44 Iona College Students Inducted into Delta Epsilon Sigma National Scholastic Honor Society
Scholarship, leadership and service are key components of recognition.
Left to right, Jakub Korek ’20; Darcy M. Katris, Esq., ’82; Sunghee Lee, Ph.D.; and Lucia Antoine ’20.
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — Delta Epsilon Sigma, the national scholastic honor society for Catholic colleges and universities, inducted 44 new Iona College students on February 20, recognizing the students’ academic achievements, leadership and commitment to service.
Darcy M. Katris, Esq., ’82, delivered the keynote address in the Arrigoni Center. A chemistry major, Katris received her degree, magna cum laude, from Iona in 1982. At the time, she had no idea that later in her career she would be listed as one of New York’s "Super Lawyers" for nine consecutive years. Her expertise as a partner at Morrison Cohen LLP is in complex trust, estate and tax issues. She is also a member of the Iona College Alumni Association Board of Directors and a member of the executive committee of the New York State Bar Association Trusts and Estates Section, among other positions. She emphasized that students should be well-rounded, offering the following words of wisdom:
- Make a good first impression;
- Communicate clearly;
- Find a mentor and then become a mentor;
- Become involved in a professional organization outside of the workplace; and
- Build relationships and stay connected.
Lucia Antoine ’20 and Jakub Korek ’20 are co-presidents of the Delta Epsilon Chapter at Iona. Korek, of Warsaw, Poland, will be graduating with a double major in information systems and finance this May. After a successful internship at Deloitte this past summer, he is excited to start his employment with the Manhattan-based audit, consulting, advisory and tax services company in July.
"We are now one step closer to graduation," said Korek, who is also on the swim team. "It’s really an exhilarating feeling, the way that this positions us to give back to our community now and in the future."
Antoine, an international studies major and speech communication minor, is currently debating whether to pursue her MBA at the LaPenta School of Business at Iona College, or go to law school. Either way, she said, Iona has prepared her well to take these next steps in life.
"At a bigger school, you’re just a number. Here you’re a name," said Antoine, of New Rochelle, who transferred to Iona after feeling lost in the crowd of a larger university. "This is such a defining moment, where I can look back and say, ‘Yeah, I really did fight the good fight.’"
As part of the ceremony, Sunghee Lee, Ph.D., Board of Trustees endowed professor of chemistry, was also inducted into the Chapter, receiving recognition as Faculty Speaker of the Year.
In addition, Iona inductees Laura Kandro and Lauren Talty received Honorable Mention awards for their submissions to the national writing competition of Delta Epsilon Sigma. Kandro also is the recipient of the Fr. J. Patrick Lee award for service, a recognition that Iona students have received four of the past five years.
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of more than 50,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona also continues to be recognized in prestigious national rankings. Most recently for 2025, Iona has been named one of the nation’s best colleges by The Princeton Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and others. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report recognized Iona as one of top for social mobility in the country, while Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) ranked an Iona degree in the top 5 percent nationally for long-term return on investment. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business, meanwhile, is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just 6 percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review recognized Iona’s on-campus MBA program as a “Best Business School for 2024.” Iona also offers a fully online MBA program for even greater flexibility. In July 2021, Iona announced the establishment of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, which is now principally located on Iona’s Bronxville campus in collaboration with one of the nation’s top hospitals. Connecting to its Irish heritage, Iona also opened a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland, located on the historic 400-acre Westport House Estate. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.