Honor Among Scholars

Honor Among

Scholars

The Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society has officially installed a new chapter at the College, a historic milestone that affirms the value of a Rollins education and the importance of our mission.

Other than reaching the pinnacle of their life’s work, what do legendary figures like Mark Twain, Bill Clinton, Peyton Manning, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg have in common? They’re all members of Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and most prestigious academic honor society in the U.S. Now we can add another name to that esteemed list: Rollins College.

On March 4, the new Theta of Florida chapter inducted 19 students selected for their academic excellence in the arts and sciences as well as eight foundation members who embody the ideals of a liberal arts education.

“The installation of a Phi Beta Kappa chapter at Rollins is a testament to the academic integrity that the College, students, and faculty uphold,” says political science professor Don Davison, who led the application committee and will serve as president of the Rollins chapter. “Rollins receiving only the 291st chapter in the nearly 250-year history of the society not only underscores our position among the most prestigious academic institutions in the country, but more importantly, empowers us to create more opportunities to further academic excellence and enrichment for years to come.”

The College joins an illustrious set of fewer than 10 percent of U.S. institutions that have Phi Beta Kappa chapters, and Rollins becomes just the eighth college in Florida to shelter a chapter. Phi Beta Kappa counts among its members 17 U.S. presidents, 42 U.S. Supreme Court justices, and more than 150 Nobel laureates.

“Membership in Phi Beta Kappa is a distinction that our students earn during their four years at Rollins but will carry with them throughout their lives,” says Ashley Kistler, anthropology professor and associate dean of academics, who like Davison was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa as an undergraduate student.

Installations of new chapters occur only every three years and follow an intensive, multiyear application and evaluation process in which Phi Beta Kappa meticulously examines every aspect of the College’s academic program—from the quality of faculty and the centrality of education in the arts and sciences to governance structure and demonstrated commitment to academic freedom.

“I am especially proud of Rollins harboring a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa,” says Rollins President Grant Cornwell, “because it is the strongest external validation possible of our identity as a liberal arts college with a clear sense of our mission.”

2022 Student Phi Beta Kappa Inductees

Isabel Adamus ’22 Jacqueline Bengtson ’22 Edward Broker ’22 Emily Curran ’22 Sofia Frasz ’22 Charlotte Kelly ’22 Griffin Lehrer ’22 Emily Marshall ’22 Michael McNamara ’23 Maria Morales ’22 Beatriz Olivieri ’22 Emily O’Malley ’22 Rebekah Picerno ’22 Gabrielle “Gabby” Quigley ’22 Lauren Rouse ’22 Sierra Short ’22 Yoke Tassent ’22 Matthew Willis ’21 Evangelina Wong ’22

2022 Foundation Member Inductees

Rita Bornstein ’04H ’04HAL, Rollins president emerita Shan-Estelle Brown, associate professor of anthropology Martha Cheng, professor of English Grant Cornwell, president of Rollins Daniel Crozier, professor of music, theory, and composition Sabrice Guerrier, associate professor of biology Susan Whealler Johnston ’75, chairman of Rollins Board of Trustees Rosana Diaz-Zambrana, professor of Spanish