Spring 2018

Triangle

REVIEW SPRING 2018

Getting Stranger with

BROTHER CHRIS DURFY CIN91 Take a Look Into The

LAXER LEGACY What You Need to Know

ABOUT THE ROAD AHEAD

TRIANGLE’S TR I U MP HS Meet Scott Buehrer vpi79 Interview by Ariel Tarosky, REVIEW Editor

Brother Buehrer received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Virgina Tech and a Master of Science Degree (Mechanical Engineering) from Stanford University. After two years of full time manufacturing experience, Scott enrolled at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and graduated there as a Fuqua Scholar with an MBA in 1986. In 2016 at age 57, he acquired B. Walter & Co. and Vigor Therapy Equipment, two manufacturing companies located in Wabash, Indiana. His full-time career is managing both companies as their President.

Join me as I learn more about Scott and his road to purchasing and running two companies.

How did your background prepare you to purchase a manufacturing company?

Most of my business career of 33 years has involved working for manufacturing companies which seems natural given my mechanical engineering education. I’ve been fortunate to have worked in a wide range of industries (automotive parts, medical devices, electrical controls, food packaging) and functional areas (R&D, Engineering, Operations, Marketing, and Sales). Every time I changed careers, I made it a point to change both industries and functional areas as well. This kept me challenged and always learning new things. Of course, an education in both engineering and business, plus the fraternity experience all contributed to helping me become more versatile in the business world.

I purchased my two companies at the same time from their previous owner, who was a mechanical engineer as well. I wasn’t seeking an opportunity to acquire a manufacturing business, this happened as a result of opportunity finding me. Someone who knew my track record in sales management and who also knew the previous owner, brought us together.

This mutual friend asked me to share my experience in medical device sales with the previous owner. I agreed, not even knowing that the previous owner was in the process of receiving offers for his companies and retiring. Being both engineers, we connected very well and one meeting led to another and ultimately to purchasing his manufacturing companies. Luck, such as being in the right place at the right time, often is a factor in encountering an opportunity to become an entrepreneur.

So, my story is pretty typical.

What advice would you give to engineers who are interested in running their own company some day?

First, I would suggest talking to a few entrepreneurs so that you know what you are getting into. You need to ask yourself why do you want to do this? What’s attracting you-the financial rewards, freedom to pursue your interests, job flexibility, etc.? If that’s your focus, you could become discouraged pretty quickly as you may have not fully considered what’s involved. The point here is there is a tremendous amount of effort that goes into running a business and one needs to be passionate about this in order to get the work done required for the business to be successful.

Second, you need to be comfortable with risk. Owning a business is signing up for a higher level of responsibility and many things can go wrong. Worrying about things isn’t helpful to your business or your health.

Third, pick your partner (spouse) with great care and thought and arrange your personal life in a manner so that you are able to devote the attention required to make the business successful and sustain its success. Your spouse needs to be incredibly supportive as it is rare that owning a business is a 9 to 5 type experience, otherwise the marriage or the business or both will suffer.

Fourth, it would be helpful to get some experience outside of the Engineering Department. This might include working in areas such as Manufacturing/Operations, Sales or Marketing, or maybe even Finance. Regardless, one would certainly benefit from taking courses in college on Financial Accounting and Sales.

Have there been any speed-bumps or challenges that you have had to face throughout your career? If so, what has helped you overcome them?

This is an excellent question and perhaps some who answer it may be reluctant to give a truly revealing response. For me, it is a very easy question to answer. When it comes to men in Executive level positions, companies definitely favor tall men for these positions particularly at the President/CEO level. Frequently you’ll find the President to be the tallest one with his Vice Presidents being shorter than him. This is because companies think being tall is an attribute which facilitates control over others as well as enhances the executive’s own self-confidence. At 5 ft. 5 in., I’m not very tall. My business results were strong enough to make it to the Vice President level, but my height was of no help getting to the President’s level. Possibly the attraction to putting tall men in executive positions goes back to Cave Man era days. As such, I’m not inclined to think this is something that is going to change in my lifetime. How I overcame this was to buy some manufacturing companies and make myself President of them.

What is the future? Where do you see yourself in the next 5 or 10 years?

I hope to continue growing my businesses and perhaps add more to the mix. Since nearly all of my business career has involved working with manufacturing companies, I’m not likely to venture far from manufacturing. My work is full of excitement and challenges every day which provides immense personal enjoyment.

There is a form of philanthropy that goes along with running a business, not just to your community but also to the people involved in your business. This is very rewarding and helps you to become a better person.

In This Issue

19

Features

2 | Triangle’s Triumphs 4 | Contact Information

6 | Council Nominations View the candidates for the 2018 National Council Elections. Full candidate biographies and voting can be found online

10 | Financial Overview

5 | President’s Angle

8

6 | Council Nominations 7 | VNADs Update 8 | Expansion 10 | Financial Overview

National Treasurer Bryley Murphy ky12 provides a National Financial overview for members

12 | Alumni Spotlight 14 | Triangle Feature

14 | The Road Ahead

Alumnus Scott Buehrer vpi79 provides life lessons for what you need to know for the road ahead

10

16 | Triangle Education Foundation 19 | Alumni Feature 20 | Triangle Building & Housing Corp.

23 | Founders’ Day Events

24 | Laxer Legacy

24 | Alumni Spotlights

Triangle Chapter advisor dedicates 30 years to Rose Chapter and so much more

On the Cover Get strange with Chris Durfy cin91 as we explore his decision to change careers and land the ultimate gig working on the set of the Netflix original series, “Stranger Things”

27 | Getting Started with FIRST

24

The National Council

Triangle

National President Brian K. Jarman pur01 Vice President Joe M. Cerrato os05 Secretary Stuart J. Masuda uci07 Treasurer Bryley K. Murphy ky12 Immediate Past President Randy E. Drew rose67 Active Councilman Ryan A. Burt lou15 Councilmen John C. Cottage ps04 Jon E. Eklund msoe99 Brad N. Keller neb69 Merle Newlon lou73 Pete L. Satre os89 Ryan M. Sunyak tol10

Triangle Building & Housing Corporation Board of Directors Chairman Richard F. Beaubien mich64 Secretary/Treasurer James R. Marshall pur65 Assistant Secretary Donald S. Hatfield msu88 Director John M. Malmquist wis72 Director Shawn G. Diedtrich minn90

REVIEW National Headquarters Fraternity Executive Director Tom Pennington tom@triangle.org Director of Operations Rhonda Halcomb rhonda@triangle.org

Director of Chapter Development CJ Hoffman marq04 cj@triangle.org Director of Alumni Engagement Drew Hopson drew@triangle.org Director of Communication & Education Ariel Tarosky ariel@triangle.org Director of Chapter Growth Augie Farwig augie@triangle.org Administrative Assistant Shirley Humble adminasst@triangle.org Education Foundation President Scott Bova, CFRE sbova@triangle.org Vice President Aaron Girson, CFRE agirson@triangle.org Sr. Director of Development Amy Buchheit, CFRE abuchheit@triangle.org Director of Business Operations Polly Courtot pcourtot@triangle.org

Vol. 106 No. 1 Spring 2018 Published three times annually

Triangle Education Foundation Board of Directors Chairman Donald E. Knebel pur65 Vice Chairman John P. Pritchard is82 Secretary John C. Gargani pitt82 Treasurer Gordon K. Mortin mich63 Undergraduate Director Nathan D. Nash csu13 CEL Ex Officio Director Dr. Travis R. Gault lou02 Directors Robert A. Benziger ill61 Lt. Gen Ted F. Bowlds USAF (Ret) miss72 RADM Melvin H. Chiogioji USN (Ret) pur58 Dr. Monte S. Dirks MD sdm71 J. Steven Flannigan rose67 Robert G. Halgren mich05 Gregory A. Lang mom74 Michael H. O’Connor marq74 James E. Schier ky66 John M. Storm pur73 Mark E. Tolliver ill70 Alex P. Ver ar65 Stanley L. Walker neb67

Building & Housing Corporation Executive Director Mike Fouts mfouts@trianglebhc.org

The Triangle REVIEW is a triannual educational journal of college life and alumni achievement. It is the official publication of Triangle Fraternity, published since 1911 and currently distributed to over 18,000 total members. Articles in the Triangle REVIEW represent the opinion of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of Triangle Fraternity, Triangle Education Foundation, and the Triangle Building & Housing Corporation.

Connect with Triangle Fraternity www.triangle.org

Triangle Fraternity is a proud member of:

PRESIDENT’S ANGLE

M

y membership in Triangle is one of the most valuable experiences of my life. As I have gotten older, this realization has become clearer. I’ve been in numerous weddings for brothers, celebratPresident’s Angle and cried more ed the birthsNational of their children, shared vacations, than once with them when facing a tough time. I also received scholarships from the Triangle Education Foundation helping manage the cost of my college education. These are just a few examples showing that value during my college days.

National President Brian Jarman pur01

While participating in our January 2018 Leadership and Training weekend, I was asked why I serve Triangle. My answer was simple. I am trying to give back to Triangle some of what Triangle has given to me. During my time in college, I received many opportunities to grow my leadership skills, make mistakes and learn from them, and build life-long friendships. I also learned about things that I wasn’t exposed to growing up in rural Indiana like diversity, conflict resolution, and risk management just to name a few.

