riell Swann; Mary Jane Thomas; Lyndsay Wilkins; and Diego Zalles.
Fifty-four graduate students were inducted: Jon Adams; Ali Alasmari; Abigail Anderson; Wondwosen Ayenew; Samantha Baker; Kayla Barnes; Radhika Barrett; Maria Bautista Acelas; YuLin Bingle; Brittney Byrd; Roman Carlitti; Emily Carns; Bernard Carpenter; Larry Copeland, Jr.; Viviane de Rezende Pedruco; Stephen Defibaugh; Thomas Donaghy; Daniel Duro; Nnaemeka Ekwunife; Ahmed El-Manialawy; Maria Escobar Boys; Mary Furlong; Larissa Getzfred; Talisa Gonzalez; Katherine Hammond; Luis Hernandez; Osei Hyiamang; Ashley Im; Oscar Johnson; Harpreet Kaur; Claire Leveridge; Tristan Li; Beth Lucy-Speidel; Anna Mason; Zelalem Mengistu; Safiatu Mojidi; Kanza Nawab; Perry O’Neil; Olatunji Osunji; Julia Paegle; Chengyuan Peng; Elizabeth Pierce; Apolonia Pollock; Matthew Rosenberg; Laila Schoenthaler; Jaidyn Schulke; Emily Stillwell; Mulenga Tembo; Sesen Tzeghe; Justin Ubert; Corinne Vigen; Matthania Volmy; Ran Xia; and Lauren Zwicharowski.
“You have the talent and you’ve gained a lot of knowledge and skills that you’ve earned here from the wonderful faculty who taught you,” said Dr. Hesham El-Rewini, Provost and Senior Vice President at Marymount University. “So take advantage of that now, and use it to serve others.”
To date, the Marymount University chapter of Phi Kappa Phi has inducted 250 total members. Each year, the national organization initiates about 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni – membership is by invitation, and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.
Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine and headquartered in Baton Rouge, La., Phi Kappa Phi has chapters on more than 325 college and university campuses in the U.S. and the Philippines. Its mission is “to recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others.” Click here to learn more.
