99 inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, 7 receive Wolfe Awards

Ninety-nine highly accomplished juniors and seniors were inducted into Ohio University's chapter of Phi Beta Kappa this spring, and seven students shared the Thomas A. Wolfe Award, a cash prize for highest GPA among the 2021 inductees.

Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest and most important academic honor society in the United States. Founded in 1776, the society recognizes undergraduates who have demonstrated exemplary academic achievement in the liberal arts and sciences. Only 10% of U.S. colleges and universities have Phi Beta Kappa chapters. These chapters select the top 10% of their arts and sciences graduates to join, making PBK membership one of the most prestigious honors a student can receive. The Lambda of Ohio Chapter was chartered in 1928.

Inductees were juniors and seniors from four OHIO colleges: College of Arts and Sciences, College of Fine Arts, College of Health Sciences and Professions, and Honors Tutorial College, as well as the Center for International Studies. They join the ranks of esteemed Phi Beta Kappa members, which include 17 U.S. presidents, 42 U.S Supreme Court justices, and over 150 Nobel laureates.

Dr. Paul Milazzo, associate professor of history and PBK Lambda of Ohio Chapter president, noted that this year’s 84% acceptance rate was the chapter's all-time best.

“PBK is indebted to Jenny Klein, assistant dean for success and persistence, for her tireless and creative outreach efforts on the organization’s behalf," Milazzo said. "I also want to recognize President Emeritus M. Duane Nellis, who set the standard for paying student PBK initiation fees out of funds from his office beginning in 2018. His generosity has helped to ensure that all those who merit Phi Beta Kappa membership can claim it without financial hardship and underscores Ohio University’s commitment to academic excellence."

2021 Phi Beta Kappa Initiates

Leah Allan of Athens, Ohio
Chloë Zehra Backderf of Shaker Heights, Ohio
Korri Basinger of Athens, Ohio
Connor Douglas Beeman of Wadsworth, Ohio
Elizabeth A. Bennett of Lowell, Mass.
Austin G. Bissell of Mentor, Ohio
Kaitlyn Booher of Plainfield, Ind.
Andrew John Bovenzi of North Ridgeville, Ohio
Justin Boyle of Trenton, Ohio
Anna Brant of Strongsville, Ohio
Joseph Michael Brucker of Athens, Ohio
Clay Eric Burger of Nevada, Ohio
Katy Campbell of Athens, Ohio
Colton Ryan Campbell of Gallipolis, Ohio
Arielle Pennington Caradonna of Powell, Ohio
Jacob Carlson of Elyria, Ohio
Madeleine Case of Columbus, Ohio
Kennedi Elizabeth Christie of Lancaster, Ohio
Cassie Coleman of Dayton, Ohio
Townsend Colley of Decatur, Tenn.
Robyn Combs of Cincinnati, Ohio
Grace Counts of Clayton, Ohio
Terra Davison Creahan of Morehead, Ky.
Ben Loring Dailey of Vincent, Ohio
Iyana Davis of Wickliffe, Ohio
Elizabeth Davis of Athens, Ohio
Analee Ximena Davis Herrera of Summerville, S.C.
David Dennis of Johnstown, Ohio
Arielle Dickerman of Granville, Ohio
Sarah Elizabeth Dillinger of Athens, Ohio
Sara Dowler of Columbus, Ohio
Daniel Ryan Dunfee of Racine, Ohio
Alyssa Espinoza of Scranton, Pa.
Zoe Felber of Twinsburg, Ohio
Justin Andrew Fink of Chillicothe, Ohio
Tyler Lee Fyffe of Waverly, Ohio
Andrea Gapsch of Columbus, Ohio
Ellen M. Gill-Franks of Fleming, Ohio
Daniela Adriana Grijalva of Athens, Ohio
Griffin M. Grosh of Columbus, Ohio
Madeleine Marie Hale of Dayton, Ohio
Ivy Hammond of Williamsport, Ohio
Haley Hautzinger of Athens, Ohio
Taylor Heddleson of Circleville, Ohio
Adam Hering of Athens, Ohio
Natalie Anne Hosmer of Galesburg, Mich.
Megan Anne Kennedy of Brunswick, Ohio
Kamryn Kennison of McConnelsville, Ohio
Emilee M. Kerr of Perrysburg, Ohio
Adam Killmeyer of Medina, Ohio
Grant Knepper of Canton, Ohio
Ariana Farren Gertrude Kocab of Athens, Ohio
Madelyn Rose Lail of Fairfield Township, Ohio
Caroline Easterday Liles of Athens, Ohio
Michaela Maloney of Athens, Ohio
Asya Martin of Middlefield, Ohio
Katherine Tate Martindale of Athens, Ohio
Olivia Matulich of Mount Vernon, Ohio
Meah McCallister of Mogadore, Ohio
Madison Shay McFadden of Norwalk, Ohio
Noah Michael McGeorge of Dayton, Ohio
Kaitlyn McKenzie of Arundel, Maine
Katelyn Mitchem of Rio Grande, Ohio
Daniel P. Monks of Athens, Ohio
Molly Alyssa Moore of Athens, Ohio
Alexandra Moser of Bluffton, Ohio
Will Mullen of Marietta, Ohio
Leah K. Myerholtz of Columbus Grove, Ohio
Ashton Leigh Nichols of Mason, Ohio
Rachael Nicole Pack of Groveport, Ohio
Kirsten Pack of Hilliard, Ohio
Chloe Parsons of Jackson, Ohio
Zachary Perie of Greenfield, Ohio
James Petko of Nelsonville, Ohio
Ellery Pollard of Athens, Ohio
Emma Rice of Berkeley, Calif.
Samantha Romeo of Pittsburgh, Pa.
Ashley Elizabeth Safran of Union, Ky.
Devon Schneider of Columbus, Ohio
Kimberly Sirb of Amherst, Ohio
Kaylee Smith of Solon, Ohio
Casey L. Starcher of Middleburg Heights, Ohio
Maria Rachael Steinberg of Mason, Ohio
Andrew L. Stone of Columbus, Ohio
Elaina Tartal of Columbus, Ohio
Sophie E. Tate of Miamisburg, Ohio
Kaitlyn Lorraine Urbaniak of Bellbrook, Ohio
Angel Vergona of Hamilton, Ohio
Grace Walters of Dublin, Ohio
Brittney Ward of Avon, Ohio
Leah Warren of Cincinnati, Ohio
Sarah Weekman of Athens, Ohio
John Jacob Wehrkamp of Troy, Ohio
McKenzie Wynn Weller of Pataskala, Ohio
Logan Weyland of Middletown, Ohio
Stephanie Wilhelm of Grove City, Ohio
Madelynn Wilson of Delaware, Ohio
Alexandra Worrallo of Worcester, United Kingdom
Emma Zgonc of Powder Springs, Ga.