To my surprise, Triangle has continued to give to me even after college. While in law school, I was able to reconnect with alumni who offered me my first job in the legal field working on patents. I’ve also met numerous brothers from other chapters while serving the national fraternity. These brothers, like the ones from my days at Purdue, have become life-long friends. Since becoming National President in July, I’ve also had the opportunity to learn and grow as I’ve worked with my counterparts in the Triangle Building and Housing Corporation and the Triangle Education Foundation. All of these benefits whether as a student or an alumnus are too much to quantify. They also form the basis of my un-yielding belief in the ever increasing value of membership in Triangle.

Today is a challenging time in the fraternity world. Uncertainty and doubt about the value and relevance of Greek life flashes into the national news with unsettling frequency. Our members, potential members, their families, and our communities ask how does Triangle add value to them.

Without a doubt, Triangle is equipped to overcome and thrive among these challenging times. While we are not immune from the challenges facing college men, we are willing to face those challenges openly and honestly. We are willing to learn and grow.

We’re looking for articles!

Have an idea for an article and want to submit it? We accept a variety of submissions, ranging from alumni and chapter updates to descriptions of events and highlights of successes. We also welcome general interest and lifestyle pieces.

Please email article information and hi-res photographs to editor@triangle.org.

We have the tools to challenge ourselves and our communities. Our shared values, willingness to learn, and desire to solve problems provide unique benefits in these challenging times. Triangle has and will continue to be about building lifelong relationships, providing spaces to challenge each other and grow, and create meaningful change in our world. Just as Triangle has changed me and my life and will continue to do so, we have the opportunity to change others’ lives.

Value is subjective to each of us. What we do and how we change the world is objective. We have the opportunity and obligation to change men and our world for the better.

I hope that you all will join in on building each other up as better men and in building a better world.

In F, S, C, and T, Brian Jarman, pur01 National President

Don’t forget to update your contact information!

Visit www.triangle.org to update mailing and other contact information. You may also call Triangle Fraternity Headquarters at 317-837-9640.

REVIEW Team Editor Ariel Tarosky editor@triangle.org Copy Editors Kevin Fong ucla84 Marcos Stocco ok93 Triangle Review | 5

NATIONAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS

2018

National Council is Triangle’s all-volunteer board of directors consisting of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, six alumni Councilmen, one active Councilman, and the Past President. The Secretary, Treasurer, and Active Councilman positions are appointed annually. The President and Vice President are elected for one-year terms and three Councilmen are elected each year for two-year terms.

Nominated for President

Nominated for Vice President

Term Length - 1 year

Term Length - 1 year

Employer Barnes & Thornburg LLP

Employer Keybank

Brian Jarman pur01

Joe Cerrato os05

Nominated for Councilman

Nominated for Councilman

Term Length - 2 years

Term Length - 2 years

Employer Motorola

Employer Computer Design & Integration, LLC.

Jon Eklund msoe99

John Cottage ps04

Nominated for Councilman Ryan Sunyak tol10

Term Length - 2 years

how to

Employer General Electric

V

TE

2018

National Council Elections are now open!

Visit www.triangle.org to view candidate bios, goals, and to vote. If you would like to vote via paper ballot please contact Triangle Fraternity Headquarters at (317) 837-9640.

VOLUNTARY NATIONAL ALUMNI DUES (VNADS) Did you know that nearly 65% of the Fraternity’s annual budget comes from undergraduate dues and fees? It’s true! Less than 5% of the membership of the Fraternity (actives) are responsible for 65% of the annual income… and it’s the members who, arguably, have the least income.

Voluntary National Alumni Dues (VNADs) are non tax-deductible contributions from alumni, family, and friends that provide much-needed funds to underwrite important programs and services, such as: Area Alumni Events and Activities Regional Education and Training Online Services and Resources Advisor/Advisory Board training Chapter Recruitment Assistance Chapter Officer Training and Support Support to Area Alumni Groups Compiling and Publishing the Triangle Review VNAD income lowers the burden on undergraduate fees and makes more programs possible. Because these dues are not deductible to the donors, the funds can be used to support activity that may not otherwise qualify for educational grants from the Triangle Education Foundation. Thus, it is invaluable assistance to the Fraternity.

We have currently raised $35,152 in dues- 55% of our way to our fiscal year goal of $64,000! If you can help us reach our goal, please return your VNAD mailer or go online to www.triangle.org and click on DONATE to pay your dues.

Have questions about the programs VNADs support? Contact Executive Director Tom Pennington at 317.837.9640 or tom@triangle.org.

Triangle Review | 7

SEEKING NEW OPPORTUNITIES Triangle makes plans for potential expansion sites

By Tom Pennington, Executive Director

Cornell University is one of the many top institutions that Triangle is interested in recolonizing. Pictured to the right are Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University, the University of Texas, Duke University, Columbia University

A

ll Triangle members know the value of our experience, but how do we expand that valuable experience to more students? Expansion to new campuses, of course! Triangle has our sights set on a chapter at each of the top 25 engineering schools in the Nation – we’re about halfway there now. That means starting groups at schools like Penn, Stanford, and Texas and returning to great Triangle campuses like Cornell and Northwestern.

Expansion to new campuses often can be complicated, but in the current fraternity environment, it’s even more challenging.

Few campuses want to add fraternities, even though many students could benefit from a STEM-focused group like Triangle.

Campus IFCs can be resistant and university policies can be prohibitive, but we can’t stand still. Growth in Triangle must include new interest groups and colonies each year.

How can current members help?

Active Members Many interest groups have formed from active members’ friends attending other colleges.

Graduate Students Some groups began from the efforts of Triangle graduate students studying at a campus without a Triangle chapter.

Alumni Our alumni members often know young men – personal relations or those of friends – attending colleges where Triangle might be welcome. Other alumni may have graduate degrees or an established relationship with faculty or administrators at schools right for Triangle. These connections can be invaluable to opening campus doors.

What is Our Plan?

Triangle does best when we build an early relationship with the College of Engineering. The support of the Dean or faculty increases our chance of success and helps

legitimize our efforts to the IFC or Greek administrator(s). We also don’t traditionally do well in a competition of resources with larger, more traditional social fraternities. Therefore, our current short-term goal is “soft-starts” at several campuses over the next few years.

EXPANSION “WISH” LIST

A soft-start is a plan to create a Triangle scholarship to connect with faculty and begin name-recognition on campus. Local alumni will form the scholarship committee to review applications and select/interview finalists, along with faculty they can invite to participate. The scholarship program should result in applications from dozens of excellent candidates. The interview process will reinforce our support for academic performance while allowing us to evaluate finalists as potential leaders for any new group.

Columbia – New York City, NY

Once an interest group can be formed, we will work with them and their alumni team to help them grow the group to 20 or more men. The National Council then can recognize them as a Colony and begin to help them achieve full Chapter status when they reach 30 men or more – usually 12 to 18 months later.

Johns Hopkins - Baltimore, MD

A Call to Action A short list of priority campuses is pictured to the right. These are top engineering campuses where Triangle does not currently have a chapter or colony. At some campuses, we may build a program with Phi Sigma Rho, a social sorority for women in engineering; to do a dual-expansion project, where we both may form interest groups at the same time.

Contact us if you: 1) Live near a campus and want to help us start a group; 2) Are on the faculty at a campus or have strong relationships with the dean or faculty; 3) Are currently or recently in graduate school at a campus or; 4) Have a son, nephew or grandson enrolled, or have a friend who does.

You may reach us at HQ at 317-837-9640 or contact Executive Director Tom Pennington via email at tom@triangle.org.

Carnegie Mellon – Pittsburgh, PA

Cornell – Ithaca, NY Drexel – Philadelphia, PA Duke – Durham, NC

M.I.T. – Cambridge, MA Northwestern – Evanston, IL Stanford – Palo Alto, CA Texas A&M – College Station, TX

University of Maryland – College Park, MD

University of Pennsylvania – Phil., PA University of Texas – Austin, TX USC - Los Angeles, CA

*This list is not exclusive, contact HQ with additional opportunities

TRIANGLE NEWS

Building Better Men - The Treasurer’s Perspective by adding new chapters and adding men at existing chapters and (b) to provide higher quality services, a goal shared by virtually every NIC group.

These goals were approved by the voting delegates at the 2013 Convention. That vote specifically endorsed the high-staff/ high-service paradigm within which we continue to operate. Naturally, this paradigm requires funding, and if we are to provide services comparable to fraternities with twice the chapters and five times the men, our fee structure must support the associated costs. We strive to offset as much of these costs as possible through support from TEF, through encouraging efficiency in our overhead, and being very selective in our programs. However, these methods can only go so far.

National Treasurer Bryley Murphy ky12 leading the Treasurers track at the 2018 Leadership & Training Weekend, where he is able to provide education and skill training to chapter treasurers from across the country.

By Bryley Murphy ky12, National Treasurer My goal in this article is to walk you through how the National Fraternity spends money. I am writing this letter in the belief that in highlighting our strengths, and hanging a lantern on troublesome issues, we create stakeholders that better understand our opportunities and challenges; something that can only make us stronger.

