Phi Beta Delta to induct 57 new members March 17

Phi Beta Delta to induct 57 new members March 17March 14, 2008Kelly Homan Rodoskikahoman@syr.edu

Fifty-seven new members will be inducted into Phi Beta Delta’s Alpha Sigma chapter at Syracuse University in a ceremony on Monday, March 17, at 4 p.m. in Grant Auditorium. Members of the University community are welcome to attend.

Phi Beta Delta is the first honor society dedicated to recognizing scholarly achievement in international education. In addition to scholarly achievement, the society recognizes U.S. students who have studied abroad and faculty and staff who are involved in international activities.

Current executive board members of the Alpha Sigma chapter nominated for induction members of the SU community whose commitment to internationalization deserved recognition and, in the case of students, whose academic performance met eligibility standards. The cohort of new inductees includes 28 undergraduate and 19 graduate students, and 10 SU faculty and staff members. These new members come from the United States and many other countries.

Geraldine de Berly, president of the Alpha Sigma chapter and associate dean of University College, will preside over the ceremony, assisted by Patricia Burak, director of the Slutzker Center for International Services and Alpha Sigma’s chapter coordinator. Other officers of the Alpha Sigma chapter will assist in the induction ceremony, including Elane Granger, associate director of the Slutzker Center, president-elect; Jon Booth, executive director of SU Abroad; Suzanne Shane, associate director of SU Abroad; Lynn A. Dunyk, administrative specialist of the Slutzker Center and Betty L. Briggs of the English Language Institute, who share responsibilities as secretary/treasurer; and Kenneth O. Miles, associate director of athletics, vice president.

The keynote address will be delivered by Senior Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs Barry L. Wells, who will be inducted as an honorary member. A reception will be held immediately following the induction ceremony. All past and current members of the chapter are encouraged to attend and welcome the new inductees. Anyone interested in the organization is also invited to attend and find out more about the organization.

The inductees include: Beverly Allen, Yubraj Acharya, Hyo Seok Bae, Alana Basloe, Lauren Bertolini, Silvia Bliss, Richard L. Breyer, Dympna C. Callaghan, Melissa Rene Chapman, Jennifer Ann Chaput, Awa Diop, Alyssa Blair Dossick, Joshua Todd Eberle, Kseniya V. Evseeva, Jennifer L. Feden, Krista Flynt, Mark D. Geyer, Ian Wilson Heyns, John Michael Jedzinak, Kathleen M. Joyce, Arsalan Kahnemuyipour, Rochelle Marie Kennedy, Jiwon Kim, Leah Abigail Kleinman, Andrea Knestel, Jaklin Kornfilt, Ankit Kulshrestha, Christopher Roderick Kyle, Guillaume Lechasseur, John Roland Mathiason, Margaret Eleni McWeeney, Hongsik Moon, Erin Elizabeth Morrissey, Alexandra Krystyna Natoli, Quang Vinh Nguyen, Eric Mugambi Nthiga, Orwa Michael Otieno, Daniel C. Porcaro, Cyre Mercedes Quinones, Bethany Ambre Rissler, Mathias Meinhard Sajovitz, Adria Lauren Saracino, Soumitri Sarkar, Jessica Elizabeth Sauve, Kristine Marie Schlachter, Huitao Sheng, Prashant Shetty, Aminata Sidibe, Timothy Richard Sydlo, Carolyn Hai-Yan Tong, Dennis Racca Viernes, Ashley Waring, Barry L. Wells, Gretchen Soplop Wintermantel, Yanjun Yan, Jueman Zhang and Yingxuan Zhu.

In his 31st year at SU, Wells leads the student affairs operation and is a key member of the University’s senior administration as the senior vice president and dean of student affairs. Wells, who joined the University in 1976, has established and developed several programs and services, and has taught courses in the University’s Honors Program and in The College of Arts and Sciences.

For 11 years, he has served as the University’s senior student affairs officer. He is responsible to Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor for oversight of the Division of Student Affairs, which serves tens of thousands of students each year by working collaboratively with students, faculty, staff and community members to create programs and services that encourage and promote the excellence, access and support, and engagement with the world that define Scholarship in Action. Leadership for the Slutzker Center for International Services has been directed and supported by Wells throughout his tenure.

Prior to assuming his current position, Wells held several positions at SU, including vice president and dean, associate dean, assistant dean and director of academic advising and counseling services, associate director of financial aid, assistant director for student services for minority affairs, and as SU’s first coordinator for minority affairs. In 2004, he was recognized with the Chancellor’s Citation for Distinguished Service, the University’s highest honor for a staff member.

He has written and presented widely on a range of topics, including leadership, academic advising, student success and retention, academic integrity and diversity in higher education. Wells is a strong advocate of community service. In addition to serving on the board of directors of Vera House and serving as honorary chair of its 2005 White Ribbon Campaign against domestic violence, he has also served on the boards of Syracuse Stage, the Salvation Army, the Community Folk Art Center and the Dunbar Association. He is the recipient of several community honors, including 2006 Citizen of the Year Honors from Temple Adath Yesharun.