Centre inducts new members of Phi Beta Kappa

RELEASED: June 21, 2007

DANVILLE, KY—Twenty-five Centre College students were recently inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest and most prestigious academic honor society.     

To be eligible, students had to rank in the top 10 percent of their senior class or the top one percent of their junior class. In addition, each student met recommended standards for personal character and campus leadership.

All of this year’s Phi Beta Kappa graduates studied abroad at some time in their Centre career. International study is a way of life at Centre. More than 80 percent of all Centre graduates now study abroad, putting Centre among the top programs of the 3,500 colleges and universities in the country and reflecting the global component of the College’s mission.  

A college may establish a Phi Beta Kappa chapter only by meeting high standards for academic excellence among its faculty and students. Fewer than 300 colleges and universities in the United States currently have chapters, and Centre is the only independent college in Kentucky to have a campus chapter.

Brian Grieb of Louisville and Lauren Miller of Indianapolis were both inducted as juniors and were valedictorians of the Class of 2007. Grieb earned a degree in biochemistry and molecular biology, and graduated summa cum laude. He also received the Ormond Beatty Alumni Prize, the E. Wilbur Cook Biological Sciences Award, and a Goldwater Scholarship. Miller earned degrees in government and Spanish, and graduated summa cum laude. She also received the John R.S. Brooking Prize and the Samuel Robertson Cheek, Jr. Memorial Prize.

The following Centre graduates were inducted in 2007:
Tallie Armstrong of Leawood, Kan., earned degrees in psychology and creative writing and graduated magna cum laude.

Heather Cole of Glenwood, Md., earned a degree in psychology and graduated magna cum laude.

Shelly Hines of Science Hill, Ky., earned degrees in Spanish and anthropology/sociology and graduated magna cum laude. She also received the Leonard and Vivian DiLillo Spanish Prize.

Prajuna K.C. of Greenville, Ill., earned a degree in international studies and graduated magna cum laude. She also received the Paula M. Crumbie Memorial Prize and the Shelley Rodes Holman Award.

Will Larson of Leicester, N.C., earned a degree in computer science and graduated magna cum laude.

Mary Catherine Starr of Lawrenceville, Ga., earned degrees in art and English and graduated magna cum laude. She also received the Mildred and David Wood Art Prize.

Caroline Stone of Louisville earned a degree in history and graduated summa cum laude. She also received the Mason Knuckles Award.

Michael Taylor of New Castle, Ky., earned a degree in financial economics and graduated magna cum laude.

Mary Trigg of La Plata, Md., earned a degree in economics and graduated magna cum laude.

Ines Kevric of Bowling Green, Ky., earned a degree in biology and graduated magna cum laude. She also received the Fred M. Vinson Honors Award and a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholarship.

Tyler Miller of Bowling Green, Ky., earned a degree in history and graduated magna cum laude.

Anna Cable of Signal Mountain, Tenn., earned a degree in anthropology/sociology and graduated magna cum laude. She also received Fulbright Fellowship Research Grant.

Swope Munday of Stanford, Ky., earned a degree in chemistry and graduated summa cum laude. He also received the American Institute of Chemists Award.

Rachel Tapley of Danville, earned a degree in French and graduated magna cum laude. She also received The John Barbour Memorial Prize, The Jeffrey Scott and Ann Rose McBride French Prize, and a Fulbright Fellowship Teaching Assistantship.

Cloe Luckett of Elizabethtown, Ky., earned a degree in biology and graduated magna cum laude.

Kevin Duke of Fort Thomas, Ky., earned degrees in English and history and graduated cum laude. He also received The James D. Jobson Memorial Prize.

Tanner Parrent of Hopkinsville, Ky., earned degrees in biochemisty and molecualr biology and graduated magna cum laude.

Kevin Phelps of Leitchfield, Ky., earned a degree in biochemistry and molecular biology and graduated magna cum laude.

Sara DeSanctis of Louisville earned a degree in financial economics and graduated magna cum laude. She also received The Briscoe Inman Memorial Award and The Harry Landreth Economics Prize.

Ben Durham of Crestwood, Ky., earned degrees in music and religion and graduated magna cum laude. He is a John C. Young Scholar and also received The E. Wilbur Cook Music Prize.

Joe Yeager of Louisville earned degrees in chemistry and mathematics and graduated summa cum laude. He also received The Preston Carter Chemistry Prize and The Sallie Warfield Memorial Prize.

Miles Barger of Brandenburg, Ky., earned degrees in English and music and graduated magna cum laude.

Elisha Sircy of Paducah, Ky., earned degrees in English and philosophy and graduated summa cum laude. He also received The Harold Gale, Jr. Memorial Philosophy Prize, The James Ware Parrish II English Prize, and The George C. Young English Literature Prize.

- end -

Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Consumers Digest ranks Centre No. 1 in educational value among all U.S. liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/

For news archives go to http://www.centre.edu/web/news/newsarchive.html.