University of Wyoming Student Inducted into Phi Beta Kappa

What do Eli Whitney, Peyton Manning, Walter Lippman, and Alexander Graham Bell have in common? These four, and many others, are members of Phi Beta Kappa, known as “The nation’s oldest and most widely known academic honor society.”

Among these outstanding individuals is recent inductee, Callie Berman, a student at the University of Wyoming. Callie is a senior, majoring in Geology, International Studies, Environmental and Natural Resources and minoring in Spanish.

Callie’s dedication and diverse range of study will help her immensely as she integrates various fields to pursue her interests and achieve her goals.

Callie (standing) conducting
 field research

“I am interested in the interaction of environmental and human systems and specifically having a background rooted in both a technical and social science to bring both perspectives to the complex challenges facing communities on a global scale,” says Callie. “In particular, I am interested in energy extraction and sustainability issues as well as environmental refugee issues.”

Callie was a Wyoming EPSCoR Fellow in the spring and summer of 2013, studying something that has always interested her: water.

“I worked with hydrologist Dr. Scott Miller and his Spatial Analysis for Watershed & Landscape Systems Group,” says Callie. “I investigated water fate and transport mechanisms in the Snowy Mountain Range outside of Laramie to not only understand how these dynamics work, but to also gain an insight into how this resource is managed on a local and state-wide scale.”

After Callie graduates in May 2015, she plans to further her education, both in and out of the classroom.

“After subduing my craving for wanderlust by hiking the Continental Divide Trail,” says Callie, “I would love to work for a private intelligence/security agency as a policy analyst for a few years, before returning to the academic world for a PhD.”

As a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Callie has a bright future ahead of her, and a leg up on her competition.

As a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Callie is in good company.  Five of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People are members of Phi Beta Kappa. 17 U.S. presidents and 38 U.S. Supreme Court Justices are counted among Phi Beta Kappa members.

According to the Phi Beta Kappa website, “The ideal Phi Beta Kappa must have demonstrated intellectual integrity, tolerance for other views, and a broad range of interests. Each year, about one college senior a hundred, nationwide, is invited to join Phi Beta Kappa. Acceptance into the society marks sustained excellence in leadership, academics and research over several years.”

By Robin Rasmussen

Photo courtesy of Callie Berman