2023 Student Inductees
The Phi Beta Kappa Society’s Omega of California chapter at Loyola Marymount University inducted the following students in 2023:
Anastasia Akimkina is a double major in Environmental Studies and Modern Languages with concentrations in Spanish and French. She is a member of the Alpha Sigma Nu Honor Society and recipient of the Elsbeth Schulz-Bischof Memorial Scholarship, and has been named to the Dean’s List all three of her years at LMU. Akimkina works with LMU Career and Professional Development as a Peer Advisor helping students with resumes, cover letters, and interviews, and organizing professional development and leadership-targeted workshops. She is President of the LMU French Club, promoting French language and culture studies and organizing cultural events, and Director of Events for the Alpha Phi Sorority. After graduation, Akimkina plans to work in an international and environmentally-related field utilizing her four languages.
Ruth Alcantara, a Political Science major and Spanish minor, is a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society; Order of Omega, a leadership honor society for fraternities and sororities; and Marians Service Organization, which is dedicated to the betterment of women and children through service and activism. She has served as President of the Spanish Club and both Vice President of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion and Head of Standards for the Delta Zeta Sorority, and is currently the President of Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity. Alcantara has presented the research completed for her honors thesis on the value of higher education at LMU’s Undergraduate Research Symposium and the Midwest Political Science Association. She has held multiple on-campus jobs, mentored students at Lennox Middle School, volunteered at No Limits for Deaf Children and the Alexandria House, and interned for two local mayoral campaigns, and is currently working as a campaign organizer. Following graduation, Alcantara plans to continue campaign work and attend law school.
Brigette Andrade, an International Relations and Spanish double major is a member of Delta Zeta Sorority, Latin Student Union, Phi Delta Phi Pre-Law Honors Society, and On Another Acapella Group, and serves as the President of Women in Politics, which focuses on civically engaging marginalized groups. She has worked at the LMU Recreation Center and is currently a student clerk in the Political Science and International Relations department. Andrade has participated in a study abroad program to Paris and an Alternative Breaks trip to Nogales, Mexico, and plans to travel to Morocco with Alternative Breaks in the summer of 2023 to work with human rights activists on Sub-Saharan migration. Following graduation, Andrade plans to attend law school with a focus on international or criminal law.
Gisele Casanova, a Biology major and French minor, is conducting research on Haberlea rhodopensis, a plant species, and has co-authored a paper on gene investigation in Drosophila melanogaster flies after finding new SX4w+ transposon inserts. She is a certified Emergency Medical Technician and will be working this summer as an Interfacility Paramedic while continuing to volunteer at the Contra Coast Regional Medical Center in the Psychiatric and Labor and Delivery departments, providing patient care to underserved individuals and aid to nursing staff and physicians. Following graduation, Casanova plans to attend medical school.
Maria-Jose Cepeda, a Psychology major and Spanish minor, is a recipient of the LMU Social Justice Scholarship and a proud First to Go Scholar. She published the article “El lado oscuro de Venezuela en Pelo Malo,” in the 2021-2022 volume of La Voz, the student journal of LMU’s Spanish Club. Cepeda’s future plans include pursuing a career in consumer psychology or art therapy.
Kayla Chang, a Philosophy and Environmental Studies double major with a minor in Bioethics, is a member of Alpha Sigma Nu, the Jesuit honor society; Phi Sigma Tau, the philosophy honors society; and Phi Delta Phi, the pre-law honor society, which she serves as Vice President. She has held internships and positions with Friends of Ballona Wetlands, LMU’s Bioethics Institute, and the court system, and is currently Advocacy Coordinator for the nonprofit Water Insecurity Correction Coalition. Chang’s research has addressed accessibility concerns for sustainable development, pollution in Los Angeles, and environmental activism through art, and her eco-poetry has been published in the journals Attic Salt and LA Miscellany. Following graduation, she plans to attend law school with an emphasis on environmental law.
Catherine Ibarra Channell, a Biology major with minors in Biochemistry and Health & Society, is an LMU Trustee Scholar and a member of Alpha Sigma Nu, the Jesuit honors society. She has served as a teaching assistant for the Biology and Chemistry departments, President of the University Honors program, Treasurer and Honors Chair of the biology honors society Beta Beta Beta, and Service and Social Justice Chair of the LMU service organization Gryphon Circle. Channell was as a Contact Tracer for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health during the COVID-19 pandemic and her research on lactase persistence frequencies has led to clinical research internships at Boston Children’s Hospital and Stanford’s Cardiovascular Institute, in addition to poster presentations for the LMU, West Coast Biological Sciences, and National Institute of Health’s Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases undergraduate research symposiums. Following graduation, Channell plans to attend medical school.
