We are thrilled to announce that 18 Government concentrators from the Class of 2025 have been elected to the prestigious Alpha Iota of Massachusetts, Harvard’s historic chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.
The Department of Government proudly congratulates: Oluchi Amadife, Liz Benecchi, Joyce Chen, Mert Geyiktepe, Andrew Gong, Conner Huey, Eric Hwang, Isabelle King, Hazel Koh, Zaki Lakhani, Teresa Lu-Romeo, Jan Riecke, Luísa Shida, Aaron Shuchman, Kaitlyn Tsai, Derek Yuan, Aqib Zakaria, and Michael Zhao on this accomplishment.
The group of “Final Seniors” joins 72 of their classmates who were inducted over the past year, including fellow Gov concentrators Felix Chen, Ryan Doan-Nguyen, Addie Esposito, Eytan Goldstein, Ethan Jasny, Anna MacLennan, Kaleena Roeva, and Katalina Toth.
Earlier this week (Tuesday, May 27), the Phi Beta Kappa Literary Exercises event was held in Sanders Theatre. Dozens of graduating scholars elected to the Phi Beta Kappa Society gathered for the two-hour ceremony, which was blessed by the Rev. Matthew Ichihashi Potts, Pusey Minister in the Memorial Church, and heard from two speakers: the poet Arthur Sze and Rakesh Khurana, the Danoff Dean of Harvard College.
The event not only celebrated the inductees but also awarded a number of prizes, with Professor Steven Levitsky winning one of the three teaching prizes.
The Harvard Gazette covered the event as part of its Commencement 2025 series, read the article here, as did Harvard Magazine, read the article here.
Founded in 1779, Harvard’s chapter of Phi Beta Kappa is the nation’s oldest in continuous existence, with a mission rooted in “Philosophy the guide of life.” The Society’s enduring commitment is to honor academic excellence, intellectual curiosity, and depth of study in the liberal arts and sciences. For generations, election to Phi Beta Kappa has recognized students who exemplify excellence, originality, and rigor in their coursework, as well as breadth of interest and intellectual honesty.
Becoming a member of Phi Beta Kappa is a testament to both high achievement and the pursuit of meaningful inquiry across disciplines. Congratulations to our newest Government inductees!