In writing this, I am aware that slowing down to fully understand something is tiresome and can be unsatisfying. Once we have taken the time to understand, our discourse and opportunities for improvement can be so much more fruitful. I do offer a small panacea in this article that will not touch on every detail or piece of the presentation; many things therein are self-explanatory, and I wish to respect your time.

In addition, I want to thank you, the alumni, active, or committed friend, for taking the time to read these materials. Understanding any issue is hard, but finance issues come with the added malus of being boring. Thank you for putting your duties to the men of our world above the other options you had today.

With that said, I do wish to address the oft-repeated rebuttal ¨we do not need National programs; we do just fine on our own¨. First, not surprisingly, as your National Treasurer, I believe having a National Fraternity is a net positive, prima facie. Triangle is focused on providing opportunities for each Triangle member to become a better man; one who leads selflessly, with compassion, honor and conviction. This mission is not only one for Triangle, but for our greater community and a better world. By helping to shape men in the fields of engineering, architecture and science who are ready to take up today’s challenges, we are producing our world’s next generation of leaders.

Thus, if we limit ourselves to only working within our own chapters, neither adding chapters, addressing chapters who are not furthering our mission, nor building chapters to be better, we are falling short of our purpose. We can debate specific programs, weighing cost effectiveness, pros and cons, but doing nothing is not an option unless we decide that Ritual was just a long evening with a dinner at the end. If we are to contribute to a better world, the way forward is not by retreating into our individual walled gardens, never daring to emerge.

Overview Our National Active Fees (fees paid individually by initiated undergraduate members to the National Headquarters in the form of mandatory dues) are within the top 25% among NIC (North-American Interfraternity Conference) groups. This is offset slightly by Triangle having one of the lowest premiums for liability insurance, but we are still one of the most expensive fraternities to join as far as undergraduate dues levied by the national office.

This is not unintentional. When comparing dues between different groups at a given university, being known as the ¨economy option¨ is not a particularly attractive superlative. Beyond this, two of our strategic goals for the last few years have been (a) to grow the Fraternity Chapter treasurers crafting their financial plans for the upcoming terms at the 2018 Leadership & Training Weekend.

What we can debate is how we achieve our mission of contributing to a better world. Currently, forty-one percent of our revenue goes to supporting undergraduates at the chapter level (as opposed to the national level, e.g. LTW or Scobie).

The lion’s share of this 41% funds our Educational Leadership Consultant (ELC) program, where a professional in best practices visits each chapter, addressing issues, performing some brief officer training, and collecting data for National Council and Staff to design national programs and initiatives.

This program is expensive. First, good people cost money.

The last thing we want is for chapters to put up with someone who is unprofessional, or who lacks the expertise to help. In addition to salary, the ELC must travel to the chapters and stay there more than a day (who wants a one-day ELC visit?). An ELC visit, where the consultant flies in, stays in a budget motel, and eats fast food costs approximately $690. That for all forty-two groups comes out to around $30,000, and we have not even paid the guy yet. Also, there are only thirty weeks in an academic year, so we realistically need at least two guys to visit everyone once, and four to visit everyone twice. Allowing travel costs and visiting everyone just two times, we need to budget $200,000. This program alone costs almost a quarter of a million dollars, and we have not turned on the lights at headquarters, mailed a copy of the Triangle Review, started a colony, or held a national event.

Oh, something is broken? We have a tier two guy who knows more about the equipment but can only address common points of failure. Then there is the tier three senior technician who can service the machine top to bottom, inside and out.

Chapters have virtually no common points of failure. We do have some tier one support via national programs, where an active is trained in the basics and sent back to their chapter.

Everything else requires our tier three senior technician, because people are not machines. If a chapter needs more support than a change of oil and cleaning some valves, we must send our top support to perform that diagnosis.

The good news here is we are starting to develop some tier two support via engaging our alumni members. Alumni and advisory boards help keep things on track, making sure small problems stay small. We are also partnering with Phired Up!, a recruitment training group, to train some alumni recruitment coaches. But it is slow going, and we cannot make alumni appear from thin air.

This support metaphor gets at a major crux of supporting chapters. There are two opposing forces at work: reducing costs, which encourages streamlining, limiting face-to-face contact, and using standardized practices; and personalization, which requires face-to-face contact, a thorough discussion, and not being in a hurry. In taking our mission as Triangle men seriously, and honoring the strategic vision approved at the 2013 Convention, the latter has been emphasized over the former.

That is not to say our current system is the optimal one. If you have read this far, you now have a working knowledge of what our national team faces in supporting local groups and you clearly care about making things better. I know there are better solutions out there, we just have not thought of them.

Director of Chapter Development, CJ Hoffman marq04 is just one of the staff members committed to providing services to chapters and colonies across the country every semester.

This calculation repeats for many of our other programs. Stuff costs money, and there are certain costs that do not scale with membership. There are variables (volunteers vs. professionals, length of stay, having a follow up visit, have more a la carte things, etc.), but cutting things has serious effects on outcomes.

These must be weighed whenever these decisions are made.

So, please, for your brothers, for our world: be critical, give feedback, share your thoughts, offer solutions. No other fraternity is trying to do this level of service with our level of resources. We have no playbook. If you have an idea, tell someone, either an alumnus, a Councilman, or a member of staff.

Please do not just sit on your ideas.

Second, make your chapters the best they can be. The fraternity experience is built on problem solving, and the people who interact with a problem everyday are in the best position to fix it.

Compounding this is the nature of fraternity chapters, where personalization is paramount to effectiveness. For an easy comparison, in an industrial setting companies can streamline costs by having different levels of support.

Third, engage with your alumni (and alumni, engage with your actives). The most cost effective, personalized support is when a group of alumni come together to give back to their chapter.

Literally nothing else can begin to compare. If you are not sure what that might look like, reach out to your national headquarter staff. Doing these things will help our resources go as far as possible, allowing us to continue to change the world.

Just need the equipment lubricated and cleaned up? Send a rookie who is going to just follow an instructional manual and use a pre-packaged kit.

Questions or comments for National Treasurer, Bryley Murphy ky12?

Email him at murphybryley@gmail.com

James Coller mich13

Reflects on why he stays involved with Triangle after graduating

By Drew Hopson, Director of Alumni Engagement

I

f you have been around Triangle Fraternity’s national or regional events over the last few years, then you have likely crossed paths with Brother James Coller. A former Active Councilman, former Executive Vice President for his active chapter (among many other roles), and a recipient of the 2017 Senior of the Year Award, James has been deeply involved in Triangle since he joined. In this issue, James discusses the impact Triangle had on his personal and professional life, and

JAMES COLLER QUICK FACTS HOBBIES? I photograph Michigan Hockey, Basketball and Football.

NO. 1 RULE TO LIVE BY Make the most of every opportunity.

FAVORITE WEBSITE Reddit. I spend way too much of my time there.

GUILTY PLEASURE The TV show Shameless. It’s a trainwreck I can’t look away from.

ESSENTIAL BUSINESS TOOL My MacBook. It goes with me everywhere.

BEST WAY TO UNWIND AT DAY’S END Sit back on the couch and watch Netflix.

LAST MOVIE SEEN AT A THEATER Jumanji- it was great!

how he gives back to the organization that What led you to Naval Architecture and gave him so much.

Marine Engineering?

It all began with an introductory course my Let’s start at the beginning: How did you freshman year, where I connected with the come to Triangle? professor. They eventually hired me to do Well, I was a new freshman at the Univer- research on ship motion forecasting. We go sity of Michigan, and I was looking for a out to Navy vessels, install a radar station, community. Michigan is a large school of and monitor the motion of ships. The data 40,000, so everyone is trying to find their we collect helps prevent ships from collidplace. I didn’t really think that I wanted ing with one another. to join Greek life, but a friend from high school wanted to go through rush.

I’m currently working with autonomous robots that can lock onto a ship’s hull and I crossed paths with Triangle, but also vis- scan the hull underwater. This task tradiited some of the other houses. Triangle felt tionally required a diver to examine the different. I think the number one differ- hull, so this technology allows us to keep ence was that I only had fun at the other one more man safe and out of the water. houses in a social setting. Triangle just felt I am also doing research on autonomous like home. surface vehicles.

What happened once you realized Triangle was the place for you?

After my pledge period, I broke my housing contract with the university and immediately moved in after initiation. This is unusual for the chapter, but my lineage actually has a history of breaking the housing contract to move into the house! Anyway, I immediately got involved as the chapter’s marketing chair, helping a lot with recruitment. I joined the executive board my sophomore year, and that eventually led me to becoming the Active National Councilman, which led me to my current role on the alumni board.

And what role did Triangle play in shaping your professional – and personal development?

Triangle has been huge. I met my best friends for life at Triangle, and they really helped me come out of my shell. Triangle molded my entire college experience, and helped me develop my personal identity. As I’ve gone through being an active member, and now an alumnus, it has been helpful to me to have the Code of Ethics to turn to.

What is your favorite Triangle undergraduate memory?

During my pledge semester a bunch of us went camping. Our chapter’s cook lives in the Middle-of-Nowhere, Michigan, and twenty or thirty of us drove up there. We pitched tents of varying quality – some were legitimate, and some were no more than tarp strung up between trees (we accidentally set these up so the wind went right through the tent!).

