By Steve Gilliam , University Relations
Contact: (336) 334-5371
Posted: 3-4-08
GREENSBORO, NC – The University of North Carolina at Greensboro chapter of Phi Beta Kappa will induct new members Tuesday, April 22.
Dr. Carl Ernst, Kenan Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill, will speak on “The West and Islam? Rethinking Orientalism and Occidentalism.” His talk will follow the 7 p.m. induction ceremony in the Weatherspoon Art Museum auditorium. The event is open to the public.
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. In addition, the student must have the following:
Carl Ernst is a specialist in Islamic studies, with a focus on West and South Asia. His published research, based on the study of Arabic, Persian, and Urdu, has been mainly devoted to the study of Islam and Sufism. His most recent book, “Following Muhammad: Rethinking Islam in the Contemporary World,” received the 2004 Bashrahil Prize for Outstanding Cultural Achievement. His current research includes Muslim interpretations of Hinduism and the literary interpretation of the Qur'an.
His recent publications include “Sufi Martyrs of Love: Chishti Sufism in South Asia and Beyond” (co-author, 2002); “Teachings of Sufism” (1999); a translation of “The Unveiling of Secrets: Diary of a Sufi Master” by Ruzbihan Baqli (1997); and “Guide to Sufism” (1997). He studied comparative religion at Stanford University (A.B. 1973) and Harvard University (Ph.D. 1981), and has made research tours in India, Pakistan and Turkey.
