115 graduating MIT seniors inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society
Remarkable cohort of Class of 2020 seniors honored for excellence in the liberal arts
Only 10 percent of higher education institutions have Phi Beta Kappa chapters, and fewer than 10 percent of students at those institutions are selected for membership. Phi Beta Kappa (ΦΒΚ) stands for Φιλοσοφία Βίου Κυβερνήτης (Philosophia Biou Kybernētēs), which means "Love of wisdom is the guide of life" or "Philosophy is the governor of one's life."
2020
The Phi Beta Kappa Society (PBK) the nation’s oldest academic honor society, held its MIT induction ceremony this year in the late Spring, admitting 115 graduating seniors into the MIT chapter, Xi of Massachusetts. A list of the Class of 2020 members of PBK appears at the end of this story.
PBK, founded in 1776 at the College of William and Mary, honors the nation’s most outstanding undergraduate students for excellence in the liberal arts, which includes the humanities and the natural and social science fields. In addition to extraordinary students with liberal arts majors, PBK honors engineering students who have excelled in extensive coursework in the liberal arts. Only 10 percent of higher education institutions have PBK chapters, and fewer than 10 percent of students at those institutions are selected for membership.
Each year, Xi of Massachusetts welcomes exceptional undergraduate scholars, who have been nominated by MIT faculty for their excellence in the liberal arts fields. In 2020, an unusually large cohort of 115 graduating seniors were named from MIT.
Typically, the Institute's annual PBK ceremony features a stately and celebratory gathering of the honorees, who process one by one across a stage to receive their certificates, then write their names in the MIT PBK chapter ledger. After the ceremony the new PBK members can have portraits made, often with their proud families and friends, at a festive photobooth set up for the occasion. This year, due to the global health crisis the 2020 MIT inductees were welcomed into the honor society in a new way — via a digital event that was, if not as social as an in-person event, every bit as heartfelt — and official — as the usual gathering.
Founded in 1776, PBK honors the nation’s most outstanding undergraduate students for excellence in the liberal arts, which includes the humanities and the natural and social science fields. In addition to extraordinary students with liberal arts majors, PBK honors engineering students who have excelled in extensive coursework in the liberal arts.
Frederick M. Lawrence, the 10th Secretary and CEO of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, delivered a digital address to the new inductees that included a compelling slide show of the history of the PBK Society. Explaining the roots of the society’s name in the “uncertain early days of the American Revolution,” Secretary Lawrence noted that “Our founders understood that broad liberal arts training is the best preparation to face great challenges.”
As ever, MIT faculty conveyed that such an education prepares our students, as Professor Diana Henderson has put it, "to thrive in particular careers, and, even more importantly, to pursue reflective, meaningful lives, using their learning to contribute to the greater good." Henderson, Associate Head of MIT Literature, MacVicar Faculty Fellow, and MIT Chapter President of Phi Beta Kappa, also wrote a letter to all the new MIT inductees expressing the “sincere hope that when — eventually — there is an in-person MIT event in honor of this extraordinary class of 2020, we can hold a more enjoyable ceremony and celebration.”
And, rest assured all the MIT inductees from the Class of 2020 were sucessfully introduced to the PBK secret handshake!
Suggested links
About the Phi Beta Kappa Society
MIT Chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa Society: Xi of Massachusetts
Gallery of Speakers for MIT Phi Beta Kappa Annual Induction Ceremony
The American Scholar
Quarterly magazine published by the Phi Beta Kappa Society since 1932
Phi Beta Kappa inductees from the MIT Class of 2020
Abd Aldaim, Al Baraa; Mathematics & Linguistics and Philosophy; Homs, Syria
Abrahams, Madeline; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; New York, NY
Amirault, David; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Lexington, MA
Anderson Woltz, Vilhelm; Physics & Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Logan, OH
Apte, Anuj; Physics& Linguistics and Philosophy; Nagpur, India
Atieh, Fadi; Mathematics & Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Tartus, Syria
Bacher, Katharine; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Macungie, PA
Bai, Michelle; Economics & Political Science; Gainesville, FL
Beeman, Maxine; Mechanical Engineering; Kirkland, WA
Burns, Delaney; Chemical Engineering & Biology; Scituate, MA
Cai, Emily; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science & Physics; Los Altos, CA
Carpenter, Kristy; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Woodinville, WA
Chang, Crystal; Biology; Rowland Heights, CA
Cheng, Allen; Physics & Economics; Vienna, VA
Chua, Anlong; Physics; Singapore
Clamon, Lauren; Biology; Chula Vista, CA
Costello, Rebekah; Biological Engineering, Cornelius, NC
Dahl, Mary; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Piscataway, NJ
Daniel, Merryn; Brain and Cognitive Sciences; Anchorage, AK
de los Rios Kobara, Izumi; Biological Engineering; Oakland, CA
Devalapurkar, Sanath; Mathematics & Physics; Torrance, CA
Dimitrakakis, Alexander; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Athens, Greece
Ellison, Matthew; Mathematics; Jericho, VT
Elmourad, Jad; Aeronautics and Astronautics; Montville, NJ
Espiritu, Joseph Raymund; Biology; Saugus, CA
Fan, Jingxuan; Brain and Cognitive Sciences; Beijing, China
Farejowicz, Matthew; Mathematics; Lake Zurich, IL
Fishelson, Maxwell; Mathematics; New York, NY