At this time you were balancing a significant course load as well.

I received my Bachelor’s, and will receive my Masters and PhD, in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. It’s interesting, out of my graduating class of twelve, three of us are pursuing PhDs. I’ll be done with my first Masters in April, and will probably earn my second in Robotics the following We played football, had campfires, the year. usual stuff. One brother backed his pickup truck up to the fire, and we played music from it, just spent time together. It was one of the best bonding experiences I had with

my brothers. You get away from the computer screens, get off your phones, and just spend time together.

What advice do you have for active members generally, and seniors, especially?

Get involved. You will get out of Triangle what you put into it. If you go to a couple of meetings and events, you won’t get much out of it. To our seniors, try to find a way to stay involved whether it’s staying in contact with your graduating class, reaching out to your chapter once a semester, or going to Founders’ Day. If your chapter has a newsletter, read it. If not, ask them to start one. Give back if you can. We had alumni sponsor pledges who lacked financial resources. I helped alumni connect to the chapter, and it gets them involved with helping in the success of the chapter.

And what got you connected nationally?

I always wanted to see what other chapters are doing. I wanted to know what they’re doing well, and how I can bring that back to my chapter. I thought, “How is the Fraternity operating, and how can we make it better?” If Triangle is improving, we’re all improving.

My first national program was Leadership & Training Weekend in 2014. I met guys for the first time from Oklahoma, Cal, and Illinois, and though we all come from different chapters, we all have the same values. It was really cool to realize that we are all a part of this national organization that is One Triangle.

“

“

To our seniors, try to find a way to stay involved, whether it’s stay in contact with your graduating class, reaching out to your chapter once a semester, or going to Founders’ Day.

Alumnus: James Coller mich13

Triangle Review | 13

TRIANGLE FEATURE

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE ROAD AHEAD

By Scott Buehrer vpi79 Preface This is intended to help prepare you for life after graduation. It is based upon a presentation that I’ve been giving to college students for a number of years at universities in the Midwest. Its insights may also be beneficial to brothers who have already graduated and are working in industry. Because of the diversity of my business background (many industries, range of company size, multiple functional areas, public and private companies) accumulated over 30 years and my mentoring of dozens of young employees, I am well equipped to tackle this subject.

What To Do In College There are 3 things that you should be doing now while a college student to prepare you for your future career.

First, you should be taking advantage of extracurricular leadership opportunities on campus. There are many organizations and sports teams on a college campus and each has various leadership opportunities.

You should find some of interest to you and work your way into leadership (officer) positions. This will help build your people skills. Often there is a lack of interest in these positions (more responsibility for no pay), so it is easy to obtain them.

Second, you should use your electives to take certain courses which will prove to be invaluable, especially if you intend to work in industry. These courses are: Financial Accounting, Business Communication, Sales, and if possible a course on Psychology.

Third, you should start building your resume. You will be ahead of others if you choose work experiences (such as summer internships) that are relevant to your field of study. Your resume should indicate your education level, work responsibilities & quantifiable accomplishments, hobbies & interests, and any certifications, awards, honors, etc.

All of this will be of interest to a hiring manager. For example, at one company where I was employed if you sent in a resume with the word “Baseball” on it you automatically received an interview. Why? Because the hiring manager was a baseball enthusiast.

What To Look For In A Company When choosing a company or organization to work for after graduation, the presence of certain characteristics will be an indicator that this is a good company for you.

First, is this a successful company? Is it growing and profitable? Does it have low employee turnover? Are there formal employee training programs? Is there intellectual property protection for its product or service? Can the company explain to you their strategy for competing in the marketplace? If the answer to these questions are mostly “yes”, then this is going to be a company with a future that can provide you with advancement opportunities.

Second, it is not enough to pick a successful company, it is also important to pick a company where you have the right Manager for you. It is essential that you are compatible with your Manager as in many cases individuals leave a job over incompatibilities with their Manager. Realize though that large companies may have a formal training program which rotates you around the company resulting in having many different Managers over the course of your first year or two. So, if that’s the case, this factor is less important starting off.

How To Find Opportunities The economy is strong and the labor market is tight now, so job applicants with technical training are in the driver’s seat.

Most colleges have some form of a Career Services Department which bring companies to campus to interview students. Also, there are a number of internet job sites such as Indeed.com and Monster.com. Additionally, many companies have online job application portals.

These approaches for identifying job openings are generally well known by students.

Lesser known techniques involve networking. For example, walking into industry trade shows as a student and talking to companies when there are no customers in their booth or attending your field’s professional society meeting in the geographical area that you would like to work are ways to uncover job opportunities. In both cases you are likely to be the only student present or one of only a few that use networking techniques in this manner. This provides you with exposure to opportunities and a way to draw attention to yourself without getting lost in a larger crowd of applicants.

Who Gets Promoted Initially, your promotions will come largely as a result of doing your job well. This means solving problems correctly and on time and having good attendance. However, as you begin to work your way into Managerial roles things change considerably.

Your advancement will be based largely on 3 factors, in declining priority they are: Social Relationships within the Organization, Personal Image, and Competency.

Social Relationships deals with developing friendships and gaining the respect of your colleagues up, down, and across the organization. Your experiences from being in a fraternity helps to build skills in this area.

It is no secret that many leadership positions in business are filled with men and women who were in fraternities and sororities in college.

Personal Image is based on factors such as: your dress, level of organization of your work space, quality of verbal and written communications, how tall you are (for men), and general physical appearance.

These are very important factors as you work your way up the organization hierarchy. Competency, while still important, ranks last because you’ve already proven you were competent and as you advance into the Management ranks of an

organization the Management Team wins or loses together.

advance right behind them. This is a great secret in the business world.

Why Organizations Operate The Way They Do Organizations operate the way they do because: • Business is a Social Experience • Organizations Operate as a Team • Departments are Interconnected • Many Will Claim They are Responsible for Company Successes

As an engineer it was “disappointing” to realize that competency carries you only so far. So much of the engineering education and training emphasizes getting the correct answer. Organizations play by more complex rules than this and you need to know this going in.

Organizations are complex social webs.

Once again this is why the college fraternity experience and taking advantage of organization leadership opportunities is valuable in preparing for life after college. Competency will only carry you so far. This was a great surprise to me after leaving college.

The college experience is largely one that rewards individual achievement while on the other hand, organizations operate as a Team.

For several companies and for half my business career, I was the Vice President of Sales or its equivalent and nearly every year (even during the 2008 recession) my Sales Team generated record sales for the company. How did we do it? I insured each functional area (R&D, Engineering, Manufacturing, Marketing, Finance, etc.) received recognition for their contributions for our Sales performance. The department heads of these areas are going to seek recognition anyway so why not get out in front of the process and give it to them?

How You Get Promoted As mentioned above, your initial promotion will largely be based on competency.

To advance into middle and upper management, there is a process that I have seen used over and over again throughout my business career regardless of company size or type of industry. It works this way; once you have established credibility with your manager, you start building a connection with them based on their interests. Shared interests increases your likability with your manager. With this established, you then ask your manager if you can assist with some of their work. Most of them are overworked and will be glad to off load some of it. Now if you have picked the right company and the right Manager you are well positioned to advance with them. As they advance up the Corporate Ladder you will

Signs You Should Think About Becoming An Entrepreneur I’ve worked directly under 7 entrepreneurs as well as met a great many others in addition to having worked at or with very large corporations. This has allowed me to observe how each operates and draw conclusions about common characteristics. Private and publicly owned companies tend to operate very differently. Some Triangle Brothers will find greater satisfaction and success being entrepreneurs rather than rising up through the corporate ranks.

Some of the signs that suggest one is well suited for an entrepreneurial future are: • • • • • • •

Play mostly individual sports vs. team sports Difficulty fitting in A bias for action Capable of making decisions in a timely manner Comfortable with responsibility and risk Able to make the time commitment and persevere A desire to treat people right (Golden Rule)

Some engineers are well suited for the Corporate World and some are not. Its beneficial to understand early in life which environment you are likely to flourish in the most so that you can plan accordingly.

If you are contemplating an entrepreneurial career early in life it is more likely that you will gravitate towards businesses that are not capital intensive such as computer software, social media, internet applications. These kinds of businesses require human capital as opposed to costly machinery and equipment. Later in your career, after building a successful track record, you will find it much easier to raise funding for more capital intensive businesses such as manufacturing.

Other Pointers on Career & Life Over the years I’ve developed a list of pointers to share with my younger staff as they embark on life’s adventure. Here are a few of them.

First, the most important decision impacting your future happiness is who you marry, assuming you choose to get married. This certainly is far more important than what college you attended. There is somebody for everybody but it isn’t just anybody.

Second, responsibility shapes your identity. Don’t be afraid to take on responsibility.

Third, good and bad things will happen to you. That’s life. Most problems can be solved with money so save some of it, you’ll need it for the unforeseen problems that come your way.

Fourth, starting out in your career exchange your “computer skills” for “experience” with someone older in your field. I call this the grand bargain and it will shorten the amount of time required to get experience.

Fifth, always help someone’s child when you are in a position to do so. They will spend the rest of their life doing things to help you to show their appreciation.

