Six Dietrich College Students Inducted to Phi Beta Kappa

This fall, Carnegie Mellon University celebrated 19 students who were selected for early initiation into the university’s chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa Society. The early class includes six students with majors in the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences. 

Founded in 1776, Phi Beta Kappa is the nation’s oldest honors society, celebrating high achievement in the liberal arts and sciences. There are only 290 chapters affiliated with top universities across the country, and each of those chapters select 10 percent of their school’s arts and sciences students to join.

“Being initiated into the Phi Beta Kappa Society at any time is a great honor,” said Joseph Devine, Dietrich College associate dean for undergraduate studies and secretary of the CMU Phi Beta Kappa chapter. “Early election in the senior year is even more distinctive in that the eligibility criteria are considerably more competitive than the general election held in the spring for a larger number of seniors.” 

The early initiates from Dietrich College include:

Karissa Dunkerley
Primary Major: Information Systems

Olivia Reed
Primary Major: Creative Writing

Camille Chandler
Primary Major: Psychology

Cynthia Qjan
Primary Major: Psychology

Gemma Jefferson
Primary Major: Decision Science

Arnav Paliwal
Primary Major: Statistics and Machine Learning