2026 Student Inductees
The Phi Beta Kappa Society’s Omega of California chapter at Loyola Marymount University inducted the following students in 2026.
Matthew Barbee is a double major in Psychology and Spanish and a member of the Sigma Delta Pi Hispanic Honor Society. He worked as the Spanish tutor for the Modern Languages and Literatures Department and published an article titled “El Paisaje Lingüístico en los CVS de Los Ángeles” in the 2025-2026 volume of La Voz, the Spanish Club’s student journal. He also worked in the Psychology Department’s Multicultural Neuropsychological Scale Research Lab, where he trained international collaborators in its administration and translated data collected by partnered university labs in Latin America.
Noopur Barve is a Biology and Political Science double major and a researcher in the Biology Department’s Physiology, Hormones, and Avian Biology Lab, focusing on avian biology. She is a member of the University Honors Program and Operations Manager at the Lion’s Den. Following graduation, Barve will pursue an M.D./Ph.D to engage in clinical care while assessing systemic barriers to healthcare.
Alysa Betancourt, a Political Science major, is a member of the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity and the Alpha Phi Sorority, which she served as Vice President of Philanthropy, organizing events and fundraising. She has been named to the Dean’s List each year at LMU. Betancourt has been a chambers intern for a federal district court judge and currently works as a policy consultant with the Parzival Group, assisting with legislative research, policy analysis, and client deliverables focused on criminal justice and governance. She will continue in this role following graduation, then plans to attend law school.
Sofia Carranza is a Biology major, Music minor, and member of the University Honors Program, Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit Honor Society, Tri-Beta Biology Honor Society, and Sigma Xi Scientific Research Honor Society, in addition to being on the Dean’s List for her entire time at LMU. She has also served in a leadership role as a member of the Consort Singers and is a recipient of the Goodman Choral Music Scholarship. Carranza has conducted three years of scientific research and presented her work at conferences across California. She works as an Emergency Medical Technician, performs service through the Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority, and volunteers singing at elderly homes. Following graduation, Carranza plans to pursue a career in pediatric medicine, with a focus on improving access to care for Spanish-speaking families.
Nikki Chun is a Biology and Mathematics double major and a member of the University Honors Program. Her research in the Dahlquist Lab focuses on mathematical modeling of gene regulatory networks and specifically on parameterization of small-scale network motifs. Chun also works as a microbiology lab technician and a tutor for mathematics courses. Her future plans include pursuing a Ph.D. in molecular biology.
Annais Elese a Pre-Med, Psychology major, works as a Wellness Educator and serves as the liaison for LMU Student Health Services. She participated in the National Undergraduate Fellowship Program and attended the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators Conference and the Harvard Undergraduate World Pre-Health Conference. Elese has volunteered for Emory's Winship Cancer Institute and the Red Cross. Following graduation, she plans to complete a post-baccalaureate, attend medical school, and become a physician and global health advocate.
Jack Ericson, a native of Maryland who has lived in California most of his life, is a Political Science major. Following graduation this spring, he will be serving with the Peace Corps in Columbia for two years, then plans to pursue a master’s degree in international relations and work for the United States Foreign Service.
Amelie Favre, a Political Science major and Journalism minor, is a member of the Phi Delta Phi Pre-Law Honor Society and has served as Vice President of External Affairs for the the Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority and Co-President of The Women’s Network: LMU. She has also worked as a post-production assistant for SFTV and a research assistant for the Center for the Study of LA, where she contributed to the LA Votes 2024 election project, and currently interns for a criminal defense attorney in Beverly Hills. Favre presented her Political Science Honors Thesis on billionaire influence in U.S. politics at the 2026 Western Political Science Association Conference and will graduate magna cum laude, after which she plans to continue working in a law office and pursue a law degree.