Sixth, somewhere along the line your spouse is likely to come to you and say something like “Honey, I’ve run the numbers and I think that we can make it on one paycheck so one of us can stay home and give the kids more attention”. You look at the numbers and agree. After a few months you find this wasn’t the case. What went wrong? You underestimated expenses. In life you are either making money, spending money, or sleeping. What just happened is you increased the hours available to spend and didn’t factor that into the budget.

Seventh, at some point you may be married with children. If you are wondering where you will be living then, the answer in many cases is within 25 miles of your partner’s family. Why? Because who is most likely to be entrusted to watch the children when you both can’t, than Grandma and Grandpa?

TRIANGLE EDUCATION FOUNDATION

Making all the Difference

Judy & Larry Garatoni pur58 Extend Building Better Men Program with Generous Gift

By Scott Bova CFRE, Foundation President In order to truly live the mission “In order to have a better world, we must first have a world of better men”, Triangle Fraternity and Triangle Education Foundation, with the generous support of Judy and Larry Garatoni pur58, encourage chapters to participate in the Judy & Larry Garatoni Building Better Men Program, which promotes the values and principles upon which Triangle was founded.

After two years of positive data showing how impactful the Building Better Men Program has been, the Garatoni’s have generously provided additional funding to extend the program another two years and add The Rattle award, specifically targeted for young chapters and colonies.

The Better Men Program can completely transform a chapter. It also can give a new chapter or colony the tools that they will need to succeed. The fundamental purpose of the Building Better Men Program is to encourage active organizations to return to their founding values, which are crucial to the rich development of fraternity men.

To ensure that Triangle’s Active organizations complement the mission of the National Organization, develop leadership and character in its members, provide service to the community, foster lifelong friendships, and provide a safe and healthy experience, a set of standards have been developed. The Building Better Men program is composed of four different areas: 1. Scholarship: Shown by a commitment to academic success through high academic standards and consistent improvement 2. Leadership: Shown by high involvement in both on and off campus organizations 3. Diligence: Shown through a commitment to marketing the strengths of Triangle to ensure chapter growth and retention 4. Citizenship: Shown through a commitment to philanthropy and service to the National Organization or campus/community to alleviate critical issues in society 5. Character: Exhibited by the behavior of active and new members through the education and support around current issues and trends facing fraternity members and college students This is a significant expansion of the current program which will allow more chapters to vie for these honors and be recognized for truly living Herb Scobie’s vision of Triangle Fraternity. We are forever grateful for the support and generosity of the Garatoni’s.

To learn more and to get involved in the program, contact Director of Education & Communication Ariel Tarosky at ariel@triangle.org.

Notable Accomplishments of Garatoni Better Men Chapters •

Michigan increased its chapter GPA from a 3.06 to a 3.29 and • began to host two academic programs every semester for members’ development

Pittsburgh, Colorado State, Michigan, and Michigan Tech achieved a 100% new member retention rate both semesters in the 20162017 academic year

•

Pittsburgh increased its chapter GPA from a 3.11 to a 3.5

Michigan increased membership size from 67 to 82 members

•

Kentucky earned a chapter GPA of 3.445, comparing significantly • to the All-male average of a 3.04

•

As a result of the feedback from the 2015-2016 Building Better Men scoring, Penn State Behrend implemented a fully comprehensive academic program that includes academic standards and GPA requirements, incentives, and connections to on-campus resources

•

Kentucky transitioned their new member program to a 12-week program to assist in retention

•

•

As a result of feedback from the 2015-2016 Building Better Men scoring, Cincinnati established a risk management program that includes training new members, educating the entire membership every 6 months on risk policies, and offering two health & safety programs a semester Michigan hosted two health & safety workshops for members each semester, topics included: Consent, Hazing Prevention, Risk Management Training, and Alcohol Awareness

THANK YOU PRESIDENT’S MEN The Triangle Education Foundation would like to thank the 111 undergraduates who already have become President’s Men! Your commitment to Triangle ensures that future brothers can enjoy the same Triangle experiences you have!

Don’t see your name on this list? Joining is easy! Visit us at www.triangleef.org and make your $25 donation to get this limited edition t-shirt and show your Triangle pride!

THE CHAPTER WITH THE HIGHEST PARTICIPATION RATE WILL WIN A CATERED MEAL OF YOUR CHOICE! For more information or to sign your whole chapter up, contact Aaron Girson, at 317-203-4510 or agirson@triangle.org.

Armour Brendan Kerrigan Tyler Schoell Garrett Weidle Joshua Wolf Cincinnati Spencer King Austin Wanek

Georgia Tech Shourya Khare Sidharth Parwani Triton Wolfe Houston Stephen Durham Christian Gonzales Illinois Jacob Brown

Clemson Nicholas Buckman Conner Daniel Iowa State Tyler Boell Cal Poly Pomona Daniel Frantik Alden Caterio Carter Sawin Billy Hafner Cecilio Navarro Kansas Cooper Budt Colorado State Kyle Foley Chris Alleman Matthew Plummer Andre Hochmuth Nathan Nash Kentucky Jared Weber Thomas Morgan Matthew Williams Vincent West Florida Atlantic Juan Castillo James Lennberg Abraham Silfen

Louisville Ryan Burt Joseph Curtis Kevin Seo Austin Stephens Daniel Wei

Marquette Evan Beierwaltes Ian Morrissey Michigan Brennan Booker Colin Gray Nikolas Hill Alexander Rothmann Clayton Webb Matthew Winkler Minnesota Neel Kumar Michael Lambert Missouri Mines Noah Madrigal MSOE Bradley Boxrud Antonio Fajardo Joshua Smith Dan Tinoco Joe Weber Michigan State Ely Hsu Filip Milojevic Sean Powers Garrett Thornsberry

Michigan Tech Darien Benner Christopher Blatt Daniel Groess Morgan Husmann Nebraska Bryan Borer Joseph Novotny Oklahoma Greg Arleth Trevor Cooper Wyatt Maney Harrison Powell Stephen Thung Triston Warren Jack Zoellner Ohio State Daniel Dembski Joseph Kay Alex Waibel Stephen Wu Pitt Alexander Citerone Evan Kilroy Benjamin Kottler

Penn State Jacob D. Bunn Brandon Wilt Penn State Behrend Drew Sorenson Ian Thompson Tyler Traeger Rose Tech Harsh Dhruva Jared Dean Knox Charles Lynch South Dakota Mines Levi Butts Ashur Martin Fleming Andrew Uttecht Toledo Aaron Fellhauer Shawn McCauley

Utah Cameron Anderson Jakob Astin Colin Dincher Rex Knickerbocker Joshua Morrell Zachary Zundel UWM Bernard Muransky VCU James Conklin Joey Freidin Maxx McKinney Tal Reznikov Wisconsin Bennett Jaskaniec Evan Tyler Schertz Kevin Sladowski

UCI Joseph Madril UCSD Priyo Murugesh Ian Richardson-Ramos Matthias Smyrl Triangle Review | 17

TRIANGLE EDUCATION FOUNDATION

CHAPTER ENDOWMENT FUND PROGRAM UPDATE: Program Expanded to Support “Young Chapters”

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By Aaron Girson, Foundation Vice President hapter Endowment Funds (CEFs) are restricted funds within the Triangle Education Foundation supporting the educational needs of a specific chapter. A CEF provides an annual grant to the designated chapter that can be used for scholarships, educational programs, leadership development initiatives, and improvements to educational space in chapter houses.

CEFs are established through tax-deductible contributions from alumni and friends of Triangle who designate their gifts to a specific chapter. Once contributions to a CEF reach $25,000 or more, an annual grant of up to 5 percent of the fund’s value can be made to support qualified initiatives.

To date, Chapter Endowment Funds have been established for the following chapters: Illinois, Purdue, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Rose-Tech, Marquette, Iowa State, Armour, Colorado State, Pittsburgh, Houston, MSOE, Kansas, South Dakota Mines, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Toledo, Penn State, Missouri Mines, Michigan Tech, Kentucky, Nebraska and Utah.

More than $100,000 will be available to these chapter for leadership and educational needs during the 2017-2018 academic year.

To support “Young Chapters” that do not yet have the alumni base to support funding of a Chapter Endowment Fund the Triangle Education will provide annual educational grants of $1,250 to chapters that are less than 15 years old who commit to working to establish a Chapter Endowment Fund. The “Young Chapters” Chapter Endowment Fund program is now open to the nine active chapters (listed below) without CEFs who were chartered over the past fifteen years and to new chapters as they are installed.

University of Maryland Baltimore County

Virginia Commonwealth

Cal Poly Pomona

UNC- Charlotte

Penn State Behrend

Florida Atlantic

UC- San Diego

Clemson

UC- Irvine

“The Chapter Endowment Fund Program is the fastest growing initiative in the Triangle Education Foundation and it provides chapters the flexibility to fund their educational needs”, said Triangle Education Foundation President Scott Bova, CFRE. To find out if your chapter is eligible for this new program or to access your existing Chapter Endowment Fund please contact Scott at sbova@triangle.org.

If you would like to make a gift to your chapter’s CEF or help create a CEF for a chapter that does not currently have one, please contact Triangle Education Foundation Vice President Aaron Girson at agirson@triangle.org.

