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Wesleyan congratulates the 79 newest members of Phi Beta Kappa honor society. (Photos by Olivia Drake MALS 08)

When Dr. Andrea Grubb Barthwell 76 arrived on campus the summer of 1972, she was in the second full class of women admitted to Wesleyan. I chose to become educated in a place that was undergoing change, she said. One principle that guides my life is, embrace change, it is inevitable.

Barthwell, who delivered the keynote address during the Spring 2022 Phi Beta Kappa initiation ceremony, graduated with a degree in psychology and went on to founding the health care policy firmEncounter Medical Group and directs Two Dreams, a comprehensive alcoholism and addiction treatment system. She previously served under President George W. Bushs sub-cabinet in the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), where she was a principal advisor on policies aimed at reducing the demand for illicit drugs.

During the ceremony, Barthwell spoke to a fully-occupied Memorial Chapel filled with 79 Class of 2022 PBK inductees and their exuberant family and friends. Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest scholastic honor society in the nation, is limited to 12% of the graduating class at Wesleyan each year. They join 15 other seniors elected during the 2021 fall semester.

You represent intellectual diversity and you are uniquely prepared to imagine a future for us, Barthwell said. You are uniquely qualified to solve a problem that we cannot at this point name or describe. Your preparation with a liberal arts education, your curious spirit, and your love of lifelong learningcoupled with your good and moral characterenables you to care for others in selfless ways. This will help you create and innovate our future.

To be elected to Phi Beta Kappa, a student must demonstrate curricular breadth by having met the General Education Expectations; have been nominated by the department of his or her major; and achieved a grade point value of 93 or above.

Wesleyans Gamma Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa Society was organized in 1845 and is the ninth oldest chapter in the country. The emblem contains the three Greek letters Phi, Beta, and Kappa, which essentially translate to the love of wisdom is the guide of life.

Barthwell elaborated on the idea of wisdom during her speech, and noted that the students capacity for wisdom has grown exponentially since arriving on campus. It parallels brain maturation, peaks at age 25 and starts its slow decline to senility. Wisdom gives us the capacity for innovation and judgement allows us to balance immediate needs with a long-term perspective.

Of the 79 new PBK initiates, 12 are also student-athletes.

Were thrilled to see the induction of our varsity student-athletes into Phi Beta Kappa, said Wesleyan Director of Athletics Mike Whalen 83. Were certainly proud of their work on the field but their excellence in the classroom is just another example of how our student-athletes excel in all phases of their Wesleyan experience.

In addition to a keynote address from Dr. Andrea Grubb Barthwell, the ceremony included remarks made by Assistant Professor of Letters and PBK Chapter President Daniel Smyth; Hedding Professor of Moral Science and PBK Vice President Joseph Rouse; Assistant Professor of Physics and PBK chapter treasurer and marshal Meng-Ju Renee Sher; and Wesleyan President Michael Roth. President Roth also wrote about the ceremony on hisRoth on Wesleyan blog.

I was so impressed by the variety of interests, academic research, creative practice and extra-curricular shown by the students and often that variety was found in each of the inductees, Roth said.

Wesleyans newest Phi Beta Kappa inductees and their majors include:

Sarah Jessica Backer, GovernmentAlexandra Rose Banach, EnglishZubaida Mofe Bello, African American Studies, HistoryMolly Bradach, BiologyErnest Peter Braun, Hispanic Literatures and CulturesBelle Brown, Environmental Studies, GovernmentLiam Schneider Caplan, English, PhilosophyMarissa Rose Chang, College of Social StudiesCatherine Noelle Arendt Cheng, Education Studies, EnglishJamie Cheng, Education Studies, PsychologyNoah A. Cohen, Economics, GovernmentAriel Faye Cohen, College of Social StudiesViolet Latman Daar, American Studies, EnglishHannah Allison Docter-Loeb, Biology, PsychologyAmy Du, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry

