Phi Beta Kappa Members Named, Continuing 212-Year-Old Tradition of Recognition

Ninety-six members of the Class of 2002 were elected last week by Massachusetts’ chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, a prestigious academic honors society.

They will join the other seniors who were elected earlier—48 in December and 24 last spring.

This year is the 212th year that Massachusetts’ chapter, Alpha Iota—the oldest chapter in the United States—has elected students for this honor.

Natalie M. Carnes ’02, who will be an assistant principal at a school in Spanish Harlem next year, said the timing of the selection made it particularly meaningful.

“It was really good to get the letter now,” she said. “I feel like you go through all this resume stuff and job applications. And this was made more special because it wasn’t something you’re going to put on a resume.”

Matthew P. Feldmann ’02 said that it was only upon receiving the letter of acceptance that he fully realized what an honor it was to be included in such a group of students.

Feldmann said it was his close relationships with faculty members that clinched his acceptance—as well as securing him a nomination in the first place.

“The relationship I developed with the faculty [of the economics department] really gave me the support I needed to show that Phi Beta Kappa was in my reach,” he said.

“It’s really Harvard’s network of people who care about you that makes a difference.”

The induction exercises will take place in Sanders Theatre Tuesday at 11 a.m.

Simon Schama, a professor of history and art history at Columbia University, will give the keynote address. Poet Charles Wright, a professor of English at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, will present a poetry reading.

The newly-elected member of Phi Beta Kappa are, in Adams House: Avik Chatterjee, Elizabeth N. Dewar, Trevor D. Dryer, Matthew P. Feldmann, Martin A. Kurzweil, Nancy Liao, Kalina B. Manova, Robert R. Porter, David Soloveichik, John C. Tsou and Michael S. Weidman.

In Cabot: Peter J. Chung, Brendan J. Kelly, Richard D. Kim, Brian S. Levine, Shakhi Majumdar, Jillian R. Shulman, William J. Wailand, Ting Wang and Leah J. Whittington.

In Currier: Susanna M. Flug, Dana A. Gavrieli, Shiou-Huei Liu, Bryant G. Mathews, Melissa R. Moschella, Timothy K. Ruttan, Abby L. Schlatter, Elizabeth C. Tippett, Ian A. Tomb, Aryeh Weinstein, Kevin G. Williams and Soojin Yim.

In Dudley: Alexis G. Burgess.

In Dunster: Samuel A. Kruger, Craig D. May and Jessica L. Strott.

In Eliot: Daniel P. Burgess, Natalie M. Carnes, Marianne E. Cook, Benjamin A. Cowan and Matthew A. Rojansky

In Kirkland: Jonathan D. Eddy, Mary K. Gardner, Allon S. Kedem, Sarah E. Kerman, Eve A. Schaeffer and Viviany R. Taqueti.

In Leverett: Miriam R. Asnes, Laura M. Bacon, David C. Dydek, Matthew S. Rosenberg, Moshe Y. Spinowitz and Junwei Wu.

In Lowell: Benton B. Bodamer, Georg A. Bongartz, Han-Chiao I. Chen, Julia C. Drisdell, Andrew G. Ei, Lindsay P. Jones, Laura P. Knoll, Kathy W. Lu, Shruti Ravikumar and Michael P. Tully.

In Mather: Eun Y. Choi, William J. Greenleaf, Katie M. Heikkinen, Alexander P. Nyren, Dana M. Scardigli and Jared R. Small.

In Pforzheimer: Kelly M. Doran, Alexander M. Gelber, John A. Higgins, Eva C. Holtz, Bryan T. Kim, William K. Josephson, Gregor Matvos and Andrew Park.

In Quincy: Wenya L. Bi, Kathy Chang, Ross G. Douthat, Michael L. Faye, Jeffrey P. Filippini, Claire E. Herrick, Julie L. Rattey, Andrew J. Rosenfeld, Emma C. Samelson-Jones, Bridget E. Tenner, Steven C. Wu, Allen T. Yancy and Jesse G. Zalatan.

In Winthrop: Andrew D. Bradt, John M. Gansner, Soma Mukherjee, Robert K. Silverman, Matthew E. Swanson and Abigail Tucker.

—Staff writer Katherine M. Dimengo can be reached at dimengo@fas.harvard.edu.