By Michelle Hines, University Relations
Posted 4-29-08
GREENSBORO, N.C. -- UNCG's Phi Beta Kappa chapter, the Epsilon chapter, inducted 46 new members on April 22.
Dr. Carl Ernst, Kenan Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill, spoke on “The West and Islam? Rethinking Orientalism and Occidentalism.” Ernst’s talk followed the induction ceremony.
Larissa Jocelyn Mañón, a senior philosophy major, received the chapter’s $2,000 Elma Josephine Hege Award. The Hege Award is given each year to an outstanding recent graduate, senior or junior who is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest and most honored of all college honorary societies. It was established in 1776 at the College of William and Mary and there are only 276 chapters nationally. Notable members are former U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush, NFL quarterback Peyton Manning, historian John Hope Franklin and film director Francis Ford Coppola.
In 2006, the national society named UNCG’s Epsilon chapter the nation’s most outstanding chapter at a public university. The Epsilon chapter was formed during the Woman’s College era in 1934 as a branch of the UNC-Chapel Hill chapter and became an independent chapter in 1956. UNCG is one of only six institutions in North Carolina to have a chapter. Others are UNC-CH, N.C. State University, Wake Forest University, Davidson College and Duke University.
Phi Beta Kappa recognizes outstanding scholarship in the liberal arts and sciences. At UNCG, students are generally elected in the spring of the senior year; a few students with exceptionally high averages may be elected earlier. Acceptable programs of study are the Bachelor of Arts or the Bachelor of Science, with appropriate majors or concentrations, in the College of Arts & Sciences, the School of Music, and the Department of Economics.
The inductees and their academic majors are as follows:
• Alamance County – Donica Gentes McLean, classical studies, 107 Sullivan Court, Gibsonville.
• Alexander County – Kathryn Mary Grace Gryder, classical studies, daughter of Walter R. and Martha C. Gryder of 270 Westwood Lane, Taylorsville.
• Burke County – Lindsey Leigh Bakewell, mathematics, daughter of Roy R. and Merilee M Bakewell of 3996 Bel Aire Drive, Morganton; Benjamin E. Shook, psychology/philosophy, son of Bill and Martha Shook of 211 Ridge Street, Valdese; and Leslie Renee Stafford, psychology, daughter of David and Andrea Stafford of 2260 Highway 70, Connelly Springs.
• Caldwell County – Elizabeth Marie Grubbs, music/English, daughter of John B. and Dorothy B. Grubbs of 5972 Petra Mill Road, Granite Falls.
• Carteret County – David Alexander Kelly, political science, son of Steven C. Kelly, 9131 Riverview Drive, Newbern, and Lois M. Kelly, 1744 River Drive, Morehead City.
• Davidson County – Paula Blaire Enscore, Spanish/Women’s and Gender Studies/anthropology, 4070 Gumtree Road, Winston-Salem.
• Davie County – Christopher Hartman Posey, media studies, son of Grady and Delilah Posey of 463 Vogler Road, Advance.
• Forsyth County – Michael Lawrence Ackerman, English, son of Terry A. and Debra J. Ackerman of 912 Wimberly Way, Kernersville.
• Guilford County – Erin Leigh Andrews, English/ Women’s and Gender Studies, daughter of Steve and Suzanne Andrews of 3420 Hillside Drive, High Point; Jason David Mesner, psychology, 2240 Copperstone Drive Apt. 3C, High Point; Catherine Ann Payne, mathematics, daughter of Mark and Susan Payne of 2529 Old Mill Road, High Point; Stacey Marie Reavis, biology, daughter of Ernest A. and Sharon F. Reavis, Jr., of 1123 Mapleview Court, High Point; Devon Michele Sommers, media studies/political science, daughter of Susan Locke of 2003 San Fernando Circle, High Point, and Mitchel Sommers of 425 Brandon Street, Greensboro; Jodi Bennett-Bradshaw, anthropology, 6400 Old Oak Ridge Road, D11, Greensboro; Jonathan Boyette Iradi, biochemistry, 206 Leftwich Street, Greensboro; Meghan Dunham Johnson, vocal performance/Spanish, 4600 Big Tree Way Apt. 12C, Greensboro; Marcella Bernadette Moon, English, 1418 Rock Spring Street, Greensboro; Priscilla Wheeler Almeida Rankin, Spanish, 1903 Rolling Road, Greensboro; Gregory Joseph Spillers, psychology, son of Karen Matthews of 2512 Murray Hill Road, Greensboro; Jill Dougherty Tourtellot, Spanish, 1807 Hobbs Road, Greensboro; Lucillia Sanders Davis, sociology, 5503 Fairway Run Drive, McLeansville; Forrest Edward Essic, computer science, 623 Gray Wilson Road, Colfax; and Miranda Christine Hayworth, biology, daughter of Terry and Brenda Hayworth of 5009 Leadenhall Road, Oak Ridge.
