Honor Society

Mu Kappa, Hofstra University’s chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU), Inducts 19 New Members

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On May 4, 2022, the Department of Global Studies and Geography inducted 19 new members into Mu Kappa, Hofstra University’s chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU), the international geographic honor society. All the new members of GTU have met academic requirements and share a background and interest in geography. The number of Mu Kappa members now stands at 188 since the chapter’s founding in 2012.

The ceremony’s keynote speaker was Joy Arden, Landscape Curator at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum. Joy shared how she uses her experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in her current role and has utilized this knowledge throughout her successful career in the sustainability industry.

Mu Kappa President Kayla Stadeker (’23) and Vice President Kate Meagher (‘22) led the ceremony and welcomed the following new inductees:

About Gamma Theta Upsilon
Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU) is an international honor society in geography. The first chapter was founded in 1928 at Illinois State University and Gamma Theta Upsilon became a national organization in 1931. In 1949, Gamma Theta Upsilon became an International Geographical Honor Society. Since then, over 200 Gamma Theta Upsilon chapters have been established. Hofstra’s local chapter, Mu Kappa, was founded in the spring of 2012 by Dr. Kari Jensen. In 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 Mu Kappa was awarded the prestigious Gamma Theta Upsilon Honors Chapter Award for recognizing the scholarship of our geography students and for planning activities that celebrate and bring awareness of geography to the Hofstra campus and community.

Mu Kappa Celebrates New Members

On 12 April, the Department of Global Studies and Geography  inducted 11 new members into Mu Kappa, Hofstra University’s chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU), the international geographic honor society. The number of Mu Kappa members now stands at 169 since the chapter’s founding in 2012. Mu Kappa has been the recipient of a GTU Honors Chapter Award over the last five consecutive years.

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The ceremony’s keynote speaker was Dr. Farhana Sultana, Associate Professor in the Department of Geography and the Environment at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University and Research Director for Environmental Collaboration and Conflicts in the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC) at the Maxwell School. She traced her academic and career trajectory, including her work at the United Nations Development Program and provided many practical career insights to the inductees.

Dr. Farhana spoke about the academic discipline of geography, which entails a diverse skillset that can be successfully applied to a wide range of topics and career paths. She congratulated Hofstra’s initiates on their accomplishments and assured them that they are entering an honors organization with strong networking opportunities.

Professor Grant Saff, the Department Chairperson welcomed the speaker and inductees and thanked the Mu Kappa President, Mu Kappa President Margaret Engel ’21, Vice President Olivia Tu ’21, Historian Christopher Helig ’21 and Secretary, Jenna Reda, 21 for all their hard work in organizing the event. The induction ceremony was conducted by Margaret Engel and Olivia Tu who read the honors pledge to the inductees. The following new members were inducted:

• Sarah Abdelaziz
• Brandon Allen
• Brooklyn Francis
• Nathaniel Frydrych
• Carol Henry-McCarter
• Kiara Kemp
• Tiffany Kosek
• Thomas Parisi
• Ivana Rahaman
• Kayla Stadeker
• RJ Yovanovich

A Brief History of Gamma Theta Upsilon

Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU) is an international honor society in geography. The first chapter was founded in 1928 at Illinois State University and Gamma Theta Upsilon became a national organization in 1931. In 1949, Gamma Theta Upsilon became an International Geographical Honor Society. Since then, over 200 Gamma Theta Upsilon chapters have been established. Our local chapter, Mu Kappa, was founded in the spring of 2012 by Dr. Kari Jensen. In 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 Mu Kappa was awarded the prestigious Gamma Theta Upsilon Honors Chapter Award for recognizing the scholarship of our geography students and for planning activities that celebrate and bring awareness of geography to the Hofstra campus and community.

Mu Kappa Inducts Twenty New Members, April 28, 2020

On Tuesday, April 28, 2020, the Department of Global Studies and Geography inducted 20 students into Mu Kappa, Hofstra University’s chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU), the international geographic honor society. Through a virtual ceremony held over Zoom, the number of Mu Kappa members was increased to 158. Mu Kappa was founded in 2012 and has been the recipient of GTU’s Honors Chapter Award for the last five consecutive years.