Triangle Review | 18

Brother Chris Durfy cin91 on the set of Netflix original series, Stranger Things

What advice would you give to a member who wants to take a different career path but isn’t quite sure how to do it?

If you find the path you are on just isn’t the one you love, don’t be afraid to change direction. Write down a list of what you enjoy doing. See if you can find a way toward taking that list and building a niche idea for a career. Then go for it. Life is an adventure and it’s too short to get stuck in a rut. Being too afraid to fail is just as good as giving up. Don’t regret not giving it your all.

GET STRANGER WITH CHRIS DURFYcin91 Learn how brother Durfy made the career change of a lifetime

By Ariel Tarosky, REVIEW Editor Join me as I learn more about Chris Durfy cin91 and how he made the transition from architect to sound mixer and landed some incredible jobs on hit shows and movies like Stranger Things, Scary Movie V, Finding Carter, Teen Wolf, and many more.

How did you make the transition from architecture to sound mixing?

It was no simple task. However, I knew in my heart that, even though I promised my father I’d finish my degree in Architecture, I knew that my career path lay in a different direction.

I started off buying a small sound kit and a couple of video cameras in an attempt to build a small production company in Cincinnati. We pitched filming affordable commercials to local companies. Our first paying client was a skydiving company. And the next thing you know, we’re jumping out of airplanes filming jumps. So when people ask me how I got into film production, I chuckle and tell them “I literally fell into it.”

How do you decide what project you work on?

At the beginning of my career as a sound mixer, I’d take just about anything just for the experience. As I’ve honed my craft, my kit and my connections, I’ve discovered I like scripted work for TV series and movies.

Do you have a certain genre you prefer?

I’ve always been a huge fan of Science Fiction and Supernatural TV and Film. And since moving to England, I’ve really enjoyed working on historical drama. I’ve filmed at amazing cathedrals, castles and manors all throughout the UK and Spain so far.

What does a typical day on the set of Stranger Things look like for you?

Stranger Things was a very special show to work on, even if it hadn’t gotten as popular as it did. The cast, the directors and the crew were all on top of their jobs, and even more important every single person involved was a friendly and caring human being. I’m not surprised that the show became as popular as it did with the cast and crew that it had.

You have done a lot of big name TV shows and movies; do you mind sharing your favorite project that you have worked on and why?

All of my shows have a special place in my heart as a point of growth into this crazy world of bringing fantasy to life. I’ve never laughed as hard everyday than I did working with David Zucker on Scary Movie V. Stranger Things has been an affirming and amazing experience for myself and my career. My first movie in London, Swimming With Men, was a magical experience of my first big job in a far-away land. My current project, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, is my most complex project to date and it brings a childhood favorite story back to life that I hold dear. I’m working on that in London, England until late 2018.

I saw that you have been nominated for a number of notable awards including a 2017 Emmy, the 2017 Cinema Audio Society and the 4th Annual AMPS Award - first off, congratulations. Second, what can you attribute to your success?

Thanks! I honestly haven’t reached for any accolades, but I am very honored to have been a part of some great TV shows and movies.

How have the values or mission of Triangle helped guide you through your life/career thus far?

My time at Triangle has taught me loads about life and how to experience it. Honor, friendship, character, brotherhood, and courage all play an incredibly important role in my personal growth, family development and occupational goals.

What is the future? Where do you see yourself in the next 5 or 10 years?

Who knows? Get back with me, and I’ll let you know!

Triangle Review | 19

TRIANGLE BUILDING & HOUSING CORP.

BOARD ELECTIONS

The Triangle Building & Housing Corporation’s Leadership Team is an all-volunteer board of directors consisting of a chairman, secretary/treasurer, assistant secretary, and two directors. Members of the Fraternity have the opportunity to elect a Director for the TBHC. Director terms last for five years. This year the elected Director would begin his term July 1, 2018 and would conclude on June 30, 2023.

Nominated for Director | Don Hatfield msu88 Term Length : 5 years

Employer

Intrepid Control Systems

Biography

Br. Don Hatfield msu88 began service in Triangle at the Michigan State Chapter as the Chapter’s Alumni Advisor in 1992. With a core of alumni, he helped re-start the Chapter during its reorganization, maintaining its original 1955 Charter. The Michigan State Chapter is now one of the largest Chapters in Triangle.

Br. Hatfield has been serving in the National Family since 1995 as a Field Director and other volunteer positions, culminating in a decade on National Council and two years as National President during Triangle’s centennial. Br. Hatfield’s passion has been on the growth of Triangle, often serving on recruitment related topics.

He has served on the Triangle Building and Housing Corporation (and its predecessor, the Triangle Building Loan Fund) since 2007.

During Br. Hatfield’s two terms on the BLF / TBHC, he has helped with bolstering the communication and marketing of the organization as it has transitioned from a simple loan fund to a full-service organization, helping support Triangle Chapter Homes, which in turn help support growth of Triangle Chapters.

how to

Professionally, Br. Hatfield was recently promoted to Director of Global Sales for Intrepid Control Systems, and is now responsible for worldwide sales, marketing and technical training. Leading Intrepid’s training programs, he has taught thousands worldwide on CAN, CAN FD, LIN, FlexRay and Automotive Ethernet; and its application for testing and validation, as well as diagnostics, scripting and data logging. Mr. Hatfield was also a GM Resident Engineer where he assisted users of Intrepid’s products in their use and their application in test, simulation and data logging applications.

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2018-2019

Triangle Building & Housing Corporation Elections are now open!

Visit www.triangle.org to view candidate bios and vote. If you would like to vote via paper ballot please contact Triangle Fraternity Headquarters at (317) 837-9640.

PROPERTY IMPROVEMENT CONTEST OBJECTIVE To encourage Active Chapters to undertake improvement projects in their Chapter Houses and/or communities. Project examples could be, but are not limited to such things as improving life safety (fire safety, security, accessibility), general home improvement projects (landscaping, paint, room remodeling, bike racks, flooring, LED lighting, etc.) and community improvements/involvement (playground equipment, FIRST Robotics sponsor/volunteer).

GRANT AMOUNTS Grants totaling up to $10,000 per year will be divided based on the following: • Number of project proposals submitted • Estimated costs of proposed project • Quality of proposal and the project • Impact of the project

HOW TO APPLY Submit a project proposal to pic@trianglebhc.org detailing the improvement (pictures and drawings are encouraged), the estimated costs, the time-line, and a list of the individuals performing the work. Please include the Chapter’s and projects primary contact. Permission from the owner of the property is also required.

By entering the TBHC Property Improvement Contest, the Chapter warrants the information provided is complete and truthful. Failure to provide complete and truthful information or to mislead the Contest Committee in any way, or to not complete the work as described will be grounds to deny an award and prohibit subsequent submissions at the Committee’s and TBHC Board’s sole discretion. Should the Chapter have received any award based on incomplete, misleading, or false information or if the work as described is not completed, the Chapter shall be required to immediately refund the full award to TBHC. The individual submitting the application represents and warrants that it has the authority to bind the Chapter according to these terms.

TRIANGLE BUILDING & HOUSING CORP.

TBHC Acquires New Properties

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he Triangle Building & Housing Corporation is proud to announce two new additions to our Property Program.

The Michigan State Chapter has owned its facility for many years but realized that the time and resources needed to care for it could be better focused on the chapter and the brothers.

As a result, the chapter transferred the property to the TBHC and over the next few years the facility will be completely renovated to bring it into a competitive standard on the MSU campus.

The Michigan Tech Chapter will be moving this fall into a new facility purchased for them by the TBHC. This turn of the century mining executive’s mansion is located within a stone’s throw of campus, has housing for 15 The front of the newly acquired Michigan State University Chapter House

brothers, and will be upgraded in the future with new siding, life safety improvements, a Triangle Fraternity sign, new kitchen facility, a workshop, and much more.

The Triangle Building & Housing Corporation stands ready to assist wherever we are needed to create and maintain amazing environments in which alumni and actives can create and maintain amazing experiences. Together we can keep Triangle at the forefront of the learning and living environment on every campus. If you would like more information regarding the services of the Triangle Building and Housing Corporation, please contact TBHC Executive Director Mike Fouts at mfouts@trianglebhc.org.

Michigan State Living Room

Michigan Tech Chapter House

Interior of Michigan Tech House

TRIANGLE NEWS

Rose Tech Prepares for Milestone

Rose Tech Anticipates 50th Celebration

By Toby Kraft rose68 In May of 1968, the Rose Tech Chapter of Triangle was installed at Rose Polytechnic Institute, now Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

Fifty years later, the Chapter has grown to be one of the most successful fraternities on campus. The Chapter will be celebrating its 50-year anniversary the weekend of May 4-6, 2018. We invite all alumni to save this date and make plans to attend the festivities which will include an open house, campus tours, and dinner celebration at the Union on Saturday evening. Many of the Founders will be attending, so please plan on joining us for this important milestone.

Watch for updates on our website for the event: http://50th.rosetriangle.org. Please be sure that Triangle has your current contact info and email by visiting: http://triangle.org/alumni/contact/. If you have questions or wish to help with arrangements, please contact either Steve Ahlbrand rose67 at steve.ahlbrand@verizon.net or Toby Kraft rose68 at toby@krafte.com.

