Phi Kappa Theta
Class of 2024
Men of Value
Six, eight, ten, hallelujah it's raining men!
Raunak Chowdhuri (RXC)
Hometown:
San Diego, CA
Major:
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (6-2)
Activities:
Running a biotech startup, singing, meditating, cycling, philosophy
They say to never follow someone off a cliff, but if it's Raunak going, it's probably the right way given his unwavering moral compass. Said compass keeps him modest, but his work speaks for itself. At one point he got so tired of job offers, he decided to start his own company. This comes on top of his many other pursuits in singing, cycling, philosophy, and research. You might wonder how Raunak gets so much done during the day, but he's got plenty of time, for he codes flawlessly in his sleep. Conveniently, he doesn't need much actual rest because he's living the dream. Raunak is the kind of person that immediately makes you feel like family, and we're so proud to have him as part of ours.
Egads
Jake Yasonik (JPY)
Hometown:
Mequon, WI
Major:
Computer Science and Molecular Biology (6-7)
Activities:
Running, Piano, Chess, MIT Consulting Group
From the heart of mother Russia itself there comes a beast. It is not an avalanche, but as white as the snow that makes one up. Comrades, see now what has arrived: Jake P Yasonik! Killer of kilometers, pillager of pianos, ravager of rooks, and a born computational biologist, Jake is always down to have a BLAST. An academic powerhouse, when he’s not in the lab you can find him case-prepping at MCG. Yet despite his many successes, anyone who gets to know Jake will see that his is one of the humble, kind brothers anyone could ask for. One of the few brothers who has managed to avoid the siren’s song of SWE and Sloan, Jake has plans to actually improve the human condition through biotechnology and drug discovery. Having already secured a Big Pharma™ internship as a Freshman, we can be sure it won’t be long before his biotech inventions capture market share just as effectively as he captured all our hearts here at PKT.
Say again?
Evan Vogelbaum (EHV)
Hometown:
Moreland Hills, OH
Major:
Mathematics (18)
Activities:
CrossFit, Reading, Math/Computer Science projects, more CrossFit, trying new foods, Sloan Business Club (SBC)
Bio under construction.
My Linkedin is longer...
Ronald Xu (RBX)
Hometown:
Oviedo, FL
Major:
Computer Science and Engineering (6-3)
Activities:
Basketball, piano, MIT Consulting Group (MCG), Coding
The great city of Gainesville, Florida, is home to one of the greatest minds of our generation. The dexterous Ronald enjoys the inferior sport of Basketball. He is an avid fan of using his fingers, so he either codes or plays the piano most of the time. Sir Ronald also enjoys contributing to society, mainly through the Eagle scouts. He participated in many community service projects such as building gardens, scouting for food, and more. Despite his young age, his Linkedin is full of programming positions. If you wish to explore the depths of his Linkedin, at least two endorsements are expected.
People over PSETs!
Gustavo Ramirez (GXR)
Hometown:
El Paso, TX
Major:
Aerospace Engineering (16)
Activities:
Startups, Rocket Team, Sandbox
No matter the day, time, or event, Gustavo emerges neat and dapper. A silver watch. Gold necklace. And always, a button-up shirt.
After spending time with him, you’ll realize that his style is impeccable and unwavering. His ambitions are just as sharp. Gustavo is driven by impact. Outside of classes, you will find him working on revolutionary sandbox and startup projects. You’ll see him build rockets or solve problems like excess space debris. Academics aren’t everything though. There’s never shortage of adrenaline or excitement. Stick around, and you’re guaranteed to witness him wave his hands through the sun roof of a speeding car while blasting Pursuit of Happiness by Kid Cudi. Or you’ll find him ski diving and parasailing. You’ll see spontaneous trips to Hawaii and NYC. Basically, there’s a fine line between work and fun, which Gustavo’s famous catchphrase captures beautifully… “People over PSETs!”