Keynote speaker, Dr. Burrell Montz, Professor of Environmental Geography and Planning at East Carolina University, Interim Executive Secretary and past President of Gamma Theta Upsilon, offered a lively recount of her journey to the world of geography. Because of her passion for studying the intricate connections between humans and their physical surroundings she left high paying jobs as an environmental consultant and environmental planner, and embarked on her doctoral studies in Geography at the University of Colorado, Boulder. She decided to study the flood that had occurred in her home town three years prior, and this became the beginning of a long career dedicated to the study of natural hazards, water resources management and environmental impact analysis. Dr. Montz has advised many graduate students on these topics and she mentioned that she has enjoyed the opportunity to travel to many countries and all over the U.S. for research, conferences and talks. She has also been involved in several climate change related projects in North and South Carolina. She spoke passionately about the unique characteristics of the academic discipline of Geography, which entail such a diverse skill set that it can be successfully applied to a huge range of topics, such as the current COVID19 situation. She congratulated our initiates on their accomplishments and ensured them that they are entering an organization with very strong networking opportunities. Dr. Montz also mentioned the fact that two Mu Kappa members received scholarships for their Masters degrees (Jaclyn Catania ’14 and Thomas Vogel ‘16) and PhD degree (Thomas Vogel ‘16) in her department after having met her at Hofstra University where she gave a talk at our induction ceremony in 2014.

Sophia Hadeed '20 (Mu Kappa President), Adriana Galarza '20 (Vice President), Margaret Engel '21 (Historian), and Ligia Clara-Arenivar '19 (Secretary) led the ceremony to welcome the following new inductees:

18 New Members Inducted to Hofstra's Mu Kappa Chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon, the Geographic Honor Society – April 15, 2019

President, Christina Paccadolmi ‘19, Secretary, Julianna Cirafesi ’19, and Historian, Lois Paquette ‘19 conducted the ceremony to welcome the following new inductees:

Michael David Allen
Nicole Boucher
Justine Ecker
Margaret Collins Engel
Tianyue Gao
Julia Gurrola
Sophia Isabella Hadeed
Aliosman Can Kazdal
Justin D. Kumamoto
Ryan W. Leighton
Lauren E. Mahoney
Abby Normandin
Aleksandra Radeva
Raymond Lalesh Ram
Sally Louise Roscoe
Nicholas Tabarus
Olivia Tu
Xiling Ye

24 New Members Inducted to Hofstra's Mu Kappa Chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon, the Geographic Honor Society – May 2, 2018

On Wednesday, May 2, 2018, the Department of Global Studies and Geography inducted 23 students and one faculty into Mu Kappa, our geography honors society, in a ceremony held at the University Club. The 24 initiates are now members of Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU), the international geographical honor society that was founded in 1928, and bring the total number of members in Hofstra’s chapter to 120 since its inception in 2012.

Keynote speaker, Dr. Luis Alvarez León, Assistant Professor, Urban-Economic Geography – Graduate School at Clark University, spoke about the importance of geography as a discipline for social analysis and change. He later gave a talk to students and faculty in the Department titled, ‘From Streetscapes to Navigable Landscapes: Crowdsourcing and Contesting the Spaces of Autonomous Driving.’ 

Mu Kappa secretary, Rachel Scarpino, a senior who was inducted in 2017, shared a brief history of the organization, including an explanation of the symbolism of GTU’s badge.

President, Associate Professor Dr. Kari Jensen, and Vice President, Adjunct Associate Professor Dr. Veronica Lippencott conducted the ceremony to welcome the following new inductees:

Hofstra students:
Olukemi Ifenlota Anazodo
Emilie Beck
Rachel Amanda Billard
Larissa Marie Bryant
Daria Burge
Paula Ximena Chirinos Paucar
Julianna Cirafesi
Ligia Clara
Zachary Cole Cybulski
Kimberly Dossett
Adriana Galarza
Adanya Ella Hicks
Emily Bridget Kelley
Robert Levinson
Fatimah Mozawalla
Ciera Nickel
Christina Ann Paccadolmi
Lois Paquette
Aleena Pasha
Emma Rossetti
Alishbah Saddiqui
Amanda Skeene
Lara Noelle Van Patten

