Dean Nicola Foote was named an honorary member of Phi Beta Kappa

Nicola Foote, dean of the University of Pittsburgh David C. Frederick Honors College, was named an honorary member of the prestigious academic honors society Phi Beta Kappa for her contributions since being named dean in 2021.

Under Foote’s leadership, the honors college received a generous naming gift from David C. Frederick, Pitt’s first Rhodes scholar. Admissions have climbed over 400%, the Frederick Honors College was ranked among the top honors colleges nationally and dozens of honors students have been nationally recognized for their achievements.

“Receiving an honorary induction into Phi Beta Kappa and having the opportunity to keynote the ceremony was one of the greatest privileges of my career,” Foote said. “Phi Beta Kappa has been considered the most prestigious honors society for centuries. Many of our own FHC students have been inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, and it’s an incredible joy to join them in this honor.”

Phi Beta Kappa was founded in 1776 to celebrate freedom of thought as well as academic excellence in the liberal arts and sciences. Since, the organization has inducted 17 U.S. presidents, 42 Supreme Court justices, and over 150 Nobel laureates. Only 10% of U.S. universities, including Pitt, offer Phi Beta Kappa chapters, and only 10% of arts and sciences graduates at those universities are selected to join each year.

Photography courtesy of the Frederick Honors College