Six CDDRL Honors Students Elected to Phi Beta Kappa
Six CDDRL Honors Students Elected to Phi Beta Kappa
Katya Bigman, John Churchill, Elizabeth Jerstad, George Porteus, Emma Wang, and Marco Widodo are among the newest members of this prestigious academic honors society.
The Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law would like to congratulate six outstanding students from its Fisher Family Honors Program Classes of 2025, 2026, and 2027 on their election to Phi Beta Kappa. Phi Beta Kappa is a nationwide society that honors students for the excellence and breadth of their undergraduate scholarly accomplishments.
The following students have been elected into the society:
Katya Bigman, '27 | John Churchill, '27 | |
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| Major: Management Science & Engineering; International Relations Minor: Slavic Languages & Literature Hometown: Houston, TX Tentative Thesis Title: Privatization and State Reassertion: Post-Soviet Lessons for Market Reform | Major: International Relations Minor: Math Hometown: Pound Ridge, NY Tentative Thesis Title: Food Security: School Meal Programs in Latin America and China | |
Elizabeth Jerstad, '25 | George Porteous, '27 | |
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| Major: International Relations Minor: Slavic Languages & Literature Hometown: Sioux Falls, SD Thesis Title: You Can Run, But You Can't Hide: Transnational Repression in Wartime Russia | Major: History Minor: Creative Writing Hometown: New York, NY Tentative Thesis Title: Alternative Media Ecosystems and Right-Wing Populism: An Ethnographic Study of Information in ‘Post-Newspaper’ America | |
Emma Wang, '26* | Marco Widodo, '26 | |
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Major: Political Science *Inducted in 2025 | Major: Political Science Minor: Economics, Music Hometown: Jakarta, Indonesia Thesis Title: Why Resist? The Microfoundations of Democratic Resilience in an Age of Backsliding |
Membership in Phi Beta Kappa is a recognition that signifies not only academic achievement but also a commitment to the values of liberal arts education, including critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, and a desire to make a positive impact on society. Please join us in congratulating Katya, John, Elizabeth, George, Emma, and Marco on this outstanding achievement!
