The Laurel Spring 2022

THE

OF PHI KAPPA TAU | VOL. 108 ISSUE 1 | MAY 2022

the

STEM issue P. 15

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

P. 5

P. 10

P. 22

STRATEGIC PLAN

STEM HALL OF FAME

ALUMNI ADVICE

STEM fields are some of the fastest growing in education and desired career paths. In this issue of the Laurel, we dive into our generation spanning brothers who are, or have, made a splash in the world of STEM. Complete with three brand new features, over forty chapters represented, and nearly eighty brothers included.

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good and loyal citizen. I shall try always to discharge the obligation to others which arises from the fact that I am a fraternity man.

Phi Kappa Tau, by admitting me to membership, has conferred upon me a mark of distinction in which I take just pride. I believe in the spirit of brotherhood for which it stands. I shall strive to attain its ideals, and by so doing to bring to it honor and credit. I shall be loyal to my college and my chapter and shall keep strong my ties to them that I may ever retain the spirit of youth. I shall be a good and loyal citizen. I shall try always to discharge the obligation to others which arises from the fact that I am a fraternity man.

Phi Kappa Tau, by admitting me to membership, has conferred upon me a mark of distinction in which I take just pride. I believe in the spirit of brotherhood for which it stands. I shall strive to attain its ideals, and by so doing to bring to it honor and credit. I shall be loyal to my college and my chapter and shall keep strong my ties to them that I may ever retain the spirit of youth. I shall be a good and loyal citizen. I shall try always to discharge the obligation to others which arises from the fact that I am a fraternity man.

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FEATURE The Phi Tau Engineers are a stacked All-Star team, comprised of nine alumni in various fields of the engineering industry, and built to challenge all competitors. See where and why each alumnus fits into their respective roles, and judge for yourself whether this is the greatest All-Star team of all time.

FEATURES 10 STEM HALL OF FAME Foundation Director, Charlie Ball, Miami ’82, built a Hall of Fame in honor of 18 of our fraternity’s most accomplished and prestigious members from STEM fields.

12 5 MINUTES WITH: RON KEMP Coming off three trying years for all members of the healthcare industry, we sit down with Nursing Manager, Ron Kemp, New Mexico State ’77, to discuss his career as a nurse, his time in Phi Tau, and the struggles the COVID-19 pandemic placed on his field.

18 PHI KAPPA TECH As a continuously growing field, more and more Phi Taus are seeking careers in the tech industry. Read about three of our accomplished alumni who have carved out successful careers in three different sectors of the tech world.

DEPARTMENTS

4 | Editor’s Letter 6 | Chapter of Distinction 28 | Chapter Eternal 31 | From the CEO

Cover: Illustrations by Logan Lukacs, Baldwin Wallace ’10

20 ON CAMPUS Hear from two of our undergraduate members studying STEM related fields on what is happening on their campus, within their majors, and what is interesting to them.

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EDITOR'S LETTER

MAILBOX THE LAUREL IS INTENDED TO START A CONVERSATION with brothers and friends.

Content is carefully selected to engage and excite our readers. It is our hope that stories you read start a conversation with those in your life. Any comments are appreciated. You can submit your feedback— positive or negative, we want it all—to phikapptau.org/ laurelfeedback. ~

SIDELIGHTS Sidelights is the official newsletter of the Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity and Foundation. Releasing on the 15th of each month, Sidelights is a compilation of stories and updates for Phi Kappa Tau alumni and undergraduates to gain some insight into the ongoings of the Fraternity and Foundation.

If you are not receiving Sidelights and would like to sign up, visit phikappatau.org/update-info to be added to the mailing list.

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A WORD FROM THE EXECUTIVE OFFICES

SPARK OF OPPORTUNITY

S

tacks of Laurels surround me as I write this, decades upon decades of history that I can hold in my hands. Flipping through the pages, we’ve cataloged so much of the Phi Kappa Tau experience in our 116 years.

I’m blown away at how our Fraternity has grown, and yet pleased to say our spirit has very much been the same. Certain names stick out to me, new and old, and I am honored to try my hand at introducing what I believe is one of our more unique issues.

Phi Kappa Tau wouldn’t exist without a small act of rebellion, disrupting the Fraternity scene in 1906 by establishing the NonFraternity Association. It was out of the box thinking that planted the seeds of Phi, Kappa, and Tau. Unorthodox thinking and unique problem solving is something everyone featured in this magazine would tell you is critical to succeed in the field of STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

Given our roots, it is fitting that so many members of Phi Kappa Tau would thrive in STEM. Founder Shideler himself was a star in the field of Geology, and namesake of the Earth Sciences Building at Miami University.