Hofstra faculty:
Jase Bernhardt

17 New Members Inducted to Hofstra's Mu Kappa Chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon, the Geographic Honor Society – April 26, 2017

On Wednesday, April 26, 2017, the Department of Global Studies and Geography inducted the 2016-17 class of Mu Kappa in a ceremony held at the University Club.  The 17 initiates are now members of Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU), the international geographical honor society that was founded in 1928, and bring the total number of members in Hofstra’s chapter, Mu Kappa, to 96 since its inception in 2012.

Keynote speaker, Dr. Marianna Pavlovskaya, a professor at Hunter College and CUNY Graduate Center, discussed ‘Geography That Matters: Place-Making Potential of Credit Unions in New York City.’  She highlighted the unique qualities of credit unions (employment, ethnic, and religious oriented) and mapped them to show the various concentrations of branches as they related to the socio-economic neighborhoods in which they were located.

President, Associate Professor Dr. Kari Jensen, and Vice President, Adjunct Associate Professor Dr. Veronica Lippencott conducted the ceremony to welcome the following new inductees:

Hofstra students:
Carol Jane Burka
Marissa Nicole Duhaney
Jasmina Dzurlic
James Eager
Kelly Gallo
Celene Guzman
Sara Elizabeth Hicks
Mannat Thakur Kamboj
Connor Mayes
Claudia Hope Modica
Lauren Morgan
CapriAnna Pappalardo
Rachel Scarpino
John Van Fossen

Hofstra faculty:
Hewan Girma
Nisha Korattyswaroopam
Ying Qiu

20 New Members Inducted to Hofstra's Mu Kappa Chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon, the Geographic Honor Society – April 13, 2016

The Department of Global Studies and Geography inducted 20 new members to Mu Kappa, Hofstra University's chapter of the international geographical honor society Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU) in a ceremony held at the University Club on Wednesday, April 13, 2016.

The event was attended by both new and old members of Mu Kappa, along with Global Studies and Geography faculty and staff. Inductee and special guest Dr. Craig Dalton, Assistant Professor of Global Studies and Geography, gave the keynote speech congratulating the inductees and highlighting the value of geography for providing a spatial understanding of global society

Associate Professor Kari Jensen and Adjunct Assistant Professor Veronica Lippencott serve as president and vice president, respectively, of Mu Kappa. This year's inductees are:

Bhavneet Kaur Anand
Craig Myers Dalton
Sage E. Davino
Taner Bora Gadime
Jon Lloyd Isaacs
Christine Kempski
Aika Kobayashi
Jaclyn Langella
Gibson McKay LaRoche
Malcolm Cassius McCoy
Jeremy Matthew Moskow
Alison Elizabeth Nahrevar
Clayton John Oakley-Robbins
La Rainne Pasion
Alexandra Mae Phipps
Victoria Spagnuolo
Breanna Renee Stanco
Temperance L. Staples
Carys Brianne Swan
Blaine Catherine Volpe

Eleven New Members Inducted to Hofstra's Mu Kappa Chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon, the Geographic Honor Society – April 29, 2015

Twenty-one New Members Inducted to Hofstra's Mu Kappa Chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon, the Geographic Honor Society – April 23, 2014

Dr. Kari Jensen, the Mu Kappa Chapter President, inducted 21 new members, in a ceremony held at Hofstra's University Club followed by a luncheon on Wednesday, April 23, 2014. It was attended by both new and old members of Mu Kappa, including special guest Dr. Burrell Montz, Chair and Geography Professor at East Carolina University. Dr. Montz gave a captivating keynote speech highlighting her own career path as a Geographer as well as her involvement with the Honor Society through the years. Congratulations to the new members!

