KU Honors staff take on management of Phi Beta Kappa

Last year, responsibilities for KU’s Alpha chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the prestigious liberal arts and sciences honorary society, officially transitioned to the University Honors Program.

“It’s a natural fit,” says Harry Swartz, Assistant Director of Admissions for the program and the chapter’s secretary and treasurer, “with our overlapping goals of promoting interdisciplinary study and recognizing the hard work of highly motivated students.”

In November, KU Honors co-hosted several events for Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar William Moseley of Macalester College, who delivered his lecture, “When Agronomy Flirts with Markets, Gender and Nutrition: A Political Ecology of the New Green Revolution for Africa and Women’s Food Security in Burkina Faso,” on Nov. 7.

“Professor Moseley’s visit raised the visibility of Phi Beta Kappa on campus, and also served as the official kickoff to Common Cause,” says Swartz.

In the spring, campus collaborations will continue as Phi Beta Kappa recognizes students in and out of the honors program through its First-Year Book Award program and carries on the tradition of inducting new members the morning of KU Commencement.