Elon's chapter of the national honor society recognized the achievements of students, alumni, faculty and staff during an April 27 ceremony in Alumni Gym.
The Elon University Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi welcomed its newest initiates during an April 27 ceremony in Alumni Gym. Joining the national honor society were 71 undergraduate students, 18 graduate students, four alumni and four faculty/staff members.
Provost Aswani Volety delivered opening remarks that were followed by a keynote address by Elon President Emeritus Leo M. Lambert. Members of the 2020 and 2021 classes of inductees, who had previously been inducted in absentia due to the pandemic, were also invited to join this year’s in-person celebration.
Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and largest multidisciplinary academic honor society whose mission is “to recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others.” Each year, chapters may invite the upper 7.5 percent of the junior class and upper 10 percent of the senior and graduate classes.
Since its founding, more than 1 million members have been initiated in the United States, Puerto Rico and the Philippines.
Elon’s chapter of Phi Kappa Phi was installed on Nov. 14., 1995, as Chapter 275. The first class of inductees included 79 students and three faculty members.
Alumni Inductees
Bryant Colson ’80
While at Elon, Bryant was the first black editor-in-chief of The Pendulum, the university’s student-run newspaper, and the first black SGA president. Colson opened the lines of communication for students to express their needs and concerns to university administrators. Since graduating from Elon, Colson has been active with alumni reunions and has been a leader in civic engagement in Hillsborough, N.C.
Meredith Citty Barger ’14
Barger has a lengthy family history with Elon. Her mother, father, and brother graduated from Elon. Teaching has been her passion and she has dedicated her career to helping students. Her class performed during the special College Coffee for Elon Day in 2020. Barger plans to continue her education in the master’s of higher education program at N.C. State University this fall.
Joleen Neighbours ’96
Neighbours has been a trailblazer in the fine arts community in eastern Virginia. She returned to her hometown after graduating from Elon and began her teaching career in various schools. She is highly respected in her community and has been an outstanding advocate for students furthering their careers in fine arts. Neighbours is now the supervisor of fine and performing arts for the Suffolk Virginia Public Schools.
Annette Orbert ’90
Orbert began her career at Elon working as a secretary for the late Vice President Emerita Dr. Jo Watts Williams. Williams encouraged Orbert to enroll at Elon as a full-time student and complete her degree. Orbert worked in admissions and financial aid for several years, served as the director of multicultural admissions at Elon, and later became the college counselor at The Elon School. Countless numbers of students owe their careers to the sound advice Orbert gave them concerning their college choices. Annette later pursued her master’s degree from Wake Forest University and is now the executive director of nonprofit organizations for Alamance County Community Services.
2022 inductees
Faculty/Staff
Mark Kurt, Assistant Dean of Global Education and Professor of Economics
Kathy Matera, Professor of Chemistry and Chair of the Department of Chemistry
Mark Weaver, Assistant Professor of Statistics
Alexander Taylor, Senior Assistant Registrar for Technology and Communications
Graduate Students
Jordyn Chandler
Mary Corcoran
Caroline Davis
Jennifer Gehrin
Hannah Goodrum
Kaitlyn Hickman
Rynita Julien
McKayla Kraft
Doo Lee
Christina Marchand
Sarah Mason
Giavanna Papavero
Catherine Parsons
Charles Rizzo
Stephanie Schwartz
Durand Shoup
Alicia Tate
Max Wilson
Undergraduate Students
Sage Albert
Nick Asprea
Morgan Bassett
Lilly Beaver
Adrienne Bevins
Jay Blue
Aiden Bradshaw
Zoie Browder
Phoebe Carlton
Elizabeth Cerrito
Becca Chase
Nina Crocco
Abigail Diedrich
Caroline Digan
Caroline Durham
Alexandra Elliott
Ally Everton
Matthias Ferring
Heath Foster
Lotte Fox
Melissa Freed
Kaitlyn Freeman
Julia Friedenberg
Amaya Gaines
Will Gatchel
Madison George
Jordan Gower
Blake Healey
Blythe Hehmeyer
Anelisa Holder
Nana Kaneko
Kaley Katz
Kaitlin King
Jessica Kliman
Alexis Koppy
Stephanie Land
Moritz Lederer
Francesca Mautte
Katherine McCormick
Madi McDermott
Whitney McDonnell
Rylee McKinney
Katie Miyazaki
Matt Newberry
Danny Nickel
Maggie Noble
Corinne Orgettas
Fotini Pappas
Peyton Pesavento
Eva Pierce
Kassidy Puckett
Eden Ralph
Zoe Rein
Olivia Romano
Juliana Schiano
Sonali Schroder
Maria Scricco
Shannon Seignious
Lillian Shaw
Erin Shugar
Emma Simpson
Hunter Small
Chad Urquhart
Anna Vassallo
Stephanie Wagner
Nicole Waldron
Jordan Wels
Nora Wilkes
Lauren Willingham
Kate Wirth
Skye Ziegler