At the annual Alpha of Delaware chapter of Phi Beta Kappa’s induction ceremony on May 4, 55 undergraduates were inducted. Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for arts and science disciplines, was founded in 1776. The Alpha of Delaware chapter was founded at the University of Delaware in 1956.

Each year the chapter recognizes student award winners.

The winner of the Clift and DeArmond Award was Nithila Chrisostam, an Honors College student from Bear, DE, majoring in Psychology and Sociology and minoring in Anthropology and History. This award recognizes the second-year undergraduate at UD who shows the most outstanding scholarly potential in a Phi Beta Kappa curriculum.

The winner of the Herbert Ellis Newman Award was Maxwell Poruban, an Honors College student from Collegeville, PA, majoring in Spanish Studies, Anthropology, and Political Science. This award recognizes the third-year undergraduate at UD who shows the most outstanding scholarly potential in a Phi Beta Kappa curriculum.

The winner of the L. Leon Campbell Phi Beta Kappa Distinguished Senior Award was Derek Wu, an Honors College student from Hereford, MD, majoring in Biological Science and Environmental Science with a minor in Biochemistry. After graduation, he will be attending Emory University to pursue a Ph.D. in Population Biology, Ecology, and Evolution. This award is given to a graduating natural or physical sciences major who has demonstrated outstanding intellectual promise and a commitment to scientific research. The award celebrates the memory of L. Leon Campbell, who served as the University of Delaware Provost from 1972-88.

For further information, please visit: https://sites.udel.edu/honors/phi-beta-kappa