The Hofstra student inductees were:

Elizabeth Anders
Deeba Carvan
Athraja DeSilva
Lora Dunn-Hardy
Justin Ederheimer
Seth Egert
Tarek Elkattan
Gina Gallo
James Holman
Abraham Johnson
Mishaina Joseph
Danielle Marie Maiocco
Riley Hart Metcalfe
Catherine Misczuk
Sandra Morrongiello
Robert Murphy
Brittany Scalise
Clara Schopf
Ariana Spang
Venessa Trofa
David Zhukovsky

Nine new members inducted on May 9, 2013

Eight Hofstra students and one Hofstra professor were inducted as members of Gamma Theta Upsilon on May 9, 2013. A keynote speech on different uses of geographic knowledge was given by Dr. Christopher Niedt, who holds a PhD in Geography from University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Niedt is the academic director of the National Center for Suburban Studies, as well as an assistant professor in the Sociology department. The induction ceremony was led by Mu Kappa President, Dr. Kari Jensen, and Vice President, Dr. Veronica Lippencott. It was attended by both new and old members of Mu Kappa, including alumni Rebecca Galin, who is now doing a Masters of Secondary Education at University of Connecticut. Mu Kappa member Melanie Martha was awarded a GTU award for excellence in Geography for her honors thesis titled “Tourism and the Galápagos Islands: Examining the Relationship between Ecotourism and the Local Population”, for which she conducted fieldwork on the Galápagos Islands during the summer of 2012.

The Hofstra student inductees were:
Caron Cornell Bricks 
Kira Kazantsev * 
Nadir Khan
Kaylee Platt 
Allison Ilana Shapero * 
Nathan Traiger Shapiro 
Gabriella Sperduto * 
Kevin Alexander Tamerler

The Hofstra professor inductee was:
Christopher Niedt

Seven new members inducted on November 14, 2012

Six Hofstra students and one Hofstra professor were inducted as members of Gamma Theta Upsilon on November 14, 2012, in the lounge of the Department of Global Studies and Geography, 209 Roosevelt. A keynote speech on the importance of Geography was given by Dr. Grant Saff. The induction ceremony was led by Mu Kappa President, Dr. Kari Jensen, and Vice President, Dr. Veronica Lippencott, assisted by Mu Kappa student member Melanie Martha.

The Hofstra student inductees were: 
Jaclyn Catania
Tara Lynn Cohen
Joshua Ettinger
Jennifer Perniciaro
Charles Picone
Hannah Kate Skahill

The Hofstra professor inductee was:
Grant Saff

MU KAPPA INDUCTION CEREMONIES - 2011/12

Department of Global Studies and Geography Initiates a Hofstra Chapter and Inducts Students into International Geographic Honor Society

Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY … On Wednesday, May 2, 2012, the Global Studies and Geography Department initiated Mu Kappa, the Hofstra University chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon, the International Geographic Honor Society. President of Mu Kappa, Dr. Kari Jensen, and Vice President, Dr. Veronica Lippencott, inducted six students and three professors into Gamma Theta Upsilon during a ceremony held at 206 Roosevelt Hall. A keynote speech on the history of the Geography department at Hofstra University was given by Dr. James Wiley.

The Hofstra student inductees were:
Christopher Feneran
Rebecca Galin
William Keating
Melanie Martha
Elizabeth Jane Robson
James Yantis

The Hofstra professor inductees were:
Robert Brinkmann
Jean-Paul Rodrigue
James Wiley

Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Kari Jensen
Co-Presidents: Genevieve McCormick, Kerrie Heeralall
Secretary: Nicholas Lucchetto
Treasurer: Dr. Kari Jensen
Director of Events: Dr. Craig Dalton

Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Kari Jensen
President: Julian Rocha
Vice President: Natalie Correa
Treasurer: Dr. Kari Jensen
Director of Events: Dr. Craig Dalton

Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Kari Jensen
President: Kayla Stadeker
Vice President: Kate Meagher
Treasurer: Dr. Kari Jensen
Director of Events: Dr. Craig Dalton

Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Kari Jensen
President: Kayla Stadeker
Vice President: Kate Meagher
Treasurer: Dr. Kari Jensen
Director of Events: Dr. Craig Dalton

Spring 2021:
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
President: Margaret Engel
Vice President: Olivia Tu
Secretary: Jenna Reda
Historian: Christopher Heilig
Treasurer: Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
Director of Events: Dr. Craig Dalton

