(University of Wisconsin-Madison submission) On April 17, The Alpha Chapter of Wisconsin Phi Beta Kappa President Seth Pollak led the induction of 229 University of Wisconsin-Madison students into membership of Phi Beta Kappa, with past president Catherine Stafford.    Whitewater residents Nick Kuzoff, Noah Miller and Connor Steinke were inducted.

Pollak is a professor of psychology professor and Stafford an associate professor of Spanish at UW-Madison.   The induction ceremony took place remotely with over 400 participants including inductees, their families, and friends. These initiates embody not only academic excellence but demonstrate by completed coursework breadth of study in the liberal arts and sciences beyond minimal degree requirements. Approximately 5 percent of the Letters & Science senior class is inducted into the liberal arts and science scholar society.   The 2021 Phi Beta Kappa Excellence in Teaching Award was presented to Enrico Fermi distinguished Professor of Physics Sau Lan Wu, who was nominated by senior Yan Qian.   

Professor of Astronomy and Dean of the College of Letters & Science Eric M. Wilcots was inducted into membership in Phi Beta Kappa and gave keynote remarks. Undergraduate fellows and seniors Jinan Sous, Xiyu Yang, and Jessica Kuzniewski warmly welcomed new members.   Phi Beta Kappa is the nation’s oldest academic society honoring the liberal arts and sciences. Founded in 1776 at the College of William and Mary, ΦΒΚ stands for freedom of inquiry and expression, disciplinary rigor, breadth of intellectual perspective, the cultivation of skills of deliberation and ethical reflection, the pursuit of wisdom, and the application of the fruits of scholarship and research in practical life.    Phi Beta Kappa has 290 chapters at leading colleges and universities in the United States. The Society sponsors activities to advance the humanities, social sciences, and the natural sciences in higher education and in society-at-large.   Recordings of the ceremony will be available on the Phi Beta Kappa site on May 1st, https://pbk.wisc.edu