PREPARE FOR FOUNDERS’ DAY Chapter

Date

Time

Bay Area/Nor Cal

April 21st

Cal Poly

TBD

12:00 PM

Cincinnati

April 15th

11:00 AM

Clemson

April 7th

Colorado State Florida Atlantic

Location John's Grille

Contact Name

Contact Email

Drew Hopson

drew@triangle.org

Alden Caterio

acaterio108@yahoo.com

Nipper Stadium Press Lounge

Spencer King

king2sd@mail.uc.edu

6:00 PM

Palmetto Ridge

Stephen Hoy

shoy@clemson.edu

April 14th

6:30 PM

Lory Student Center Grand Ballroom

Nathan Nash

nnash@rams.colostate.edu

April 14th

TBD

Spanish River Library

James Lennberg

jlennberg2014@fau.edu

Georgia Tech

April 21st

TBD

TBD

Sidharth Parwani

sidhparwani@gmail.com

Houston

April 21st

TBD

TBD

Stephen Durham

president@houstontriangle.org

Illinois

April 7th

10:00 AM

Illinois Triangle Chapter House

Vibhu Vanjari

triangle.uiuc.pres@gmail.com

Indianapolis

April 15th

11:30 AM

The Rathskeller at the Atheneum

Tom Pennington

tom@triangle.org

Kansas

April 15th

12:00 PM

Kansas Triangle Chapter House

Ethan Harper

enharper@swbell.net

Kentucky

April 7th

TBD

Hillary J Boone Center

Steven Gripshover

secretary.uktriangle@gmail.com

Michigan

April 14th

TBD

Michigan Triangle Chapter House

Nik Hill

nikhill@umich.edu

Michigan State

TBD

TBD

Forest Akers Golf Course

Matthew Bangtson

bangtson@msu.edu

Michigan Tech

April 21st

TBD

The Mariner North Resort

Daniel Groess

ddgroess@mtu.edu

Midwest - Kansas City

April 14th

5:30 PM

DEMDACO

Nick George

alumniboard@ksutriangle.org

Minnesota

April 14th

5:00 PM

TBD

Chad Booth

booth143@umn.edu

MSOE

April 21st

6:00 PM

Milwaukee Ale House

Alex Voigt

voigtac@gmail.com

Nebraska

TBD

Adam Oltman

aroltman10093@gmail.com

Ohio State

April 14th

12:00 PM

Ohio Union

Joseph Kay

kayj@battelle.org

Penn State

April 21st

10:00 AM

Penn State Triangle Chapter House

RJ Patrizio

patriziorob@gmail.com

Penn State - Behrend

April 14th

6:00 PM

Peek'n Peak Resort

Drew Sorenson

drewsorenson96@gmail.com

Pitt

April 14th

5:00 PM

Shiloh Grill

Joshua Selling

alumni.president@pitt-triangle.com

Rose Tech

May 4th-6th

See Event Page

Rose Triangle Chapter House

Drew Hopson

drew@triangle.org

UCI

April 14th

TBD

TBD

Timothy Chan

chantg@uci.edu

UWM

April 14th

6:00 PM

TBD

Steven Keller

steven.robert.keller@gmail.com

VPI

April 14th

6:30 PM

Mountain Lake Lodge

Tyler Blankenship

tylerb12@vt.edu

Wisconsin

April 14th

6:00 PM

TBD

Evan Schertz

eschertz@wisc.edu

Visit www.triangle.org for full information and updated Founders’ Day details

Triangle Review | 23

The Laxer Legacy Cary Laxer rose88asc and wife, Norma Laxer

C

Three Decades of Service and So Much More From Rose Chapter Advisor

By Aaron Girson CRFE, Foundation Vice President ary Laxer rose88asc has been a huge part of the outstanding scholarship and a membership that is active and ensuccess of our Rose-Hulman chapter over the past gaged on campus. Cary has provided outstanding advice, guid29 years; he has served as teacher, friend, and role ance and support which have allowed the active members to build model for nearly 700 men who have been part of a great fraternity experience. At his retirement celebration Cary the chapter during his tenure as Chapter Advisor. shared the following, “As I reflect back on my time at Rose-HulWhile he never had an undergraduate Triman, one of the things I feel most proud of is Cary Laxer is a selfless angle experience, Cary’s dedication, loyalty, my time as your Chapter Advisor. I spent 29 of and commitment to Triangle and the Rose educator, mentor, and friend. my 36 years at Rose working with the men of I have many fond chapter are remarkable. This past fall Cary Triangle – watching them grow, succeed, and retired from full-time teaching at Rose-Hulsometimes fail, but always becoming a better memories of Cary during man offering an opportunity to reflect on his my three years living in the man for having spent time in the Fraternity.” work with the chapter and providing yet another example of Cary’s staunch support of house. He considered us part Retirement from full-time teaching will provide of his family, sharing with us Cary and his wife Norma the opportunity to Triangle. his passion for traveling and spend winter months in warmer climates while Laxer joined the Rose-Hulman faculty wine. He was always there allowing him to return to Terre Haute to teach in 1981 and paved the way for enormous part-time during the fall and spring terms, Cary to answer our calls in the change within computer science education plans to continue to work with the actives when – on campus and across the country. Un- middle of the night when we he is on campus. Indeed, Cary and Norma are der his leadership as department chairman needed guidance during life’s not going quietly into retirement, over the past from 2002 to 2015 the department grew six months Cary launched fundraising efforts many challenges. Cary’s in student enrollment, faculty stature and for Rose-Hulman and Triangle that have raised added an emphasis in software engineering, dedication to the men of our nearly $250,000 for the benefit of Rose-Hulalong with a major in international comput- fraternity is unprecedented. man students and the Triangle chapter. Cary er science.

I wish him a well-deserved and Norma decided to give a gift to Rose and Triangle matching $100,000 of contributions retirement filled with Brother Laxer’s Triangle journey began in to funds created at Rose-Hulman and at the 1988 as a member of the Rose-Hulman fac- laughter and health for many Triangle Education Foundation which has led years to come! ulty when the chapter approached him to get to the Rose Tech Triangle House Fund, providinvolved. He accepted the invitation and has ing initial support for the development of plans - Guillaume Rousson rose06 been supporting Triangle even since. Cary for a new chapter house. The response to both has been a part of an era of great success for the Rose-Hulman campaigns has been incredible and truly shows the positive impact chapter which has grown to become the largest chapter in Trianthat Cary has made on both Rose and on Triangle. gle that boasts

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Meet Mark Shehan ps85

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I have worked at Ford Motor Company for almost 28 years. I started at Ford after completing my M.S. at Penn State. While at Ford, I’ve worked in manufacturing, design & release for a number of components, vehicle launch team, field service engineer, development engineer, section supervisor and program management. I started working in DAT (Driver Assist Technology) a.k.a. Active Safety in 2004, and continue in that area today.

I have a wife and two children and enjoy spending time with my family, running, and moto sports.

I currently have 6 patents. My most notable patent is my most recent one, ‘Vehicle Blind Spot System with trailer tow’. This is a great feature that is now available on Ford trucks. You may have seen the recent commercials on TV. What is your background experience and how did you first start inventing?

I have a very diverse background. I started working with cars in high school and have continued doing so throughout my career at Ford. I started inventing in the early 90’s when I was working on Ford’s EV Ranger Program.

Is there anything you learned while developing your invention that you would now do differently if you have to do it all again?

I would start brainstorming possibilities much sooner. There are good ideas out there all of the time that could become patentable / production feasible if only some additional effort is expended up front and the right team is pulled together.

What is your favorite project that you’ve worked on?

Ford Fuel Cell Focus program. I was in charge of the vehicle dynamics (steering, ride, handling, braking) for the vehicle, developing and signing off the special low rolling resistance tires, wheels, steering, titanium springs (1st auto application), shocks/struts.

How have the values or mission of Triangle helped guide you throughout your life/career thus far?

Be truthful. Be honest. Don’t give BS. Say it like it is. Take emotion out of the equation. Yes, every day. There’s a place for a used car salesman / politician, however, that’s not my job.

What about the future? Where do you see yourself in the next 5 or 10 years?

Continuing my current role as program manager for all DAT features on a number of Ford/Lincoln programs. In 5 or 10 years? No longer working for Ford. Enjoying semi-retirement from my new condo in Kona, Hawaii with my family.

CHAPTER Armour Eugene Rezabeck ar47 Carl Grant, Jr. ar51 Glenn Lund ar55 Thomas Smith ar61 Cincinnati John Malthaner cin50 Curtis Findley cin56 Colorado State Barry Stringer csu72 Steven Breninger csu86

Iowa State Jack Mickle is64 Edgar Collins is69 Kansas Oran Pringle kan43 Roy Smoots kan47 Roscoe Graham kan50 Glenn Barrett kan51 Lawrence Jones kan53 John Eylar, Jr. kan54 Merlin Askren kan57

Louisville Illinois Laurence Curry Jr. lou56 Paul Kaar ill35 Shannon McCarthy lou89 Robert Mosborg ill45 Arthur Miller ill50 Kenneth Anderson ill52 Stanley Danek ill59

ETERNAL

Marquette Kenneth Dhams marq47 Bennett Reak marq47 Tom Galles marq48 Eugene Horstketter marq48 Arnold Wegher marq52 Charles Kozel marq62 John Fobian marq63 Michigan Robert Hoisington mich78 Minnesota Roger Rippel minn51 Theodore Brouillette minn53 Ronald Holasek minn55 Northwestern Robert Harner nu48

Ohio State Charles Barker os55 Penn State Laurence Lipson ps61 Purdue Edward Johnston pur33 Leonard Czenkusch pur43 Robert Durrstein pur43 John Nadolny pur46 Lynn Schrier pur49 Robert Nagel pur57 John Sonnenburg pur73 RIT Michael Krzywda rit93

Rose-Tech Heinz-Holger Ropers rose68 John Ying rose72 South Dakota Mines Alan Liffengren sdm54 Terry Ewing sdm80 UCLA Thomas Grimm ucla61 Wisconsin Daniel Kussow wis60 To report that a brother has moved on to Chapter Eternal, please contact Triangle Headquarters at 317-837-9640.

