Phi Beta Kappa Inducts 47 New Students
LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 14, 2017) — On April 12, the University of Kentucky chapter of Phi Beta Kappa inducted 47 students into the nation's oldest and most widely recognized academic honor society.
Organizers invited Bill Farmer, president and CEO of United Way of the Bluegrass, as this year’s guest speaker. Recently, he was elected to serve on United Way Worldwide’s National Professional Council, a leadership body advising on issues of importance to United Way both nationally and in local communities.
“Given all the speeches and presentations I have given in my career, I am as excited about this one as any other,” Farmer said. “Having an audience full of young, bright, future-leaders is truly an honor.”
“Intellect seems to have a diminishing place in American culture,” said Farmer, “especially as today’s society tends to both unknowingly and knowingly ostracize people just for being smart. It is inevitable that along the way in life’s journey you will feel lost, lonely and wondering which way is up — it is a rite of passage on the road to success.”
Phi Beta Kappa elects more than 15,000 new members a year from 270 chapters across the United States. There are also more than 50 associations that foster friendship and learning in their members' communities and provide a means for members to continue their active affiliation with the society after graduation. The society celebrates excellence in the liberal arts and sciences.
“The Phi Beta Kappa induction ceremony brings together the ‘best and brightest’ among juniors and seniors from several colleges,” said chapter president Ernest Yanarella, professor and department chair of the Department of Political Science in the UK College of Arts and Sciences. “Their superior intellect and good moral character call them to live the responsibility of upholding the highest intellectual and moral standards in any career or profession they ultimately embrace.
“At a time when truth and ethics are being put in doubt in the behavior of winners in the world in politics and the professions, Phi Beta Kappa symbolizes the primacy of honesty and integrity. Those inducted into this, the oldest academic honorary in this country, will become the leaders of Kentucky, the nation, and the globalized world, and the organization reminds them that truth and the highest moral standards must be their shining lights — for their sakes and ours,” Yanarella said.
UK's Phi Beta Kappa chapter is supported by the Chellgren Center for Undergraduate Excellence, which is part of Academic Enrichment within the Division of Student and Academic Life at UK.
The newest members of UK Phi Beta Kappa are:
Kelly Alford
Brenna Armstrong
Max Baker
Stacey Brothers
Riley Cutler
Joseph DeVerges
Connor Doughty
Adam Douglas
Sara Dryden
Fiona Foster
Allison French
Anne Hackman
Davetta Hatfield
Tyler Hill
Kendall Hitch
Evelyn Hudson
Amy Kerdolff
Ameena Khan
Josephine Kim
Maxwell King
Willow Kreutzer
Riley Krieg
Carrie Lowe
Patrick Mason
Austin Merchant
Christopher Meuth, Jr.
Julia Mikulec
Aaron Mueller
Elizabeth Myers
Morgan Nation
Bridget Nicholas
William Nixon
Meredith O'Dell
Lucy Pacholik
Elizabeth Penava
Seth Richardson
Rebecca Schladt
Susan Smulkaitis
Brittany Stokan
Trevor Tierney
Adnan Toric
Natalie Watkins
Zachary Whitt
Trevor Wiley
James Williams
Joseph Wrightson
Kaleigh Yurkew
UK's Phi Beta Kappa chapter is supported by the Chellgren Center for Undergraduate Excellence, which is part of Academic Enrichment within the Division of Student and Academic Life at UK.