Phi Beta Kappa
Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest national honors society in the United States and counts amongst its members, presidents, Supreme Court Justices and leaders of public institutions and private enterprises.
Lehman College hosts the Chi (X) of New York Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. It was founded in 1971 and boasts hundreds of members.
Chapter Officers
Prof. Martin Burke, President
Prof. Robert T. Valentine, Vice-President
Prof. Anna Luerssen, Secretary
Prof. Francisco A. Montaño, Treasurer
Prof. Carole Weisz, Program Director
Prof. Keith Happaney, Faculty Adviser
Nomination Criteria
To be considered for acceptance into the Lehman College chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, all students must meet minimum GPA requirements, have an education in the Liberal Arts, and show that they spent much of their academic career at Lehman College.
Specific Requirements:
- Juniors: GPA of 3.8+
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Seniors: GPA of 3.7+
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At least ONE language course numbered 200-level or above in any of the following language areas: ARB, CHI, FRE, GER, GRK, HEB, IRI, ITA, JAL, LAT, POR, RUS, SPA, WFL
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Note: Course codes LAC and LNG are not eligible
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Minimum of 60 local credits at Lehman College
2026 Inductees
Name |
Department |
|---|---|
| Sara Abdulla | Computer Graphics & Imaging (MHC) |
| Audrey Adon-Rosario | Biology (MHC) |
| Chelsea Agyemang | History, Political Science |
| Fatima Alesayi | Psychology |
| Alina Arias | Economics & Mathematics |
| Yarinel Bautista-Hernandez | Psychology |
| Ayiana Cabrera | Sociology |
| Maria Campos | Accounting |
| Roberta Cecere | Biology |
| Selena Cruz-Segundo | Nursing |
| Khadim Diakhate | Biology |
| Jimhar Dipti | Business Administration |
| Eugenia Donkor | Nursing |
| Bernardo Falcao | Mathematics |
| Georgina Geraldino-Roman | Business Administration |
| Melissa Gonzalez | Health Services Administration |
| Michele James | Health Services Administration |
| Stecey Jean-Pierre | Nursing |
| Harmanjeet Kaur | Multimedia Performing Arts |
| Natalie Lingayo | Nursing (MHC) |
| Celine Liriano | Health Services Administration |
| Alexis Martinez | Social Work |
| Amelia Mercado | Speech Pathology & Audiology |
| Marisa Miechphon | Chemistry (MHC) |
| Cindy Molina | Spanish Teacher |
| Timothy Mui | Exercise Science (MHC) |
| Josephine Obeng | Nursing |
| Silvia Ortega | Spanish Teacher |
| Ortega-Rodriquez | Latin American & Caribbean Studies, Spanish |
| Alahna Ortiz | Psycholog |
| Oluwabusayomi Owoaje | Biology |
| Julianna Peña | Media Communication Studies |
| William Pimentel | Art |
| Alan Rivera | Economics |
| Jade Ruiz | TV Studies, Psychology |
| Yahilyn Servones | Psychology |
| Jimena Silva | Biology |
| Israel Thomas | Music |
| Justyn Tobal | Computer Science |
| Naffe Toure | Accounting |
| Perla Ulerio-Fernandez | Accounting |
| Shanelly Vargas-Parra | Speech Pathology & Audiology |
| Molly Varillas | Business Administration |
| Mikita Varughese | Nursing (MHC) |
| Theodore Zapata | Psychology |
| MHC= Macaulay Honors College | |
Past Inductees
Name |
Department |
|---|---|
| Noora Abdulla | Speech Pathology & Audiology (MHC) |
| Caroline Alba | Art, Therapeutic Recreation |
| Muhaimin Ali | Computer Science |
| Viniel Payano Alixia | English |
| Kevin Allen | Art |
| Ellen Alvarez | Latin American And Caribbean Studies |
| Zef Amargo | Nursing (MHC) |
| Irangelys Arias | Speech Pathology & Audiology |
| Litsy Blanco | Latin American And Caribbean Studies, Philosophy |
| Perla Calixto | Psychology (MHC) |
| Diomary Carraway | Spanish |
| Immanuel Castro | Nursing |
| Tri Dinh | Biology (MHC) |
| Ja-El-Lucina Dozier | Film & Tv Studies, Multimedia Performing Arts |
