The University of Pittsburgh’s Xi of Pennsylvania Chapter of The Phi Beta Kappa Society (PBK) initiated 62 Pitt seniors into the national honor society April 29 in the Teplitz Memorial Courtroom of Pitt’s Barco Law Building.

In addition to initiating the 62 seniors, the Xi Chapter awarded its $1,000 Edison Montgomery Phi Beta Kappa Junior Prize to John A. Hay, who is majoring in English literature and history and philosophy of science. The Montgomery Prize goes to that member of the junior class judged to be best at fulfilling Phi Beta Kappa’s ideals of intellectual scope and academic attainment.

Also during the April 29 ceremony, Pitt chemistry professor David W. Pratt was initiated as a new honorary member of the Xi Chapter.

Founded in 1776, PBK is the nation’s oldest and largest academic honor society and the first society to have a Greek letter name.

Students are nominated for election to the society based upon their attainment of the highest level of academic achievement in undergraduate studies in the liberal arts and sciences. New members are elected and initiated every year by individual chapters at 270 U.S. institutions of higher learning. The newly initiated Pitt student members are:

Akshar B. Abbott (majoring in biological sciences, economics, political science, and religious studies);
Michael A. Agostino (English literature and writing);
John D. Alison (astronomy and philosophy);
Daniel P. Anderson (biological sciences);
Leigh A. Ash (sociology);
Matthew A. Badger (mathematics and political science);
Matthew D. Burstein (history, molecular biology, and psychology);
Aileen P. Butera (biological sciences);
Stacy A. Calabretta (anthropology and Spanish);
Sean T. Capperis (English writing and urban studies);
Julie N. Cohen (film studies and information science);
Taylor A. Cope (philosophy and history and philosophy of science);
Kristin E. Criner (biological sciences);
Amish J. Dave (biological sciences, history, and neuroscience);
Emma E. DeLeon (anthropology and ecology and evolution);
Carl F. Denig (economics and sociology);
Adelaide L. Eichman (psychology and religious studies);
Kerri D. Fesenmyer (biological sciences);
Elizabeth A. Florkowski (mathematics);
Daniel Fuks (economics and music);
Brian Gilmore (philosophy and psychology);
Gretchen C. Gring (political science and business);
Samuel B. Henteleff (scientific computing);
Jason C. Huang (biological sciences);
Sana Hussaini (neuroscience);
Ashley K. Janiga (linguistics and Spanish);
Lauren M. Kancle (classics);
Brendan D. Keeler (chemistry and microbiology);
Laurel B. King (history and political science);
Rebecca L. Konchan (neuroscience and political science);
Lindsay M. Konsko (history);
Stefanie A. Lepore (politics-philosophy);
Emily M. Lovallo (neuroscience and Spanish);
Haley W. Lowy (materials science, engineering, and political science);
Laurel B. Martin (linguistics and mathematics);
LaToya J. Miller (Africana studies and psychology);
Sunil P. Misra (neuroscience);
Swathi Namburi (biological sciences and English literature);
Robert W. Nickl (electrical engineering and German);
Leor S. Oxman (mathematics);
Todd M. Pappasergi (history and political science);
Lindsay F. Petersen (biological sciences);
Katherine L. Petrie (anthropology, Japanese, and molecular biology);
Douglas P. Placais (biological sciences);
Suzanna H. Publicker (political science and Spanish);
Matthew F. Regan (chemistry);
Michael P. Roberts (physics);
Damian M. Rossettie (philosophy);
Michael P. Rushe (computer science);
Daniel J. Sammel (English writing);
Johanna Schwartz (economics);
Teri M. Seigal (public and professional writing and psychology);
Jannette A. Seman (English literature);
Jared A. Simard (classics and history);
Jamie A. Sterling (politics-philosophy);
Brian A. Sutton (statistics);
Jessica L. Tobias (history and philosophy of science);
Wyatt P. True (music, philosophy, and physics and astronomy);
Brian S. Weaver (history and political science);
Emily M. Whitman (economics and political science);
Jessica L. Wynalek (microbiology and Spanish); and
Abigail R. Zaylor (neuroscience).