New Age Art

Take a look inside the life of Gene O’Donnell lou79, the creator of CrowdPixie, a technology enabling wireless devices to become an element of a synchronized, composite display

By Ariel Tarosky, REVIEW Editor Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am an Electrical Engineer by training. The first 20 or so years of my career, I worked for RCA, which subsequently became Thomson. During that time, I had the pleasure of working both in the USA and in Europe and living for 5 years in the tropical nation-state of Singapore. I later began working in the software area, and spent several years with ChaCha Search, Inc. Perhaps my most valuable patents related to the generation of electronic corrections for CRT projection televisions. I also hold patents in the LCD and optics area as well as a few from my experience with ChaCha Search, Inc. which apply to human-assisted search engines.

practical that are under appreciated. In the end, there is an intrinsic satisfaction in the inventive process. It is always rewarding to see the idea that was conceived in your mind become a reality that can be appreciated by many people.

So I see that you have 31 patents, which is pretty incredible! Are most of your patents related?

My patents are sort of a reflection of my somewhat eclectic personality and career experience. Whatever I was working on, I always tried to find a better, different way of solving the problems with the design or the systems I was working on. I spent many years working on optics and projection television, so most of my patents are in that area. But I think one of my favorites was the first use of hardware detection in our products. The basic concept is used in nearly every product in the world today. I wish we had claimed it more broadly.

What advice would you give aspiring inventors and entrepreneurs?

Be sure to reinvent yourself as often as possible.

Gene pictured with his wife Kyra No learning is ever really wasted. Don’t be afraid to leave your comfort zone.

Remain curious and don’t be afraid to ask questions of experts.

Tell me about CrowdPixie; what it is, and how you came up with the idea.

CrowdPixie is a system which extends the LED signboards in a stadium out onto the audience. It makes it possible for any crowd of people with mobile phones to become a self-organizing display composed of the individual cell phone displays which they carry around everywhere. We use a camera to make the map and to acquire timing information required to synchronize all the devices so that they change at the same time.

How has Triangle helped guide you throughout your life thus far?

Triangle taught me many lessons as an undergraduate. The ability to make and keep great friends through many years has been of inestimable value. Every new turn along the road of life will bring new friends if you only look for them. Stability is what makes a person able to bear up under difficult circumstances and to keep going when difficulties arise. Learning that value in my many adventures has helped me to persevere in tough times and remember to reach out to others when they are in need. The ability to recognize a person’s true character is the basis of success. Many years ago I learned that people with Character can be relied upon to do the right thing even when it is not what is best for them. I have always tried to be that sort of person and I think it has made me successful.

CrowdPixie is an idea that grew out of my love for live sports. I had done some work previously with a company related to ChaCha Search, which was trying to develop a system for controlling randomly distributed lighting systems, Galaxia Lighting. I worked on getting a patent issued for that basic idea of mapping the lights using a camera. However Galaxia ultimately failed because the cost of the system hardware was too high.

What is your future? Where do you see yourself in the next 5 or 10 years?

One evening I was attending an Indiana Pacers game and was struck by As Master Yoda says in Star Wars, “always in motion, the future is”. the fact that the LED signboards were amazing, but could not cover the My plan is to continue working for many more years. The process of entire arena with light. Then I realized that we could do that using the creating and inventing and working with others who share that same LCD displays which pretty much everyone in the audience was carrying vision is very satisfying. My years with RCA and Thomson were amazaround in a pocket or a purse. Of course there was a lot more work and ing, but I don’t know that I want to work in a large company again. detailed design, but that flash of inspiration was the so-called moment of invention.

Kyra and I welcomed our first grandchild to the world in 2017, so we want to spend time with him. We enjoy traveling, theater, sports, and Is there anything you learned throughout the development process I am an avid bicyclist. So whatever the future brings it will include those things. We will always spend time with family and friends. that you would now do differently if you had to do it all again?

I learned many things. One of them is just the proof of what Thomas Those are the things that make life enjoyable.

Edison said, “every invention is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration”. There are many aspects of actually making an invention

FIRST Robotics Spring 17 Regional UW-Milwaukee

UNC Asheville Hosts FIRST Robotics Competition March 17’

MAKING IT COUNT

FLL First Lego League Region 2015

Triangle kicks off new partnership with FIRST Robotics

By Tom Pennington, Executive Director

A

t last summer’s Convention in Arizona we announced our new Alliance Partnership with FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), one of the largest and best-known organizations dedicated to the promotion of STEM education. Over 500,000 K-12 students participate in over 59,000 teams at more than 2,900 events in 83 countries.

That’s a community we want to know about Triangle!

What is FIRST? Founded by prolific inventor Dean Kamen – creator of the Segway, iBOT wheelchair and Slingshot water purification system – Dean wondered why there wasn’t something as exciting as athletics for STEM students.

His vision became, “To transform our culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming science and technology leaders.” The result was FIRST. FIRST programs start with LEGO League Jr., introducing STEM concepts to kids 6 to 10 years old. FIRST LEGO League teams (up to 10 members, grades 4-8) research a real-world problem such as food safety, recycling, energy, etc., and are challenged to develop a solution.

They also must design, build and program a robot using LEGO MINDSTORMS®, then compete on a table-top playing field.

Middle and high school students get involved with FIRST Tech Challenge where teams (10+ members, grades 7-12) are challenged to design, build, program, and operate robots to compete in a head-to-head challenge in an alliance format.

At the highest competitive level is the FIRST Robotics Competition, combining the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. FIRST calls their Robotics Competition the ultimate Sport for the Mind. They’ve had such great success that many school districts now recognize FIRST team competitions as varsity sports!

Why is Triangle Involved?

Unlike many community organizations that need money more than people, FIRST needs volunteers – something our students can do easily.

Working at regional events, judging competitions, coaching and mentoring teams, holding STEM education programs in their communities are all things our members can do to support FIRST students and programs.

It’s work that gets our students face-to-face with those who need their support and connects them to young men and women who will be at our colleges in the future. That means more new freshmen who will know Triangle and what we have to offer. And we’re in good company! FIRST partners

include top corporations in technology, including 3M, Boeing,

Caterpillar, Dow, GM, Google, Lockheed, Motorola, NASA, Rockwell, Underwriters Labs, United Technologies and all five U.S. Service branches, as well as over 200 providers of more than $50 million in scholarship funds.

How is Triangle Getting up to Speed?

Former Michigan Chapter President Matthew Winkler mich15 is now working as our FIRST Intern and is contacting every chapter to provide information on FIRST, identify a designated officer or representative, and connect them with a FIRST office in their area.

Nearly every campus is in a community with FIRST programs and events. Most campuses also have a university FIRST relationship within their schools of engineering. This should make it easy for our chapters to connect and participate. But that’s not all…

Triangle has hundreds of FIRST alumni within our active and student ranks and we want to identify them. Former FIRST team members, volunteers, sponsors and mentors, once identified, will be tagged in our membership database for future reference. This will allow us to build a national network of Triangle/FIRST alumni and may be a great way for alumni to get re-engaged with Triangle.

In addition, through the generosity of the Kahlert Family Foundation (Bill Kahlert minn46), we are able to offer grants to chapters to allow them to get started with FIRST. Grants from $250 to $2,500 will be available over this and the next two years, so chapters can offset costs of sponsorships, travel to events or education and training programs.

Our goal is for every chapter to have a FIRST partnership by the end of 2020. These grants will help immensely.

A Call to Action! Please let us know if you…

• Are a FIRST program alumnus or current volunteer. What year(s), what team(s) or region(s), what is/was your role?

• Want to be involved to support FIRST activity at an active chapter near you? We can put you in touch with the chapter representative.

• Work with a FIRST partner corporation. Perhaps there are ways to connect our students with opportunities at your company – internships, co-ops or jobs.

Reach us at FIRST@Triangle.org or by phone at 317-837-9640.

Learn more about FIRST at www.firstinspires.org. We’re very excited to be connected with such an outstanding organization and looking forward to a long and beneficial partnership!

Triangle Review | 27

Triangle REVIEW Vol 106, No.1, Spring 2018 120 S. Center Street | Plainfield, Indiana 46168-1214

It’s Easy to Roll Over!

Plan now to make a tax-free gift from your IRA in 2018.

For more information, contact Aaron Girson, CFRE at 317-203-4510 or agirson@triangle.org.