Overview
Phi Beta Kappa is a nationwide society honoring students for the excellence and breadth of their undergraduate scholarly accomplishments. Membership in the Stanford Chapter (Beta of California) is open to undergraduates of all majors. To be elected to Phi Beta Kappa at Stanford, a student must achieve academic distinction in the major as well as in courses across a broad range of fields.
Election to Phi Beta Kappa
Elections are guided by stipulations set forth by the national office of the Phi Beta Kappa Society.
Ten percent of the members of each graduating class are elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Among these, up to one fifth are chosen in their junior year and the remainder in their senior year.
Elections to Phi Beta Kappa are held annually during spring quarter, and elected students are notified by the middle of May. To be considered for election with the appropriate graduating class, spring quarter graduates must meet the application deadline for spring quarter conferral of their undergraduate degree as set by the Registrar's Office. Students whose undergraduate degree is conferred in summer, autumn, or winter quarter are considered for election during the spring following their undergraduate degree conferral. Students who transferred to Stanford must have completed at least 75 units of academic work at Stanford by the time of election.
No action is needed to be considered for election to Phi Beta Kappa. The academic records of all eligible students are automatically reviewed. Anonymity in the election process is ensured by removal of students' names from their academic records prior to consideration.
Students are elected on the basis of excellence of study across the liberal arts and sciences, as exhibited by grade point average and breadth of completed coursework.
Minimum breadth requirements for election include having earned, by the time of election, a letter grade of B- or better in at least three Stanford courses of three or more units in each of the following three major domains of scholarship: humanities; social sciences; and natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics. Students who transferred to Stanford in their sophomore year must have completed at Stanford at least two courses in each of the major domains. Students who transferred to Stanford in their junior year must have completed at Stanford at least two courses in two of the major domains and one course in the third domain.
The courses that are considered toward each major academic domain are decided upon by each year's election committee upon examination of the content of individual courses, and may or may not correspond to departmental or General Education Requirement categorizations. PWR 1, PWR 2, a first THINK course, IHUM, and first-year language courses are not considered toward the breadth criterion for election. The election committee’s deliberations are confidential.
Students convicted of a violation of the Honor Code or Fundamental Standard are not eligible for election.
Learn More About Phi Beta Kappa
Phi Beta Kappa SOCIETY NATIONAL Web Site
Phi Beta Kappa Northern California Association
Officers
For inquiries about the Stanford chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, please email Chapter Secretary Raymond Chen at rechen@stanford.edu .
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| President | Professor Hank Greely |
| Secretary | Raymond Chen |
| Treasurer | Mark Tendall |
Phi Beta Kappa Teaching Prize
The Phi Beta Kappa Teaching Prize recognizes excellence in teaching and the ability to inspire intellectual and personal development in and beyond the classroom. This may include, but is not limited to, encouraging critical, analytical, and creative thinking, taking an active interest in students as individuals, and influencing the way students think about the world.
Every year, members of Phi Beta Kappa present this award to an outstanding member of the faculty. Nominations are accepted from members of the senior class. The winner is selected by a committee of previous award recipients and Phi Beta Kappa Council members.
Past recipients are listed below:
| Year | Recipient | Department |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Bridgette Martin Hard | Coordinator and Lecturer for the Psychology One Program |
| 2016 | Audrey K. Bowden | Assistant Professor, Electrical Engineering |
| 2016 | Mary Beth Mudgett | Professor, Biology |
| 2015 | Jeremy Sabol | Lecturer, Structured Liberal Education and Master of Liberal Arts |
| 2015 | Edith Sheffer | Assistant Professor, History and, by courtesy, German Studies |
| 2014 | Julie Kennedy | Professor, Environmental Earth System Science |
| 2014 | Cintia Santana | Lecturer, Division of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages |
| 2013 | Russell Berman | Professor, Comparative Literature and German Studies |
| 2013 | Kathleen Coll | Lecturer, Anthropology |
| 2013 | Allyson Hobbs | Assistant Professor, History |
| 2012 | Daniel Carlos Garza | Assistant Professor, Orthopedic Surgery and Emergency Medicine |
| 2012 | Stephen Haber | Professor, Political Science and History |
| 2012 | Michael Rosenfeld | Associate Professor, Sociology |
| 2011 | James Campbell | Professor, History |
| 2010 | Donald Barr | Associate Professor, Pediatrics |
| 2009 | James Gross | Professor, Psychology |
| 2008 | Rob Reich | Associate Professor, Political Science |
| 2007 | Elizabeth Tallent | Professor, English |
| 2006 | Alyssa O'Brien | Lecturer, Program in Writing and Rhetoric |
| 2005 | Steve Tadelis | Professor, Economics |
| 2004 | Gavin Jones | Professor, English |
| 2003 | Armin Rosenkrantz | Lecturer, Human Biology |
| 2002 | Wanda Corn | Professor, Art |
| 2001 | Robert Gregg | Professor, Religious Studies |
| 2000 | Marsh McCall | Professor, Classics |
| 1999 | Christopher Edwards | Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering |
| 1998 | Thomas Wandless | Assistant Professor, Chemistry |
| 1997 | James Watanabe | Lecturer, Biological Sciences (Hopkins Marine Station) |
| 1996 | Robert McGinn | Professor, Management Science and Engineering |
| 1994 | Donald Kennedy | Professor, Biological Sciences and Human Biology |
| 1993 | Robert Waymouth | Professor, Chemistry |
| 1992 | Jody Maxmin | Associate Professor, Art |
| 1991 | David Brady | Professor, Political Science |
Phi Beta Kappa Graduate Student Scholarship
Each year, the Northern California Association of Phi Beta Kappa invites Stanford students currently pursuing graduate studies or professional degrees to apply for the annual graduate scholarship valued at $5000 - $7500.
- Applicants must have been elected to Phi Beta Kappa by a chapter anywhere in the United States, and must be currently enrolled graduate or professional students.
- Application materials include:
- application form
- a statement of objectives and accomplishments
- summary of research
- writing sample, and
- three confidential letters of recommendation submitted directly by the writer to Raymond Chen at rechen@stanford.edu .
Applicants apply to the Stanford chapter of Phi Beta Kappa which will select up to six applications to forward to the Northern California competition.
For the 2017 scholarship, the campus deadline is Thursday, February 16, 2017 at 12 noon. Completed application materials should be submitted to Raymond Chen at rechen@stanford.edu .
For the application form and guidelines, visit www.pbknca.org (and click Scholarship > Apply for Scholarship).
To view a list of scholarship recipients, visit www.pbknca.org (and click Scholarship > Awardees).
Inquiries can be addressed to Courtney Winters at cwinters@stanford.edu or Raymond Chen at rechen@stanford.edu .
Phi Beta Kappa Writing Internship
The national office of Phi Beta Kappa offers a writing internship for new Phi Beta Kappa members. Interns will have the opportunity to write web articles for The Key Reporter (www.keyreporter.org), Phi Beta Kappa's news publication.
For details, application procedures, and contact information regarding the internship, visit http://www.keyreporter.org/PbkNews/PbkNews/Details/912.html .