Fall 2020:
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Kari Jensen
President: Margaret Engel
Vice President: Olivia Tu
Secretary: Jenna Reda
Historian: Christopher Heilig
Treasurer: Dr. Kari Jensen
Director of Events: Dr. Craig Dalton

Spring 2020:
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Kari Jensen
President: Sophia Hadeed
Vice President: Adriana Galarza
Secretary: Ligia Clara
Treasurer: Dr. Kari Jensen
Historian: Margaret Engel
Director of Events: Dr. Craig Dalton

Fall 2019:
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Kari Jensen
President: Ligia Clara
Vice President: Adriana Galarza
Secretary: Sophia Hadeed
Treasurer: Emma Rossetti
Historian: Margaret Engel

The Fall 2019 Executive Committee
(rear: Dr. Craig M. Dalton, Dr. Kari Jensen, front: Margaret Engel, Adriana Galarza, Ligia Clara, Alishbah Saddiqui, Sophia Hadeed, Emma Rossetti)

Spring 2019:
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Kari Jensen
President: Christina Paccadolmi
Vice President: Julianna Cirafesi
Director of Events: Dr. Craig Dalton
Secretary: Ligia Clara
Treasurer: Alishbah Saddiqui
Historian: Lois Paquette

Fall 2018:
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Kari Jensen
President: Rachel Scarpino
Vice President: Christina Paccadolmi
Director of Events: Dr. Craig Dalton
Secretary: Julianna Cirafesi
Treasurer: Alishbah Saddiqui
Historian: Lois Paquette

Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Kari Jensen
President: Dr. Kari Jensen
Vice President: Dr. Veronica Lippencott
Director of Events: Dr. Craig Dalton
Secretary: Rachel Scarpino

Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Kari Jensen
President: Dr. Kari Jensen
Vice President: Dr. Veronica Lippencott
Director of Events: Dr. Craig Dalton
Secretary: Sabrina Clarke

Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Kari Jensen
President: Dr. Kari Jensen
Vice President: Dr. Veronica Lippencott
Secretary: Sabrina Clarke
Events Manager: Thomas Vogel

Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Kari Jensen
Acting Faculty Sponsor, Spring 2015: Dr. Veronica Lippencott
President: Dr. Kari Jensen
Acting President, Spring 2015: Dr. Veronica Lippencott
Vice President: Dr. Veronica Lippencott
Acting Vice President, Spring 2015: Dr. Grant Saff
Secretary: Mishaina Joseph

Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Kari Jensen
President: Dr. Kari Jensen
Vice President: Dr. Veronica Lippencott

Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Kari Jensen
President: Dr. Kari Jensen
Vice President: Dr. Veronica Lippencott

Congratulations to the student and faculty members of Mu Kappa – the Hofstra University chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon, the international geographic honor society – for earning the Honors Chapter Award for 2018/2019! This is the fifth consecutive year that Mu Kappa earned this award. Only five of GTU’s 130+ active chapters achieved the status of Honors Chapter in 2018/19.

The Honors Chapter award is given for spreading awareness of Geography through recognizing outstanding student scholarship and conducting campus service. This last year Mu Kappa members have helped organize diversity dinners (in cooperation with the student club Get Global), applied for funding from the Cultural Center for the keynote speaker at the yearly induction ceremony (Dr. Mona Domosh from Dartmouth College), sold fair trade organic chocolate, collected and shipped used textbooks to the organization “Books for Africa”, represented the Department of Global Studies and Geography at the Honors College Accepted Students Expo, and presented posters and papers at the American Association of Geographers (AAG) Middle States conference in NJ. Student members have played an g role in running the honors chapter this year and were in charge of organizing and conducting the induction ceremony in April. Mu Kappa’s diversity dinners and guest talks have contributed to expanding students’ worldviews and their acknowledgement and enhancement of diversity on Hofstra’s campus.

The Mu Kappa chapter was initiated at Hofstra University in the spring of 2012 by professor Kari Jensen. Since then, 138 Hofstra students and faculty have been inducted into the chapter.