Thomas A. Wolfe Awardees

Iyana Davis '21 is a first-generation student from Wickliffe, Ohio, and is double majoring in linguistics and Spanish, with certificates in Italian studies and teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is the current president of the Cultural Italian American Organization and a member of the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society Sigma Delta Pi. When she graduates, she plans to use her TEFL certificate to teach English abroad and to apply her multilingual skills in working in the field of translation.

Daniel Dunfee '22 is an Eagle Scout from Racine, Ohio. He is majoring in Spanish in the College of Arts and Sciences and geological sciences in the Honors Tutorial College. He received the Damian Nance Distinguished Professor Scholarship and the Travis C. Middleman Scholarship from the Geological Sciences Department. He has been conducting research with Dr. Larry Witmer in the WitmerLab for two years on an honor thesis examining changes in growth in Jurassic dinosaurs.

Ellen Gill-Franks '22 is an undergraduate student studying English pre-law and sociology-criminology with a certificate in law, justice and culture in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is currently serving as a student trustee on Ohio University's Board of Trustees and a Supreme Court of Ohio public information extern. Additionally, she serves as director of Students Defending Students, a pre-law associate at the Center for Law, Justice and Culture, an OHIO Learning Community leader, and a Cutler Scholar. She also dedicates her time as a Summer Law and Trial Institute program assistant and a research assistant for the Ohio Innocence Project and Southeastern Ohio Legal Services. She is preparing to attend law school following graduation.

Andrew Stone '22 grew up in Bexley, Ohio. He is a political science major in the Honors Tutorial College and is also pursuing a certificate in law, justice, and culture. He is a founding member of the Ohio University chapter of BridgeUSA and currently serves as vice president. Next year, he will be completing a thesis on how online political subcultures impact American politics. Following graduation, he plans to attend graduate school and pursue a career in academic research.

Angel Vergona '22, originally from Hamilton, Ohio, is majoring in pre-law political science. She has received two political science awards: the Adeline Zoller Memorial Scholarship in 2019 and the Dolores K. Hanna Women in Law Scholarship for 2021. She was also chosen by Dr. Susan Burgess to receive her distinguished professor scholarship in 2020. Vergona is the president and cofounder of the Political Science Major's Association, the vice president of Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity, and the deputy director of the ACLU-OU. She will be applying to law school in the fall and hopes to have a career in civil rights law and politics, with the goal of being elected to the U.S. Congress.

Noah McGeorge '21 is a first-generation student from Dayton, Ohio, majoring in linguistics with a focus in teaching English as a foreign language. His most rewarding college experiences have come from his work as a tutor for the Ohio Program of Intensive English, Academic Achievement Center, and Academic Global Communication Center. He will be pursuing a master’s in applied linguistics in 2022.

Daniela Grijalva '21 is an Ecuadorian-American who completed her undergraduate career at Ohio University after having studied in Madrid, Spain, for two years. In the College of Arts and Sciences, she earned majors in Latin American studies and political sciences, a minor in anthropology, and a certificate in global leadership. In 2021, she was awarded the Latino Heritage Award by OHIO in recognition of her dedication to both her academic career and her community involvement. During her time at her various institutions, she has participated in and led several projects, programs, and organizations that advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in a variety of spaces. Next year, she will be entering the M.A. in Law, Justice and Culture program at OHIO and will work as the graduate assistant at the university’s Global Leadership Center. She also will continue her involvement with the community as secretary of the Ohio University Chapter of the ACLU and as the vice president of ALLIES Student Organization. She hopes to use these experiences to prepare for a future career in law and society while using her leadership skills to increase accessibility and accountability on campus.

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