Eckerd College welcomes two honorary members to one of its largest Phi Beta Kappa inductions

Large group of students, staff and faculty standing on outdoor patio

Seniors, juniors and honorary members were inducted into the Zeta chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest academic honor society. Photos by Katie Willgohs ’21

With 45 student inductees, this year’s Zeta chapter of Phi Beta Kappa induction ceremony, held in Fox Hall on May 15, was one of the largest in Eckerd College history.

The induction included 38 seniors, seven juniors and two honorary members, as well as recognition of the three seniors who had been inducted last year as juniors.

Founded in 1776, Phi Beta Kappa is the nation’s oldest academic honor society, and fewer than 300 U.S. institutions have a chapter, says Lisa Bonner, Ph.D., president of Phi Beta Kappa, Zeta of Florida, since 2019 and associate professor of chemistry.

Professor of Literature and Comparative Literature Jared Stark, Ph.D., was inducted as an honorary member for being a dedicated advocate for liberal arts. Honorary members must meet the criteria for membership based on their careers and scholarly endeavors, and PBK is required to reach out to a prospective honorary member’s undergraduate institution to ensure there is no glaring reason why the candidate wasn’t inducted previously, Bonner says.

Ansley Bossart ’25

“Being awarded a chapter at the institution is a very rigorous process, involving years of preparation and on-site visits from multiple members of PBK,” she says. “It is a point of significant national distinction that Eckerd has a PBK chapter.”

James D. Moore Jr., from the College’s Class of 1968 and recently retired after 50 years of medical practice, was completely surprised by his Phi Beta Kappa honorary member nomination. He says he’s not certain why or how, exactly, he was nominated but notes he graduated with high honors.

“It is quite an honor, a humbling one indeed, to be considered for membership in such a prestigious honor society. After almost 60 years, I did not expect to be even a footnote in the academic history of Florida Presbyterian [now Eckerd] College,” he says.

As a young man, Moore chose the College for its refreshingly innovative curriculum and forward-thinking faculty, not to mention the amazing location, he recalls.

He attended medical school at the Medical College of Virginia, did his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at MCV, and had an extremely busy practice. Also an Eckerd College Honorary Board Trustee, since 2007, Moore has been married 50 years and has two children—including a son who graduated from Eckerd in 2000.

Man in glasses and suit and tie signs where a professor points

Professor of Literature Jared Stark signs the roster.

Group of four faculty stand side by side

Left to right: Professors Jared Stark, Lisa Bonner, James Janack and Crystal Young-Erdos

One of this year’s student inductees is Ansley Bossart, a senior majoring in animal studies from Milton, Georgia. She says she hadn’t expected to be inducted and was pleasantly surprised when she received the congratulatory email.

“It is such an honor because students that are inducted—which is usually less than 10% of seniors each year—are selected by the chapter,” Ansley says.

Some requirements include class standing, majoring in a liberal arts discipline, a 3.75 minimum GPA in liberal arts classes, and demonstration of knowledge of two years of a foreign language, Ansley explains. Students are selected based on their character, scholarly excellence and distinguished liberal arts record, she says.

Bonner adds that the student initiates also go through a conduct check and are cleared by Community Standards and the Academic Honor Council. And once you’re inducted into PBK, you are a member for life.

After graduating this month, Ansley will assist in shark research fieldwork with the Georgia Aquarium and hopes to work in animal care and training later down the road—preferably near the beach.

She is grateful for this induction and overall Eckerd experience and feels she’s “gained such valuable knowledge, experiences and relationships.”

Michael Lee, a senior environmental studies and international relations and global affairs student from Columbus, Ohio, was inducted this year as well.

“I am very honored to be inducted into this chapter of PBK,” Michael says, “because it means I did a very good job in my undergraduate career in the liberal arts and because I feel that my hard work in my college career is paying off.”

Initially not realizing he’d met the requirements, Michael had been surprised to learn he was going to be inducted. After finding out, he further researched PBK to understand the selection process.

Student dressed in suit and tie shakes hands

Michael Lee ’25

“I encourage all students at Eckerd to pursue all of their academic goals during their undergraduate career and beyond,” he says. “Hard work pays off, and to all who have more time at Eckerd: Enjoy it and take advantage of all the amazing opportunities that Eckerd has to offer.”

As of now, Michael plans to move to Spain in the fall and teach English for at least a year.

“Being a member of PBK is a significant feather in one’s cap,” Bonner says. “It is a membership in a society of intellectuals who understand the value of an education based in the liberal arts and sciences, and who recognize that an education is a means of progress.”

Not only did Ansley and Michael—and all of the inductees—get to celebrate at the ceremony, but they received a PBK cord to wear at graduation.