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Academics

205 students at UNC-Chapel Hill inducted into Phi Beta Kappa

Past and present Phi Beta Kappa members from across the country have included 17 American presidents, 41 U.S. Supreme Court Justices, more than 140 Nobel Laureates and numerous artistic, intellectual and political leaders.

South Building.
Fall scene on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. November 7, 2018. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)

The nation’s oldest and most honored college honorary society, Phi Beta Kappa, has inducted 205 students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as new members.

The recent induction ceremony included remarks by Interim Chancellor Kevin M. Guskiewicz and a keynote address by Betsy Towns, associate professor at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. New members received certificates and Phi Beta Kappa keys, the organization’s symbol.

Phi Beta Kappa membership is open to undergraduates in the college and professional degree programs who meet rigorous eligibility requirements.

A student who has completed 75 hours of coursework in the liberal arts and sciences with a GPA of 3.85 or better on a four-point scale is eligible for membership. Also eligible is any student who has completed 105 hours of coursework in the liberal arts and sciences with a 3.75 GPA. Grades earned at other universities are not considered. Less than 1 percent of all university students qualify.

Past and present Phi Beta Kappa members from across the country have included 17 American presidents, 41 U.S. Supreme Court Justices, more than 140 Nobel Laureates and numerous artistic, intellectual and political leaders.

Phi Beta Kappa has 286 chapters across the country. Alpha of North Carolina, UNC-Chapel Hill’s chapter, was founded in 1904 and is the oldest of the state’s seven chapters. Phi Beta Kappa chapters and alumni associations nationwide annually raise and distribute more than $1 million in awards, scholarships and prizes benefiting both high schools and college students.

Phi Beta Kappa officers at Carolina for 2018-2019 are students Katherine Gora Combs, president; Pooja Joshi, vice president; and Christiana Cornea, recording secretary. James L. Leloudis, professor of history, Peter T. Grauer associate dean for Honors Carolina and director of the James M. Johnston Center for Undergraduate Excellence, is chapter executive secretary and faculty advisor.

View a full list of the inductees on the UNC-Chapel Hill News website.