Also:Osama Elgabori, PhysicsSam Olson Ephron, Computer Science, Mathematics, Science in SocietyKyla Margit Frieden, Film StudiesBetsy Bates Froiland, Government, HistoryZelda Isabel Galdenzi, Biology, Neuroscience and Behavior, PsychologyLilley Abigail Gallagher, Environmental Studies, PsychologySimon Shay Gaughan, American StudiesHannah Katherine Gearan, Environmental Studies, Film StudiesJoanna Gerber, English, SociologyIsabella Anna Gibaldi, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry

Also:Gabriel David Goldberg, Economics, PsychologyJackson Cole Goldman, Molecular Biology and BiochemistryGina Ravelo Gwiazda, Neuroscience and Behavior, PsychologyWilliam Matthew Halm, GovernmentSkye C. Hawthorne, Earth and Environmental SciencesSophie Anne Henderson, UniversityPhie G. Jacobs, Biology, EnglishParis Arnett Jensen, French Studies, UniversityDylan Robert Judd, Chemistry, Environmental StudiesHuzaifa Khan, College of Social Studies, GovernmentSofia Chiongbian Khu, College of Letters, German StudiesMia Sunae Kim, ChemistryMagda Kisielinska, Computer Science, Government, MathematicsNomi Jahoda Kligler, Anthropology, Art StudioAndrew Tyler Kushnir, Economics, GovernmentHannah Nikita Landel, Economics, GovernmentAnika Elizabeth Summer Legrand-Wittich, Computer ScienceZach J. Lieb, EconomicsNoah Stark Lilienthal, Music, PsychologyMaggie Jane Lind, AnthropologyCourtney Elizabeth Litts, Neuroscience and Behavior, PsychologyNatalie Serene Lobach, Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, PhilosophyMorgan S. Long, Mathematics, PhysicsChunyue Ma, Computer ScienceAiden H. Malanaphy, Art History, PsychologyGriffin Maristany, Economics, Philosophy

Also:Caoimhe C. McGurrin, EnglishAudrey Elizabeth McMahon, Biology, Neuroscience and BehaviorJuan Andres Medina Florez, Economics, Science in SocietyJulia Meehan, EconomicsWilliam Dederick Miner, PsychologySarah Lynn Morgan, Neuroscience and BehaviorMatt Muldowney, Computer Science, MusicMaddie Rachel Nagler, Film Studies, PsychologyStevie OConnor, Neuroscience and BehaviorGabrielle Jolie Ouellette, English

Also:Aashni Mallika Parikh, Biology, Earth and Environmental SciencesElisa Genevieve Pettinato, Art History, Art StudioTanya Phanich, Computer Science, PsychologyAnjali Prabhu, Neuroscience and BehaviorBenjamin Sofer Rubel, Astronomy, PhysicsEmerson Calloway Sarni, Economics, PsychologyCheng Shi, Mathematics, PhysicsScott Wilson Shield, Computer Science, Economics, MathematicsWill Barish Slater, History, ReligionCambria Lynne Weaver, ReligionGillian Autumn Weeks, PsychologyIrene Catherine Clarke Westfall, HistoryAri S. Westreich, Hispanic Literatures and Cultures, PsychologyElizabeth Woolford, Government, TheaterIsobel Williams Wright, Neuroscience and BehaviorNolan Young, GovernmentYunliang Zhao, Biology, Neuroscience and BehaviorShiyu (Simon) Zhu, Computer Science, Economics

Election to membership is a great honor, but you are not just being elected into a mere honor society where your name is recorded in a great ledger and never looked at again. Election stimulates energies in each of you to do something, Barthwell concluded. PBKs do not rest on their laurels, you continue to act honorably and comport yourselves as you tackle the problems of your days- never being pedantic, arrogant, full of self-conceit, or satisfied. You aspire, with reverence and humility, because you have 1) academic depth and breadth, 2) independence of spirit, 3) curiosity, and 4) are of good and moral character.

The rest is here:

Phi Beta Kappa Inductees Advised to Create, Innovate the Future - Wesleyan University