Gianfranco Yee (GLY)
Hometown:
Boston, MA
Major:
Biological Engineering (20)
Activities:
UROP, NEET Living Machines
You can find him playing guitar, snowboarding, or taking photos. Or maybe, he’s standing there with skittles or a Red Bull in-hand. Franco Yee is a PKT '24 majoring in Biological Engineering. He is a Boston native who’s lived across the Charles River his entire life. His mission: travel. Everywhere! The past summer, Franco hit the Hawaiian Islands, LA, San Francisco, Yosemite, Vegas, and Nashville while working virtually. Next on the list: travel or maybe work overseas. He joined MIT to delve into biotech. Growing up with allergies inspired him to develop treatments… maybe even a cure.
Alex Quach (AHQ)
Hometown:
Major:
Activities:
Bio under construction.
John Yang (JJY)
Hometown:
Princeton, NJ
Major:
Mathematics (18), Computer Science and Engineering (6-3)
Activities:
Tech Literacy Director at The Connected Foundation, AI Research intern at Genuity Science, UROP at MIT Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines
At first, John's combination of charm, charisma, looks, and smarts may be hard to believe. Not only is John a man dedicated to his copious academic interests, such as ML, statistical interference, and biotechnology, but he is also extremely devoted to being the world's greatest C tier chess player, hiking, and Olivia Rodrigo. At night, John works on expanding his vast cultural knowledge through reading and TV shows, with The Boys, Attack on Titan, and 30 Rock being amongst his favorites. Regardless of whether you may find him putting in countless hours into his research, or exploring the vast, barren lands of Iceland, John is someone you can count on to always be there for you.
LFGGGGG
Gabriel Arruda (GZA)
Hometown:
Miami, FL
Major:
Computer Science, Economics, and Data Science (6-14), Business Analytics (15-2)
Activities:
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Blue Belt, Pokerbots, hiking, soccer, videogame enjoyer, MMA enthusiast
Hailing from the swamps of Miami, Gabriel Arruda is a man of many talents. Our beloved short king is an excellent cook, an acute businessman, and despite his stature, a man who can easily overwhelm you with a single leg takedown, leaving you violated like McGregor at UFC 229. As expected of someone whose blood is that of the greatest footballing nation, he is an avid soccer enthusiast (which is why it is strange that he would elect to support Tottenham), and he has spent more hours mastering rainbow flicks on FIFA than he has studying. Nonetheless, Gabe is an excellent student, a funny companion, and a steadfast brother.
Arsenal is better
Irura Nyiha (INN)
Hometown:
Nairobi, Kenya
Major:
Physics (8)
Activities:
African Students Association, UROP
Irura Nyiha, a seductive man with stylish hair, gives off an aura of superiority and sophistication. However, as soon as you approach him, his warm and contagious smiles will melt the first impression away, along with any barriers between you and the man. It will not be long before you realize you are smiling with him. The man of Kenya, aka T’Challa, has realized at an early age that Africa is too small of a world for him to express his intelligence and talents. Soon after intellectually conquering his homeland of Africa, he took over the world. Too bored of the world, he now is looking beyond this planet, preparing to conquer the universe, secretly hiding his identity as a Physics student interested in Astronomy and Astrophysics. You will often see him walking around Boston by himself, imaging the near future of conquering the universe and looking for an opportunity to communicate with the aliens. In his free time with normal humans, you can catch him watching Game of Thrones and hydrating himself with seltzers after an intense game of football. You know he is a true Arsenal fan when he calls their sport “football.”
Tae Wook Kim (TWK)
Hometown:
Seoul, Korea and Los Angeles, CA
Major:
Computer Science, Economics, and Data Science (6-14)
Activities:
Ethical Technology Initiative, MIT FLIPOP, Working on his education startup, MIT Age Lab, Golf/Soccer/Outdoorsing
The stories regarding the origins of fellow brother Terry Kim are varied and intriguing. Consensus in upper academic circles now agree that Terry had humble beginnings, born in the 4th of 5th centuries to a family which placed uncompromising emphasis on his education and character. By his 20s, he had become a a Grand Master among the Hwarang (or the Flowering Knights) on the Korean Peninsula. With an unwavering moral compass, Terry sought to make his domain a better and just place. Through his influence, Korea and the surrounding areas became a land of prosperity, education, and happiness. In his free time, Terry created a sport that we now call golf, propelling small, circular rocks through the air in precise, elegant strokes. What comes next in his story is unclear. Some say he went into a deep state of meditation to understand human pain and suffering. Others say a botched golf putt forced Terry to go into hiding out of embarrassment. A final theory proposes he retreated into his study, devising a plan to guarantee every child who lived in his kingdom an upbringing equal to his. Centuries passed and finally, Terry reemerged, finding a new home with PKT and brothers who shared his mission for fairness and justice. We as a brotherhood are honored to have such a legendary figure amongst our ranks.