Gaetz, Marisa; Mathematics; St. Joseph, MN
Gao, Jiyang; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Shanghai, China
Gardner, Apolonia; Biology; Imperial, CA
Godinez, Remi; Mechanical Engineering; Los Angeles, CA
Grela, Erin; Chemistry & Economics; Weston, MA
Grimshaw, Aubrey; Management; Enoch, UT
Gu, Karen; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science & Biology; East Hanover, NJ
Halloran, Claire; Materials Science and Engineering; Wauwatosa, WI
Han, Elizabeth; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Coralville, IA
Harkavy, Elizabeth; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science & Physics; Cambridge, MA
He, Yiran; Materials Science and Engineering & Science, Technology, and Society; South Setauket, NY
Henshaw, Katherine; Mechanical Engineering; Alexandria, VA
Hsu, Calvin; Mathematics; Taipei, Taiwan
Hu, Kedi; Chemical Engineering & Architecture; Mason, OH
Huibregtse, Clyde; Physics & Mathematics; New York City, NY
Hunt, Kaleigh; Chemical Engineering & Global Studies and Languages; Great Valley, NY
Hwang, Shannon; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Cupertino, CA
Jain, Shreyan; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Sunnyvale, CA
Jia, Effie; Architecture; Pleasanton, CA
Kanasaki, Sloan; Physics; Tucson, AZ
Kao, Robert; Physics; Quaker Hill, CT
Kessler, Max; Mechanical Engineering; Friday Harbor, WA
Kim, Ashley; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Fairfax, VA
Kim, Ji Seok; Physics; Newton, MA
Korsun, Daniel; Physics; New Canaan, CT
Kosten, Margaret; Mechanical Engineering; Moorestown, NJ
Kwon, Ohyoon; Brain and Cognitive Sciences; Cambridge, MA
Lam, Grace; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; San Jose, CA
LaRocca, Mia; Aeronautics and Astronautics; Concord, MA
Lawrence, Kathryn; Physics & Biology; Boulder, CO
Lee, Abigail; Aeronautics and Astronautics; Costa Mesa, CA
Leplae-Arthur, Timothy; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science & Mathematics; Milwaukee, WI
Li, Yanlin; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Beijing, China
Liao, Laura; Biology; Sammamish, WA
Lim, Justin; Mathematics & Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Kluang, Malaysia
Limanta, Kevin; Physics; Surabaya, India
Liu, Vincent; Physics; State College, PA
Llarena, Federico; Physics; Chula Vista, CA
Lu, Eric; Mathematics; Rockville, MD
Luo, Sophia; Economics; Cupertino, CA
McCandless, Megan; Mechanical Engineering; Livermore, CA
Medrano Martin del Campo, Olga; Mathematics; Guadalajara, Mexico
Melanson, Jenna; Biological Engineering; Woodland, WA
Mesyngier, Maia; Biology; Swarthmore, PA
Metcalf, Isaac; Materials Science and Engineering; Austin, TX
Minsky, Charlotte; Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences; Greenfield, MA
Misirpashayeva, Margarita; Linguistics and Philosophy; West Windsor, NJ
Mitchell Zollinger, Lyndie; Mechanical Engineering; Sandy, UT
Noamany, Habiba; Brain and Cognitive Sciences; Randolph, MA
Noszek, Joseph; Civil and Environmental Engineering; Wilmington, DE
Obsniuk, Zachary; Mathematics; Livonia, MI
Owen, Sarah; Global Studies and Languages; New Canaan, CT
Patterson, Damarcus; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Richmond Hill, GA
Peppet, Matisse; Linguistics and Philosophy; Terrace Park, OH
Piercy, Phoebe; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Truro, England
Popovs, Aleksejs; Mathematics; Riga, Latvia
Putnam, Amanda; Biology; Taunton, MA
Qian, Chad; Mathematics; Carmel, Indiana
Qin, Tiancheng; Mathematics & Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Fremont, CA
Read, Helen; Mathematics; Dundee, MI
Rodriguez, Raimundo; Brain and Cognitive Sciences; Spring, TX
Rosenzweig, Sierra; Civil and Environmental Engineering; Anchorage, AK
Roy, Maya; Economics & Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Palo Alto, CA
Sahoo, Roshni; Mathematics & Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Acton, MA
Sander, Ryan; Economics; Springfield, VA
Sheridan, Kristin; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; LaVista, NE
Shi, Cindy; Materials Science and Engineering; Concord, MA
Shin, Rebecca; Management; Atlanta, GA
Sivaraman, Venkatesh; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Bexley, OH
Sogo, Jeremy; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Laguna Hills, CA
Soh, Christine; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Westminster, CO
Solomon, Samuel; Chemistry & Biology & Physics; Rockville, MD
Sueoka, Yotaro; Biological Engineering & Brain and Cognitive Sciences; Tokyo, Japan
Sun, Daniel; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science & Mathematics; Tustin, CA
Truong, Steven; Biological Engineering & Creative Writing; Blaine, MN
Tweedy, Ruth; Chemistry; Walkerburn, Scotland
Vasconcelos, Francisca; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; San Diego, CA
Vogelbaum, Hilary; Materials Science and Engineering; Tampa, FL
Vogeli, Chase; Mathematics; Frisco, TX
Wu, Nanette; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science & Music and Theater Arts; Cupertino, CA
Wu, Sarah; Mathematics; Chapel Hill, NC
Xu, Michelle; Physics; Berwyn, PA
Yamoah, Megan; Physics & Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Davis, CA
Yu Josephine; Physics; Potomac, MD
Zak, Gabriella; Management; Upper Saddle River, NJ
Zhou, Ziqi; Mathematics; Beijing, China
Zhu, Lena; Brain and Cognitive Sciences; Woodridge, IL
Zhu, Yuqing; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Boston, MA
Affirming Our Values
The Phi Beta Kappa Society, and the Xi of Massachusetts Chapter at MIT, stand with those who protest racism, police brutality, and injustice against people and communities of color, especially the Black community. The ideals of the liberal arts education and rigorous scholarship should empower us to face the structures that perpetuate racism, to voice our demands for change, and to hold our democracy to the highest standards.