Rollins Inducts First Members of New Phi Beta Kappa Chapter

On March 4, Phi Beta Kappa—the world’s oldest and most prestigious academic honor society—installed a new chapter at Rollins. The ceremony took place at Knowles Memorial Chapel, where the new Theta of Florida chapter inducted 19 students selected for their academic excellence in the arts and sciences as well as eight foundation members who embody the ideals of liberal arts education.

Presiding over the installation and induction ceremony were Frederick M. Lawrence, Phi Beta Kappa CEO, Peter Quimby, president of Phi Beta Kappa, and Professor of Political Science Don Davison, who led the application committee and will serve as the president of the Rollins chapter. 

“The installation of a Phi Beta Kappa chapter at Rollins is a testament to the academic integrity that the College, students, and faculty uphold,” says Davison. “Rollins receiving only the 291st chapter in the nearly 250-year history of the society not only underscores our position among the most prestigious academic institutions in the country, but more importantly, empowers us to create more opportunities to further academic excellence and enrichment for years to come.”

The College joins an illustrious set of fewer than 10 percent of U.S. institutions that have Phi Beta Kappa chapters, and Rollins becomes just the eighth college in Florida to shelter a chapter. Phi Beta Kappa counts among its members 17 U.S. presidents, 42 U.S. Supreme Court justices, and more than 150 Nobel laureates.

Installations of new chapters occur only every three years and follow an intensive, multi-year application and evaluation process in which Phi Beta Kappa meticulously examines every aspect of the College’s academic program—from the quality of faculty and the centrality of education in the arts and sciences to governance structure and demonstrated commitment to academic freedom.

“I am especially proud of Rollins harboring a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa because it is the strongest external validation possible of our identity as a liberal arts college with a clear sense of our mission,” says Rollins President Grant Cornwell.

2022 Student Phi Beta Kappa Inductees

• Isabel Adamus ’22
• Jacqueline Bengtson ’22
• Edward Broker ’22
• Emily Curran ’22
• Sofia Frasz ’22
• Charlotte Kelly ’22
• Griffin Lehrer ’22
• Emily Marshall ’22
• Michael McNamara ’23
• Maria Morales ’22
• Beatriz Olivieri ’22
• Emily O’Malley ’22
• Rebekah Picerno ’22
• Gabrielle “Gabby” Quigley ’22
• Lauren Rouse ’22
• Sierra Short ’22
• Yoke Tassent ’22
• Matthew Willis ’21
• Evangelina Wong ’22

2022 Foundation Member Inductees

• Rita Bornstein ’04H ’04HAL, Rollins College president emerita
• Shan-Estelle Brown, associate professor of anthropology
• Martha Cheng, professor of English
• Grant Cornwell, president of Rollins College
• Daniel Crozier, professor of music, theory, and composition
• Sabrice Guerrier, associate professor of biology
• Susan Whealler Johnston ’75, chairman of Rollins Board of Trustees
• Rosana Diaz-Zambrana, professor of Spanish