Iliana Chen, an Environmental Studies and Elementary Education with a concentration in Mathematics double major, is working towards her California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. She is the Vice President of the BALI Club and has led campaigns raising tens of thousands of dollars for an eco-learning center providing holistic education to children in rural Indonesia, and is also a member of the Creare Service Organization, through which she volunteers at Alma Backyard Farms teaching workshops in sustainable agricultural practices to elementary-aged students. Chen has also led multiple service learning trips focusing on environmental, educational, and general social justice issues, including the Center for Service and Action’s Alternative Breaks trips to Appalachia and Puerto Rico, the Campus Ministry’s De Colores trips to Tijuana, Mexico, and the Suwandi Foundation’s Education Empowerment trips to Bali, Indonesia. She works in the Outreach and Engagement Department at the William H. Hannon Library assisting with events, and researches, collects, and reads children's books to preschool students from the LMU Children’s Center.
Beatrice Choroser, a Political Science and Spanish double major with a minor in Peace and Justice Studies, is Vice President of Membership for the Espérer Service Organization, a student-led organization focusing on human trafficking awareness and prevention and environmental justice. As a member, Choroser has volunteered with non-profits including the Friends of Ballona, the Venice Learning Garden, and Heal the Bay. Choroser is also a member of the Women’s Swim Team and has been recognized with scholar athlete awards for each of her years at LMU and named to the Academic All-American Team. Following graduation, she plans to attend law school and pursue a career in immigration or criminal law.
Taylor Dischinger, an English and Marketing double-major, is a member of the Crimson Circle service organization and editor of the English department’s Criterion journal. He works as a Resident Advisor, Communications Assistant for the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts, and Brand Management Assistant for the Stephanie Younger Group. After graduation he hopes to continue exploring storytelling in its many mediums and work as a writer in the entertainment industry.
Kiarah Hewitt, a Philosophy and Biology double major, is a member of the Phi Sigma Tau philosophy honor society. She has received numerous academic awards during her time at LMU, including the Arrupe Scholarship, AAA Pediatric Hearts Center Scholarship, and Burcham/Boschetto Family Award. Hewitt has served as the philosophy department tutor, a Lions for Learning Tutor, a research assistant in the Biology department, and an LMU Orientation leader. She will be graduating Magna Cum Laude and attending graduate school for philosophy.
Giana Hubbard, an Economics major and pre-medical student, is a member of the University Honors Program, which she serves as Vice President; Omicron Delta Epsilon, the Economics honor society; Alpha Sigma Nu, the Jesuit honors society, for which she is the Secretary; and LMU’s Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students, as the Membership Chair. She has worked for two summers on cancer research through the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science and UCLA’s Undergraduate Cancer Research Training Program, focusing on breast cancer health disparities in Los Angeles County and gene expression to determine the effect of an insulin-like growth factor on non-breast cancer tumor growth and metastasis. Hubbard has taken this experience into the research for her Honors Thesis, which looks at health disparities through a health economics lens, highlighting the social determinants of health. She has also been a teaching assistant and a research assistant in the Economics Department, a course tutor through the Academic Resource Center, and a private math and science tutor for elementary, high school and college students. During the pandemic, Hubbard developed her Spanish language skills and explored her family’s Panamanian culture and traditions by providing health updates to an elderly family friend. While at LMU she also completed pre-medical coursework through UCLA Extension, and after graduation will be returning to UCLA for additional cancer research and applying to medical schools.
Natalie Gifford, a Humanities major with a concentration in Sociology, has served as Director of Outreach for ECO Students and was the first Director of Outreach for The Real Estate Society at LMU. She has worked at a start-up to help companies carbon-neutralize their products and as a website content specialist to collaborate on magazine and email advertising, and interned at Home Shopping Network creating ads for social media platforms. Gifford also volunteers at the Honey Brook Food Pantry in her home state of Pennsylvania, and has volunteered with the Asian Pacific Islander Forward Movement (APIFM) at a food distribution site. She also has taken an Indigenous Canada course through the University of Alberta to learn more about indigenous populations in Canada and the United States. Following graduation, Gifford plans to pursue a career in digital marketing.
Sebastian Ibarra, a History major and a member of Alpha Sigma Nu, is the recipient of scholarships from Alpha Sigma Nu, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. He has worked as a tutor for the non-profit organization Friends of La Ballona Wetlands, volunteers summers for the Culver City Unified School District assisting students and parents with middle and high school registration, and is a Peer Leader for the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts. Following graduation, Ibarra plans to pursue a career in audiology alongside helping his parents in real estate.