| Juana Echavarria | Social Work |
| Marwa Emreish | Computer Graphics & Imaging |
| Zelinette Estrada | Physics |
| Ashley Fernandez | Accounting, Business Administration |
| Altagracia Fernandez Polanco | Accounting |
| Samuel Flores | Exercise Science |
| Monserrate Godinez | English |
| Felix Guzman | Music |
| Musleh Haifa | Spanish (MHC) |
| Hephsibah Jacob | Accounting (MHC) |
| Xhulia Kolaj | Speech Pathology & Audiology |
| Fatima Largo Zari | Social Work |
| Arianna Maldonado | Speech Pathology & Audiology |
| Emmily Margan | Nursing |
| Alexandra Marquez | Nursing |
| Marie Marquez | Accounting |
| Leslie Marte | Philosophy |
| Gladys Martinez | Psychology |
| Arely Martinez Garcia | Computer Science |
| Iveli Mendez | Latin American And Caribbean Studies |
| Andrea Mendieta | Spanish |
| Melanie Munoz | Political Science |
| Natalie Nava Herrera | Exercise Science |
| Lisayi Nunez | Speech Pathology & Audiology |
| Reem Ockeh | English |
| Sara Gail Opinaldo | Environmental Science |
| Yordy Ovalle | Computer Science, Psychology |
| Alexis Palladino | Linguistics |
| Gary Pazmino | Psychology, |
| Lisbeth Peralta Quiroz | Social Work (MHC) |
| Christina Porter | Health Services Administration (MHC) |
| Julia Quetell | Biology, Psychology |
| Daniela Reyes | Psychology |
| Aguilar Reynaldo | Business Administration |
| Ian Reynoso | Theatre |
| David Rivas | Computer Information Systems |
| Altagracia Rosario Brito | Social Work |
| Evelyn Salazar | Spanish Teacher |
| Emy Vasquez Perez | Biology |
| Angelica Veloz | English |
| Jinjie Zhu | Speech Pathology & Audiology (MHC) |
| MHC= Macaulay Honors College | |
Name |
Department |
|---|---|
| Erianna Abreu | Nursing |
| Jeslynn Imani Cortés | Latino Studies |
| Daniela B. Fernandez | Spanish Teacher |
| Jency Fernandez | Spanish |
| Yaa Hatchett | Health Services Administration |
| Licelot Eva Hayes | Latin American & Caribbean Studies |
| Gissel J. Jn Pierre | Nursing |
| Ina Lee | Mathematics (MHC) |
| Franzien Earl Locloc Liked | Nursing (MHC) |
| Nadia Gabriela Medina | Psychology |
| Graciella Marie Narazaki | Nursing |
| Thadashy Nunez | Psychology |
| Ruth Eliana Perez Mercado | Speech Pathology & Audiology |
| Gabrielle Adela Ramirez | Business Administration |
| Simíra Whitney Santé Smith | Biology (MHC) |
| Emely Jackelline Tavarez Lima | English |
| Guadalupe Valdovinos | English (MHC) |
| Meghan Estephania Villalba | English |
| MHC= Macaulay Honors College | |
Phi Beta Kappa: America’s Path to Scholarship
On December 5, 1776, just five months after independence was declared, five students of the College of William & Mary met in the Apollo Room of the Raleigh tavern in Williamsburg, Virginia, to begin a scholastic legacy that continues to flourish to this day. Departing from the regimented curriculum of the colleges of their day, their discussions gave a “new birth of freedom” for open-ended academic exchange.
As this concept spread to other states, additional chapters were formed and collectively became the first collegiate society to be identified with a Greek letter name, ΦΒΚ. Phi Beta Kappa’s name is derived from the motto of its founders, “Love of Learning is the Guide of Life,” which continues to resonate down to our own time. Phi Beta Kappa has over 290 Chapters at American colleges and universities, along with 50 active alumni associations. Some seventeen Presidents of the United States (including Franklin Delano Roosevelt and William Jefferson Clinton), forty-two Supreme Court Justices, and over 150 Nobel Laureates have become members of Phi Beta Kappa.
The Golden Key is a living symbol of academic achievement and commitment to community service. Today, your love of learning is duly recognized and will continue to guide your lives and, invariably, those of others.
For further reading, consult Richard N. Current, Phi Beta Kappa in American Life (Oxford University Press, 1990).