The Zeta of Connecticut chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious academic honor society, recently inducted the 2023 cohort of Fairfield juniors and seniors.
Media Contact: Robby Piazzaroli, rpiazzaroli@fairfield.edu, 203-254-4000 x2597
The Zeta of Connecticut chapter of Phi Beta Kappa at Fairfield University inducted 37 students into the nation’s oldest and most prestigious academic honor society on Sunday, April 30. The induction ceremony, celebrating the academic achievement and excellence of Fairfield’s scholars, was attended by more than 125 students, faculty members, and guests.
Presiding over the ceremony were executive officers of Phi Beta Kappa, Zeta of Connecticut chapter: Julie Mughal, PhD (president), Betsy A. Bowen, PhD (vice president), Elizabeth Petrino, PhD (secretary/treasurer), William M. Abbott, DPhil (historian/archivist), and Margaret M. McClure, PhD (past president). Marice E. Rose, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Visual and Performing Arts, delivered the keynote address at the ceremony.
Each spring, Phi Beta Kappa inducts new members from among the most academically accomplished seniors and a highly select group of juniors. Election to the Zeta of Connecticut chapter is based on academic standing (top 10 percent of the class), evidence of broad intellectual curiosity, independent work and thought, outstanding work in the liberal arts and sciences, and good character. Membership is restricted to students who complete most of their coursework in the liberal studies curriculum; typically, students pursuing BA or BS degrees in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote learning, morality, and collegiality. For over two hundred years Phi Beta Kappa has encouraged scholarship and a life-long commitment to the liberal arts. Members of Phi Beta Kappa include 17 United States presidents, dozens of senators, and men and women in a broad range of professional fields. Nationwide, only one percent of college seniors are invited to join Phi Beta Kappa annually.
Phi Beta Kappa, whose letters stand for the Greek phrase, “Love of wisdom, the guide of life,” was founded in 1776 at The College of William and Mary. Only 10 percent of colleges and universities in the United States have been awarded a Phi Beta Kappa chapter. Its chapter established in 1994, Fairfield University is one of only six colleges and universities in the state of Connecticut – and one of only 13 Jesuit colleges and universities nationwide – to have a Phi Beta Kappa chapter.
Seniors: Leif Alino, Gina N. Baglivo, Alessia L. Bandini, Jillian J. Bauknecht, Madeline E. Bosse, Alexa M. Buongiovanni, Phoebe A. Charpentier, Katharine Creamer, Bronwyn M. Cullen, Mia E. DeFelice, Shannon G. Di Iorio, Kaitlyn M. Drake, Gracewu A. Gallagher, Julia E. Higgins, Madeline E. Hossler, Nya L. Jones, Francesca Klein, Kayla Leary, Eden M. Marchese, Jack Martorano, Tatiana M. Mesrobian, Caroline M. Meyer, Sarah C. Murphy, Michael C. Riggi, Cesar F. Rivera, Margaret E. Rzucidlo, Genuine Skill F. Salcedo, Katherine M. Samonek, Nicholas J. Silvia, Kevin T. Stush, James V. Vizzard, Rebecca R. Walsh, and Anna E. Weissenberg.
Juniors: Julia F. Jammalo, Madeline E. Kitlas, Emma R. Kramer, and Connor J. Padover.
Posted On: May 10, 2023
Volume: 54 Number: 104
Fairfield University is a modern Jesuit Catholic university rooted in one of the world’s oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students from the U.S. and across the globe are pursuing degrees in the University’s five schools. Fairfield embraces a liberal humanistic approach to education, encouraging critical thinking, cultivating free and open inquiry, and fostering ethical and religious values. The University is located on a stunning 200-acre campus on the scenic Connecticut coast just an hour from New York City.