Isabella López, a Biology major and Dance minor, is part of the Academic Community of Excellence (ACE), and a member of Beta Beta Beta, the national biological honor society; Sigma Xi, the scientific research honor society; and, Alpha Sigma Nu, the honor society of Jesuit colleges and universities. Her collaborative research on determining the health of the Tree Swallow population at the Ballona Wetlands has been presented at the Wilson Ornithological Society Annual Conference and LMU Undergraduate Research Symposium, and will be presented at the West Coast Biological Sciences Undergraduate Research Conference. López received the ACE Outstanding Academic Achievement Award in 2021, 2022, and 2023, and the ACE Marshall Sauceda Rising Scholar Award. For the past two years she has volunteered at ETS After School Tutoring where she tutors in math and science. After graduation, López plans to take a gap year and conduct medical research, then apply to medical school.
Anacan Mangelsdorf is a Philosophy major and Computer Science minor. His excellence in the study of Philosophy and Ancient Greek has been recognized by his election to the Phi Sigma Tau and Eta Sigma Phil honors societies, and his paper on Aristophanes and Plato's Symposium recently won an undergraduate essay award. Mangelsdorf will be graduating summa cum laude and continuing his study of philosophy in graduate school.
Leah Mizuno, a Biology major and Asian and Pacific Studies minor, is a member of Na Kolea, the Hawaiian Cultural Club, and has served on the executive board for Isang Bansa, the Filipino and Filipino American Cultural Club. She has been a teaching assistant for the Chemistry department and Rains Undergraduate Research Fellow, participated in research groups in the Biology and Chemistry departments, and presented her work at the LMU Undergraduate Research Symposium. Mizuno has also worked as a medical assistant and volunteered for a Hawaii nonprofit organization providing dental care for people in need. Following graduation, she will work as a dental assistant and attend dental school.
Zoe McGough, a Political Science major, is a member of the University Honors Program, Delta Gamma sorority, and Order of Omega, a leadership honors society for fraternities and sororities. She also serves as Vice President of Internal Affairs for the Collegiate Panhellenic Council. McGough has worked as a research assistant for the Political Science department and a teaching assistant for the Honors Program, and plans to complete an honors thesis on how religiosity affects choices by African American voters. This summer, McGough will be working in Washington DC for GuidePost Strategies, a legislative strategy and consulting firm. She plans to attend law school after graduation.
Rachel Rysso is an Art History major with a minor in Asian and Pacific Studies. She studied abroad as part of LMU’s Summer Immersion in Rome: Christianity and Art program, and attended symposia to present her research on Marian iconography in Catholic art at LMU and the State University of New York, New Paltz. Following graduation from LMU, Rysso plans to pursue a PhD specializing in the study of Japanese painting.
Alexis SooHoo, an Art History major with minors in Mathematics and Philosophy, is a member of the University Honors Program and a Trustee Scholar. She has served as a teaching assistant for the mathematics department and worked at the Loyolan newspaper in the Life + Arts and copy departments. SooHoo has also conducted research through LMU’s Independent Undergraduate Research Program on Benford’s Law and through the Summer Undergraduate Research Program on the repatriation of the Plai Bat cache of Cambodian artifacts. She has been working as a Junior Compliance Analyst at Christie’s auction house, and will be enrolling in the fall at Loyola Law school as a Business Law Fellow and Loyola Scholarship recipient, with plans to practice Art Law.
Lise Tarui, an International Relations major with minors in Psychology and Asian & Pacific Studies, is a recipient of the Pedro Arrupe and the John and Maria Laffin Scholarships. She is a member of the Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity; serves as Secretary of the Nikkei Student Union, one of LMU’s Japanese culture clubs; and works as a Japanese grammar tutor for the Academic Resource Center. Tarui has also worked as an Office Assistant at the UCLA Anderson School of Management and completed an internship with the Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute, where she engaged in program development. After graduation, she plans to teach English in Japan through the Japanese Embassy’s Exchange and Teaching Program and will pursue a law degree.
Ian Woo, an English major with minors in Chinese and Philosophy, has served as an editor for the Criterion literary journal and will soon have a poem published in the LA Miscellany journal of poetry, fiction, and art. He works as a research assistant for the Modern Languages department and has volunteered at Safe Place for Youth, a nonprofit helping homeless youth in Venice, and is the recipient of several awards, including the Father Pedro Arrupe Scholarship, Taiwan Ministry of Education Huayu Enrichment Scholarship, and Dean’s List Dinner speaker, offered to students selected for the Dean’s List every semester of college. Woo is also a rapper and podcast host with content that can be found on all platforms. Going forward, he plans to pursue entertainment and become a creator with a widely influential platform.
Announcement of the Alpha Association Graduate Study Award from the Phi Beta Kappa Alumni Association in Southern California
Phi Beta Kappa member Kiarah Hewitt (BA/BS, Philosophy/Biology, 2023) is the LMU recipient of the 2023 Alpha Association Graduate Study Award from the Phi Beta Kappa Alumni Association in Southern California.
Hewitt was selected because of her extraordinary undergraduate record. She will be entering the Master of Arts in Social Sciences Program at the University of Chicago, where she will focus on philosophy and a philosophical approach to comparative literature studies.