• Henderson County – Rachel Ellen Brown, dance/French, daughter of Richard and Alice Brown of 467 Williamson Road, Mills River; and Melissa Erin Wooten, communication studies, daughter of Sharon Wooten of 232 Ladson Spring Trail, Horseshoe.
• McDowell County – Angelica Marie Kapely, environmental biology/Spanish, daughter of Tony and Ruth Kapely of 42 Elliott Road, Marion.
• Mecklenberg County – Emily Warren Pendleton, history, daughter of William G. and Debra V. Pendleton, III, of 3534 Fawn Hill Road, Matthews.
• Moore County – Thomas Vernon Horner Jr., psychology/sociology, 2283 North Moore Road, Robbins.
• Orange County – John Solomon Hart-Smith, biology, son of Raymond Smith of 5609 Cascade Drive, Chapel Hill, and Patricia Hart of 406 Walnut Street, Chapel Hill; Gloria Jean Howerton, geography/environmental studies, of Chapel Hill; Emily Marie Mader, anthropology/archaeology; daughter of Catherine J. Mader of 2743 Armfield Road, Hillsborough and Charles F. Mader of 904 Woodgreen Drive, Durham; and Leanne Sulewski, geography, daughter of Anthony and Claire Sulewski of 3310 Oak Knob Court, Hillsborough.
• Randolph County – Amy Leanne Jernigan, English, 5021 Browns Meadow Road, Liberty; Kristen Michelle Petry, anthropology, daughter of Katherine Petry of 205 Powell Way, Archdale, and John Petry of 10619 Secret Garden Lane, Charlotte; and Lauren Danielle Sher, mathematics, daughter of Richard B. and Nikki R. Sher, Jr., 128 Hope Valley Drive, Archdale.
• Rowan County – Yana Alexandrovna Romanova, music performance/history, daughter of Ted Fuller and Alla Romanova of 501 Heilig Avenue, Salisbury.
• Vance County – Margaret Elizabeth McCaskill, mathematics, daughter of Samuel G. and Patricia A. McCaskill, Jr. of 410 Beechwood Trail, Henderson.
• Wake County – Larissa Jocelyn Mañón, sociology, daughter of María del Carmen Vásquez-Hankerson of 4609 Sweet Melody Lane, Knightdale, and Federico Ivarionex Mañón, Sr., of 3540 SW 170th Avenue, Miramar, Fla.; Sara Elizabeth Poole, recreation and parks management/Spanish, daughter of Rodney P. and Cathy M. Poole of 209 McNaughton Court, Garner; Rachel Elisabeth Pullen, political science, daughter of Richard H. and Terri Pullen III, of 910 William Roads, Raleigh; and Karen Marie Underwood, English, daughter of Steve and Lisa Underwood of 2505 Toll Mill Court, Raleigh.
Out of State Inductees
• Louisiana – Michelle Renee Yingst, psychology, daughter of Cheryl Yingst of 19104 Sandy Lane Unit 14, Mandeville, La., and Albert Yingst of 3810 Piney Road, Morganton.
• Virginia – Courtney Jacquelyn Roberts, sociology, daughter of Edward Roberts and Muriel Von Villas of 6514 Cape Court, Falls Church.
• France – Charles Abdel-Karim, biology, son of Alain and Ghada Abdel-Karim of 66 Blvd. Victor Hugo, Bat. A, Grasse, France.