We were overwhelmed by the support for the issue when we announced we would be zooming in on brothers in STEM for this edition

of the Laurel. Nearly 100 brothers reached out to be featured or were referred, and we tried our best to find ways to spotlight as many as possible.

This magazine will surely instill pride in you as a brother regardless of your academic background or field of work. That said, as this edition of The Laurel has been coming together, I can’t help but think about one particular audience: future Phi Taus. Imagine wanting to enter the STEM field and opening these pages to find a catalog of Phi Taus who have gone above and beyond in their field. The spark of opportunity, kept lit by their passion for brotherhood and academics. As they ponder their future career, if this magazine can help one brother think, “I can do anything”, then it has a been a success.

I, on the other hand, am simply comforted there are so many brothers of Phi Kappa Tau smarter than myself to keep the world spinning.

Sincerely,

LOGAN LUKACS BALDWIN WALLACE ’10 DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

STRATEGIC PLAN

THE LAUREL OF PHI KAPPA TAU MAY 2022 VOL. 108 ISSUE 1

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dalton Lee, Baldwin Wallace ’11 COPY EDITOR Logan Lukacs, Baldwin Wallace ’10 CONTRIBUTORS Tim Hudson, Truman State ’97 Charlie Ball, Miami ‘82 SPECIAL THANKS TO Lilly Steger

STRATEGIC PLAN 2025

T

he Phi Kappa Tau National Council has developed a brand new Strategic Plan to guide the Fraternity through 2025.

Phi Kappa Tau brothers are passionate about the fraternity and believe that we are a unique organization that values inclusion and has the potential to break the mold of the typical fraternity. Brothers want to see the fraternity grow both at a local and national level, extending our reach in the years to come.

But they also want to see us providing more value as a national organization to our chapters and members – building on the connection and diversity of our local chapters for a stronger and more engaged national organization that is prepared to navigate today’s challenging environment. Through the strategic plan we aim to

provide clarity of the Fraternity’s goals, give more members a role in shaping our collective future, and set Phi Kappa Tau out on a path to greatness and leadership.

The four main objectives of the Strategic Plan are to: • Accelerate growth of undergraduate membership • Provide differentiated value of membership through personal and professional growth, and engagement • Facilitate strong, lifelong ties of brotherhood • Establish a best-in-industry operational and financial model

UPCOMING EDITIONS Phi Kappa Tau publishes The Laurel three times a year. Each edition focuses on an aspect of the Phi Kappa Tau experience.

The schedule below identifies upcoming delivery dates.

Fall 2022; Winter 2022 ADDRESS CHANGES Visit phikappatau.org/update-info to update your current mailing information.

LAUREL ARCHIVES Past Laurel publications can be found online at phikappatau.org/laurel. Individuals can browse and view all past editions that are available.

To learn more about the Strategic Plan visit phikappatau.org/strategicplan.

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CHAPTER OF DISTINCTION

GAMMA ALPHA CHAPTER MICHIGAN TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY In the city of Houghton, Michigan—located near the northern-

Distinction. Founded in March of 1959, the current chapter

most point of the Upper Peninsula—the average yearly snowfall

is now made up of 33 men—led by President Tyler Brown,

is 218.5 inches. Even in some magical world where that was

Michigan Tech ’18, and Vice President Dairion Hartshorn,

spread over the course of the entire year, it’s still over a half

Michigan Tech ’20. Gamma Alpha also has a slew of notable

inch of snow a day. Housing not only a staggering amount of

alumni and award winners:

snow each year, Houghton is also home to Michigan Techno-

Shideler Award winner: Paul William Cramer ’87

logical University. At this small, public research university, snow

Phi Award winners: Theodore Reiss ’58, John G. Vine ’71,

is a chance to have some fun and an opportunity to show off

Martin Schendel ’81, Joesph B. Kirkish PhD ’58, and

creativity and craft. The MTU Annual Winter Carnival started

Terry Kinzel ’68

in 1922, and has become known for its breathtaking snow stat-

Phi Kappa Tau Foundation Trustees: Richard (Dick) F. Michael

ues, which students and organizations create throughout the

’70, past chairman, and Jim Bacon ’59

campus. Taking first place in the 2022 Monthlong Snow Statue competition and first place in the Winter Carnival Overall

This chapter has a long and standing foundation of success,

competition is Phi Tau’s own Gamma Alpha chapter. With this

which it continues today. With the second highest Chapter Educa-

first place finish, the men of the Gamma Alpha chapter have

tional Grant (CEG) account balance, it is clear that the men from

sculpted a dynasty akin to the Tim Duncan era San Antonio

Michigan Tech have a lasting tie to their chapter and this fraternity.

Spurs—taking home the trophy five of the last six years.

A job very well done to all the men of the Gamma Alpha chapter,

The Gamma Alpha chapter is far from just snow-sculpting experts, these men also comprise our spring 2022 Chapter of

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and here’s to many more Winter Carnival trophies to come.