Catalina Garcia, a Biology major, is the recipient of the Ebell/Flint Foundation Scholarship and a member of the Beta Beta Beta National Biological Honor society and the Gryphon Circle Service Organization, with which she volunteers at Marycrest Manor, a skilled assisted-living nursing home, and 826LA, an after-school tutoring program. She has also participated in service learning trips, such as the Center for Service and Action’s Alternative Break in Puerto Rico. Garcia has conducted research on how IMPDH binding impacts mRNA biology, served as a Resident Advisor for three years, and works in the Outreach Department at the William H. Hannon Library. She is also a medical assistant and scribe in a urogynecology clinic. Following graduation, Garcia will apply to medical school to continue her commitment to compassionate and equitable healthcare.
Natalie Grant, a Political Science major with a minor in Spanish and a focus on international relations, has experience in government and policy through internships with Congressman Darrell Issa, the U.S. Department of State, California State Senator Brian Jones, and the City of San Diego, where she contributed to legislative research, constituent services, and policy development. She currently works as a Litigation Assistant at Jalilvand Law Corporation. Grant studied abroad in Florence, examining the Italian political system and perspectives on the 2024 U.S. election, and in Croatia, at the European Center for the Study of War and Peace, and has published in La Voz, LMU’s Spanish student journal. Grant also served as President for LMU’s chapter of Pi Beta Phi, an international women’s fraternity, leading over 170 members while expanding academic and professional programming and supporting philanthropic initiatives, and is an active member of the Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity, LMU’s Women in Politics organization, and the Spanish Club. Following graduation, Grant plans to attend law school and pursue a career in international law and diplomacy.
Lacy Green, a Political Science and French double major and Business Administration minor, is a member of the Alpha Sigma Nu Honor Society, Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, Phi Delta Phi French Honor Society, and Order of Omega Leadership Honor Society. She is the immediate past president of the Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc., Sorority and an inaugural member of the Student Affairs Student Advisory Board. Originally from Dallas, Texas, following graduation Green plans to continue her career in Sports Partnerships and Strategy and attend law school.
Rachel Huang, a Psychology major, Education minor, and Arrupe Scholarship recipient, has served as Vice President of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association and worked for the Office of International Admission Office and Psychology Club. She has gained experience in clinical psychology, research, and investment analysis through roles at PCH Treatment Center, Stealth Management Group, Flamingo Capital, and Phabuilder and has published on topics including ambiguous loss and motivational interviewing. After graduation, Huang plans to pursue a graduate degree in counseling psychology or marriage and family therapy to become a licensed therapist.
John Kassabian, an Urban Studies and Environmental Studies double major with a Business Administration minor, is a member of the University Honors Program and Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit Honor Society. He served as president of Crimson Circle Service Organization, through which he facilitated blood drives and regularly volunteers at the Midnight Mission in downtown Los Angeles. Kassabian works as a campus tour guide and student research assistant and through the Center for the Study of Los Angeles leads efforts to map soil test results in the Eaton and Palisades burn zones. He is currently completing two capstone research projects, to study bike mobility on Lincoln Boulevard and to develop mapping and visitor guides for the Catalina Island Conservancy. Following graduation, Kassabian is interning as a naturalist with the Catalina Conservancy and applying for the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. He plans to pursue a career in planning and policy, to make our cities and environment more resilient and accessible.
Yasmin Kim is a Psychological Sciences and Sociology double major, Peace and Justice Studies & Women's and Gender Studies double minor, Presidential Scholar, recipient of the CSJ Service Award, and member of the University Honors Program, Alpha Kappa Delta International Sociology Honor Society, and Psi Chi International Psychology Honor Society. She is involved in the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, served on the advisory council for the LMU Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Center Alliance, and works with the Belles Service Organization mentoring historically underserved youth. As a recipient of the 2023-2024 Lee Yong-soo "Comfort Human" Fellowship, Kim conducted research examining the cycles in sex trafficking and the role of restorative justice practices in disrupting these patterns. She has also researched the prevalence of impostor phenomenon among high-achieving undergraduate students from racial and gender minority backgrounds, worked as a RAINS research assistant focused on addressing racial disparities through mobile health communication, and published on the impacts of overturning of Roe v. Wade among incarcerated women. Currently she is the co-editor for the journal Attic Salt. Following graduation, she plans to pursue a Ph.D.
