CMU Celebrates Early Phi Beta Kappa Inductees
By Emily Nagin
On Oct. 8, 2025, Carnegie Mellon University celebrated 20 students selected for early initiation into the CMU chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, six of whom are students in the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Founded in 1776, Phi Beta Kappa is the nation’s oldest honors society, celebrating those who have made significant achievements in the liberal arts and sciences. Top universities across the country host 290 chapters of the organization, with each chapter selecting only 10 percent of their school’s arts and sciences students for initiation.
“Election to Phi Beta Kappa — especially if achieved early in an election cycle — is perhaps the highest of academic achievements,” said Joseph Devine, associate dean for undergraduate studies at Dietrich College. “It is a distinction that students will carry with them for a lifetime.”
Dietrich College’s early initiates are:
Amanawit Assefa
Political Science, Security & Technology
Ava Grace Black
Policy & Management
Kel-Li Chen
Psychology and Biological Sciences
Aleksaundra Handrinos
Ethics, History, and Public Policy
Kira Monji
International Relations & Political Science
Yiyao Wang
Information Systems