UNDERGRADUATE OF DISTINCTION

SANTINO DIAZ-PALMA, MOUNT UNION ’22 YOUNGSTOWN, OH Santino Diaz-Palma is far from the average student. This brother of the Epsilon chapter, double majoring in Biochemistry and Spanish, sets a high standard for dedication, commitment, and involvement within his school and fraternity. Serving as Community Service Chair for Phi Kappa Tau, President of Alpha Mu Gamma (the first and largest foreign language honor society in the U.S.), and Treasurer of the Hispanic Organization of Latin Americans (HOLA) are just three of the many positions held by Diaz-Palma throughout his undergraduate education. When not serving his education or the plethora of organizations in which he is involved, Diaz-Palma fosters personal passions as a Varsity League of Legends Esport player.

With graduation looming, Diaz-Palma hopes to continue his education following the completion of his undergraduate studies in May 2022. Inspired by movies like Contagion and Outbreak, paired with a fascination with micro-organisms, Diaz-Palma hopes to earn a MS degree in Tropical Medicine or an MPH (Master of Public Health) with a focus in epidemiology and infectious disease. With the completion of a graduate program, Diaz-Palma would put his education to use by volunteering with domestic programs such as AmeriCorps, or international programs such as PeaceCorps or WHO—eventually earing a PhD or MD in Pathology or Infectious Diseases.

When asked about an individual he admires, Diaz-Palma had this to say, “If I had to pick one person that has helped me get to where I am today, it would be my Aunt Alexis. As a teen, I witnessed her perseverance to continue her education by attending classes part-time at our local university, while also working an 8-5 job and having to take care of a one-year-old.

She inspired me to focus on my studies and to pursue my dreams, no matter what barriers are put before me. I gained my grit and determination from her, and the way I believe I can repay her is by making my dreams realities.”

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Join us in Las Vegas b

for the 65th National Convention of Phi Kappa Tau!

Sign up for the early bird list at phikappatau.org/events.

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FEATURE

ALUMNI OF DISTINCTION

WALTER MERSCHAT, OHIO ’65 CASPER, WY RETIRED GEOLOGICAL CONSULTANT Walter Merschat, Ohio ’65, ended our conversation by saying “I retired about four years ago, now I spend time with my family and dig for dinosaurs in Wyoming.”

That has got to go down in history as one of the coolest retirement plans ever. Despite the sheer awesomeness of spending his free time digging for dinosaurs, Walter Merschat’s retirement is merely the cherry atop the cake of an incredible career. The Ohio University double alumnus graduated with a Bachelors in Geology in 1967, and later returned to earn his Master’s in Geology in 1979. Joining Phi Kappa Tau during his sophomore year, Merschat has fond memories of living in the house, taking Mom Pyle out to dinner and movies with his fellow brothers, and winning the Homecoming float contest with their float titled, Come on Pard, Dash for the Rival. Finding not only brotherhood and friendship in Athens, Merschat met his wife, Sharon, while he was living in Lincoln Hall and she was living in Jefferson Hall. The couple have now been married for 54 years and have two children, Reed and Rya, and two grandchildren, Roman and Daphne.

Merschat’s career began with the Cleveland Musuem of Natural History, collecting Devonian Age fossil fish during the 1-71 construction project. In the summers spanning 1969-1971, Merschat would partake in these digs while visiting Sharon’s family in the suburbs of Cleveland. Then after doing a short stint with Union 76 and Gulf Oil Research, Merschat moved on to become a geological consultant for 25 years, ending in 2001. In his time as a consultant, Merschat travelled all over the world doing geological and geochemical surveys. His work as a consultant took him to Argentina, Peru (Amazon), Mexico, Egypt, Yemen, Ethiopia, and Namibia.

Following this quarter century of travelling the world, Merschat and his family settled in Wyoming, where he spent the last 16 years of his career doing drilling and selling prospects. In 2017, this real-life Alan Grant (that is the main character from Jurassic Park, for anyone who may have forgotten), made the decision to retire and spend his future devoted to his family, and digging for creatures buried in the past.

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STEM HALL OF FAME

PHI KAPPA TAU

STEM HALL of FAME

was placed on the Moon during the Apollo 15 mission. Bassett transferred from Ohio State after two years to Texas Tech and an Electrical Engineering Research Laboratory building is named for him there.

3 Col. Kenneth N. Beers, M.D., Muhlenberg ’49, was a NASA flight surgeon and professor emeritus at Wright State University Medical School. For his work with NASA’s Manned Spacecraft Center, Beers was awarded the Legion of Merit. He served as a flight surgeon to the Gemini/Titan Program while at NASA, as well as team leader of the Gemini Recovery Medical Team, a surgeon for the Apollo Mission, and in Mission Control for Apollo Missions 8, 9, 10, and 11.