Elizabeth Lindahl, a Sociology major and Spanish minor, is a member of the Alpha Kappa Delta International Sociology Honor Society and Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity. She has held several internships at the District Attorney's Office and the Public Defender's Office, where she assisted assistant district attorneys, victim witness advocates, and worked with incarcerated individuals. This past semester, Lindahl served as the student editor of the Sociology Department's undergraduate academic journal. Following graduation, she plans to pursue a career in law.
Del Lori, an International Relations major and History minor, is a member of the Christian Life Community and Sursum Corda Service Organization. He completed the LMU Ignatian Leadership Institute Capstone, studied for a semester at the European Center for War & Peace in Zagreb, Croatia, and held internships in Washington D.C. and San Francisco, working in international development and human rights. Lori will be graduating summa cum laude and plans to pursue a career in foreign policy.
Katherine Lowe, a Psychology major and Asia and Pacific Studies minor, is a six-time Dean’s List member and the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures’ Japanese Language Student of the Year. She participated in the Sophia University Tokyo exchange program, works as a Japanese language tutor and assistant in the Theatre Department’s costume workshop, has won numerous awards for costume design, and serves in the broader community as a panelist and judge at costuming events. After graduation, she plans to study and work in the industry in Los Angeles or Tokyo.
Danielle Malone, a Biology major and Italian minor, is a member of the Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit Honor Society and a recipient of the McLaughlin Scholarship. She works as a Biology Lab Teaching Assistant and a Fitwell Student Manager. Malone conducts research in a marine physiology lab, studying the activity of superoxide dismutase enzymes in mussel gill tissue across different locations. She serves as Vice President of Programming for the Delta Gamma Sorority and volunteers as a dental assistant at the Venice Family Clinic. Following graduation, Malone plans to attend dental school for a career as a pediatric dentist.
Kennedy Melton is a Biochemistry major and member of the Alpha Phi sorority and University Honors Program. She has held positions at the Surfrider Foundation and works promoting sustainability initiatives at Green LMU. Melton had conducted Chemistry and Biochemistry research and recently completed her thesis on viral RNA structure, with funding from the Honors Program. Currently, she works as a cosmetic chemist at a Beverly Hills cosmetic contract manufacturer, where she will continue after graduation.
Aidan Perl is a History and Environmental Studies double major and a Spanish minor. He is a member of the Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society, works as a student assistant for the LMU Archaeology Museum, and studied abroad in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, through the School for International Training. After graduation, he plans to pursue a career in museum work.
Sabina Prieto is an International Relations major, Global Economics and Political Science double minor, and member of the University Honors Program. She is also a member of the Phi Delta Phi Pre-Law Honor Society and has gained experience in legal and business development through her work with a marketing law firm specializing in food and beverage licensing. Prieto is the co-founder of SOYYO Foods, a plant-based chorizo brand focused on modern nutrition and cultural authenticity. Her honors thesis examines enforcement asymmetries in U.S.–Mexico food trade and their impact on market access. Following graduation, she plans to attend law school and pursue a career in international law.
Neftali Rocha-Martin, a Biology major, has worked for Seaver College as a teaching assistant, stockroom technician, and member of the Green Team, maintaining the green roof on Featherson Life Science Building. She has mentored and advised students in their introduction to STEM research through the Fostering Inclusive Research Experiences program and tutored children with the Creare Service Organization. Rocha-Martin’s lab research includes working to understand the role of the gag-pro frameshift site stem-loop thermodynamic stability in programmed –1 ribosomal frameshifting within the Human T-cell Leukemia Virus 1.
Shreeya Sahasrabudhe, a double major in Political Science and Sociology, is a member of the University Honors Program and recipient of the Institute for Leadership Studies United Kingdom Fellowship. She has served as a parliamentary intern for Britain’s Labor Party and worked with Loyola Law School’s Juvenile Justice Clinic, assisting with client representation in delinquency court. On campus, she is a Resident Advisor and a member of the BCLA Dean’s Advisory Board. Following graduation, Sahasrabudhe plans to pursue a career in law.