Dylan Dong (DRD)
Hometown:
Major:
Activities:
Bio under construction.
Neil Deshmukh (NXD)
Hometown:
Major:
Activities:
Bio under construction.
David Koplow (DAK)
Hometown:
Major:
Activities:
Bio under construction.
Just one more
Nithin Parsan (NXP)
Hometown:
Sugar Land, TX
Major:
Computer Science and Molecular Biology (6-7)
Activities:
MIT Biotechnology Group, Science Olympiad, Microbiome Club, MIT StartLabs
At MIT, there are smart people, really smart people, and absolutely smart people. Well, Nithin cannot be classified as any of those because he is an ABSOLUTE ULTRA SUPER LEGENDARY GENIUS. In high school, Nithin focused on conducting research and participating in the Olympiad in the biology field. Coming into MIT, Nithin also discovered his passion for entrepreneurship. He is a co-founder, and yes a freaking CO-FOUNDER, of Van Heron Labs. But set aside all these amazing attributes; seeing Nithin has presented everyone with a surprise—his height. Everyone at PKT thought Nithin was shorter than he is based on how he appeared on Zoom, but boom, he is taller than whatever you could imagine. The most important trait of Nithin, however, is his friendliness. His charming personality with his great jokes brings smiles to everyone at PKT. He is THE GUY you want to be friends with.
Ummmmm
Dong Young Kim (DYK)
Hometown:
Annandale, VA
Major:
Computer Science, Economics, and Data Science (6-14), Finance (15-3)
Activities:
Sloan Business Club (SBC), Global Platinum Securities (GPS), MIT StartLabs, UROP, Soccer
With a smile that could melt a snowman, Daniel Kim is a brother who can touch your heart and your mind. He’s a soccer playing, Sloan enrolled charisma machine who is instantly loved by everyone he meets. Born in Seoul in 2001, Daniel quickly realized that the small nation of South Korea would be too easy to dominate, and instead chose to move stateside to Virginia in 2015. As internationals often do, Daniel lapped the field in soccer skill while playing varsity in high school, and showcased his academic prowess by building FTC winning robots too. At MIT he studies mostly at the Sloan school of business to gain mastery over the complexities of financial markets, but opposed to the standard goal of wanting to make a ton of money and then move to Cancun, Daniel’s goal is to use his knowledge to make the maximum number of people in this world happy. Daniel’s capacity for empathy is almost unmatched, and his love for his fellow man is what makes Daniel a cornerstone of our PKT brotherhood.
I hunt for the sport
Subhash Kantamneni (SCK)
Hometown:
Jupiter, FL
Major:
Physics (8), Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (6-2)
Activities:
MIT Ultimate Frisbee, Sloan Business Club (SBC), Poker, Basketball, Reading
Subhash optimizes for cool, and he’s reached a global maximum. To his own frustration, he is fascinated with abstract physics and intangible interstellar events. Yet, the man is on a mission, a space mission that is. He is destined to make an impact in bringing our civilization to Mars and beyond. He doesn’t have his head in the clouds (or stars), though, Subhi is one of the most down to earth people you’ll meet. I guess after reading and introspecting over hundreds of memoirs, Subhash has learned how to live. The man thinks so much he could be a Rodin sculpture (his chiseled features don’t hurt either). He has an uncanny memory for people—picking up conversations weeks or months later without forgetting the details (one of his many skills as a master conversationalist). This happens for a reason—his heart of gold. Subhash genuinely cares about the people he meets and talks to. We are beyond lucky to have him in our brotherhood and family.