Phi Beta Kappa to Induct UW Students and Honorary Member

The University of Wyoming’s Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa will induct 22 UW students into the prestigious honor society along with one honorary member, Peter Parolin, Thursday, April 24, at 4 p.m. in Room 506 of Coe Library.

Phi Beta Kappa, founded in 1776, is one of the most respected academic societies in the world. The Wyoming chapter received its charter in 1940 and is among the 293 colleges and universities in the United States that host chapters.

Each year, UW faculty and administrators elect fewer than one-tenth of the leading scholars of the senior class of majors in arts and sciences into Phi Beta Kappa. A handful of outstanding juniors also are selected. In addition to having distinguished academic records, electees must pursue a balanced and broad course of study, including foreign language, math and the liberal arts and sciences. All members who are current seniors or who graduated in fall 2024 had an overall grade-point average of 3.73 or higher. There were four juniors elected this year, each with an overall 4.0 GPA.

“Our selection committee was very impressed by every inductee,” says Sarah Collins, an associate professor in UW’s Department of Zoology and Physiology and Phi Beta Kappa vice president, who oversees the selection of inductees. “They all have demonstrated a high level of academic achievement and also have pursued coursework across the liberal arts and sciences.”

The Phi Beta Kappa honorary member-elect is not an alumnus of the specific chapter’s institution but is chosen for scholarly achievement and contributions to the liberal arts. This year’s selection is UW Honors College Dean Parolin, who holds a Ph.D. and M.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and B.A. from the University of British Columbia.

“I’m honored to be invited to join Phi Beta Kappa in the company of so many distinguished University of Wyoming scholars, past and present,” Parolin says. “The society’s commitment to open inquiry and the free advancement of knowledge is a beautiful thing, as important now as it has ever been.”

He has been at UW since 1997, has served as Department of English chair and assistant chair, and teaches English literature courses, including the long-standing summer study-abroad course, “Shakespeare in England and Italy.” Additionally, Parolin lectures for a summer seminar series at the Stratford Festival of Canada, acts in productions for UW’s Department of Theatre and Dance and Relative Theatrics, and serves on community boards. He will give the keynote address at Thursday’s Phi Beta Kappa induction ceremony.

UW Phi Beta Kappa elected members, listed by hometown and areas of study, are:

Alliance, Neb. -- Shaylee Messersmith, history.

Anchorage, Alaska -- Joseph Rzeszut, international studies and economics, with minors in Spanish and honors.

Buffalo -- Wolfgang Wuerker, psychology and physiology, with minors in chemistry and honors.

Casper -- Afton Barr, a junior in international studies and history, with minors in Chinese and honors; Nicole Klosterman, a junior in environmental systems science and Spanish, with a minor in sustainability; and Brynley LaChance, music.

Castle Rock, Colo. -- Gregory Barr, music and English, with minors in Spanish and honors.

Cheyenne -- Andrew Bishop, international studies and environmental systems science, with minors in Middle East/North African studies and honors; Annastasia Erdmann, international studies, Spanish and environment/natural resources, with a minor in honors; Lily Leman, a junior in history and Spanish, with minors in pre-law and honors; Alexa Mejia, physiology, with a minor in Spanish; Faith Riter, history and philosophy/religious studies; Alexa Rizzuto, history; and Grace Smith, English and environment/natural resources.

Gillette -- Maria Farnum, international studies and English, with minors in Middle East/North African studies and French.

Green River -- Jessica Petri, secondary education/social studies and political science, with minors in international relations/comparative government and honors.

Littleton, Colo. -- Clara Landreth, botany and Spanish, with a minor in honors.

Placentia, Calif. -- Benjamin Meek, history, with a minor in religious studies.

Reading, Mass. -- Sedona Skenderian, a junior in history, with minors in museum studies and honors.

Saratoga -- Derek Walton, computer science and physiology, with minors in international engineering and Chinese.

Star Valley -- Parker Thompson, sociology, with a minor in honors.

Stuttgart, Germany -- Haleigh Walthall, microbiology.

All Phi Beta Kappa members are supported by the UW Phi Beta Kappa Society. For more information, visit www.uwyo.edu/pbk/index.html.