Cameron Scolari, a double major in Computer Science & Statistics and Data Science, is a member of the Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit Honor Society, Pi Mu Epsilon, the national mathematics honor society, the University Honors Program, and the Sursum Corda service organization, where he served as VP of finance. Scolari has been on the Dean’s List every semester at LMU and has worked as a computer science teacher’s assistant, math grader, math tutor, and analyst for the LMU baseball team. He plans to receive his Computer Science Master’s Degree through the Seaver Accelerated Master’s Program and after graduate school work as a data analyst.
Kathryn Smith, an Economics major, is a member of the Omicron Delta Epsilon International Economics Honor Society. She has served as Treasurer and Vice President of the LMU Economics Society, held marketing and e-commerce internships, worked in academic support roles as a Student Assistant for the Academic Resource Center and a statistics course, and been a member of LMU Asian American Symposium Logistics Team. Following graduation, Smith plans to pursue a career in finance or marketing.
Nora Smith, a Political Science major and Peace and Justice Studies minor, is a recipient of the Arrupe, Carol Sullivan, and Institute for Leadership Parliamentary Scholarships, and has been named to the Dean’s List for four years. She is a member of the Phi Delta Phi Pre-Law Honor Society and Alpha Chi Omega sorority. Smith is completing an honors thesis in Political Science and has held internships with the Los Angeles and United States District Attorney’s Offices. After graduation, she plans to work as a paralegal for a civil litigation firm before attending law school.
Naré Tendjoukian, an English major with minors in Chinese and Classics & Archaeology, is a recipient of the LMU English Knott Fellow Scholarship and a member of the Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society. She has worked at the William H. Hannon Library in the Acquisitions & Collections Development department since her freshman year, assisting with adding content to the online Digital Commons repository, organizing new shipments of books, and checking in periodicals before placing them out into the library stacks. She was also the treasurer of LMU’s Disabled Student Union and the secretary for the BCLA Dean’s Student Advisory Board. After graduation, Tendjoukian will return to LMU to complete her 4+1 Accelerated Master’s in English.
Jennifer Uchendu, a Biochemistry major, serves as Vice President of the LMU Chemistry Society and works as a tutor with the LMU Academic Resource Center and a teacher’s assistant for chemistry labs. She is a member of the Academic Community of Excellence and a three-time recipient of their annual Academic Achievement Award. Uchendu has conducted research through LMU’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program, studying the Aim32 mitochondrial protein in yeast. Following graduation, she plans to attend medical school and specialize in surgery.
Robert Wuerdeman, a History major with minors in Spanish and Classics & Archaeology, is the president of the Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society, a member of the Eta Sigma Phi Classics Honor Society and the Sigma Delta Pi Hispanic Honor Society, and has been named to the Dean’s List for several semesters. He is completing his senior thesis examining evolving depictions of warfare and conflict in the development of Merovingian hagiography, studies Latin, has worked for four years in the Hannon Library collections management department, and serves as co-president of the LMU Model United Nations club. Following graduation, Wuerdeman plans to pursue a graduate degree in Medieval History and a career in academia.
Kyle Wright is a Biology major and founder of the LMU Green Team, an on-campus work-study initiative that engages students in sustainability efforts and promotes a greener campus. He worked four years in the Biology stockroom and began his research as a freshman in LMU’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program, then continued through the Harbor-UCLA Summer Research and Mentorship Program, focusing on arteriovenous fistula outcomes. Wright has published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery and Insights and the Annals of Vascular Surgery. He will attend Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, to continue pursuing his interests in medicine, research, and patient care.
Evan Zicklin, a Philosophy and Spanish double major, is a member of the Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit Honor Society, the Tau Sigma National Honor Society of transfer students, and the Sigma Delta Pi Spanish Honor Society. As a philosophy major, he presented original ethics papers at undergraduate research conferences across the country, worked as a research assistant for a book on Confucian virtues, and tutored division one student athletes. He currently works at the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy as a community canvasser promoting progressive direct ballot initiatives. Following graduation, Zicklin will pursue a master’s degree in philosophy at Texas Tech University.