6 Leroy Chiao, PhD, UC Berkeley ’79, is a chemical engineer and retired NASA astronaut. He spent more than 229 days in space and participated in four space flights including the Columbia, Endeavour and Discovery missions. He was commander of the International Space Station’s Expedition 10 in 2004-2005. Since his retirement from NASA, Chiao has been a professor, consultant, entrepreneur and commentator and has received numerous awards.

7 Vincent T. DeVita Jr., MD, William & Mary ’55, is an internationally recognized pioneer in the field of oncology for his work on combination-chemotherapy

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This list of some of Phi Kappa Tau’s members who have nota-

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ble careers in the

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fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics is not exhaustive.

We welcome recommendations for others who should be included among distinguished Phi Taus in STEM fields.

1 William F. Ballhaus Jr., UC Berkeley ’64, is the former president and CEO of The Aerospace Corporation He previously worked for Lockheed Martin Corporation, Martin Marietta Corporation and was director of NASA's Ames Research Center.

He holds three engineering degrees from the University of California, Berkeley and is a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

2 Maj. Charles A. Bassett II, Ohio State ’51, was an aeronautical engineer and Air Force test pilot who was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1963 and was assigned to Gemini 9. He died in an airplane crash during training for his first spaceflight. He is memorialized on the Space Mirror Memorial; The Astronaut Monument; and the Fallen Astronaut memorial plaque, which

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4 Everett Smith Beneke, PhD, Miami ’37, was professor for 39 years at Michigan State University. A noted mycologist, his research emphasis was on medical aspects of mycology, and he became a world expert on human mycoses, especially Candida and candidiasis.

treatments, is the Amy and Joseph Perella Professor of Medicine at Yale Cancer Center, and a Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health. He directed the Yale Cancer Center from 1993 to 2003. He was the president of the American Cancer Society (2012-2013).

5 Peter P. Bosomworth, MD, Kent State ’50, was an anesthesiologist who was professor of anesthesiology at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and later chancellor of UK’s Chandler Medical Center.

At his retirement in 1994, Dr. Bosomworth was recognized as having the longest tenure of any top medical center administrator at a single academic institution in the country.

8 Ward Darley Jr., MD, Colorado ’24, was a physician, vice president for health sciences, and for three years president of the University of Colorado. He was awarded honorary degrees from more than twelve universities. In 1964, he received the Association of American Medical Colleges' Abraham Flexner Award for Distinguished Service to Medical Education, its highest honor. In 1971, he became a Master of the American College of Physicians.

9 John R. Dunning, Ph.D., Nebraska Wesleyan ’26, was a physicist who played a key role in the Manhattan Project that developed the first atomic bombs. He specialized in neutron physics and did pioneering work in gaseous diffusion for isotope separation. He was Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University from 1950 to 1969.

resonance imaging (MRI) possible. Lauterbur was a professor at Stony Brook University from 1963 until 1985, where he conducted his research for the development of the MRI. In 1985, he became a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for 22 years, serving as a professor of chemistry, with appointments in bioengineering, biophysics, the College of Medicine at Urbana-Champaign and computational biology at the Center for Advanced Study.

10 Paul H. Emmett, Ph.D., Oregon State ’25, was a chemist best known for his pioneering work in the field of catalysis and for his work on the Manhattan Project during World War II. He spearheaded the research to separate isotopes of uranium and to develop a corrosive uranium gas. Emmett also made significant contributions to BET Theory which explains the relationship be-

13 Roger Morse, Ph.D., Cornell ’48, was a bee biologist who taught many beekeepers through his research and publications. He was chairman of the entomology department at Cornell University and was made a fellow of the Entomological Society of America.

Science. As a teacher, he was mentor to dozens of noted academics, including Paul Dunn, Ph.D., Mississippi State ’38. Miami University’s Earth Science building was named for Shideler in 1967.

16 M. Frank Rudy, Case Western ’48, was an aerospace engineer who left the industry in 1969 to pursue a career as an independent inventor who ended up with more than 250 patents. He is best known as the inventor of the Nike “Air” sole.

17 William T. Schwendler, New York ’32, was an aeronautical engineer and one of the founders of Grumman Aircraft. At Grumman, he was chief of engineering who was in charge of the engineering staff that designed World War II combat

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tween surface area and gas adsorption. He served on the faculty of Johns Hopkins University for 23 years throughout his scientific career.

11 John E. Fryer, M.D., Transylvania ’54, was a psychiatrist best known for his anonymous speech at the 1972 American Psychiatric Association (APA) annual conference where he appeared in disguise and under the name Dr. Henry Anonymous. This event has been cited as a key factor in the decision to de-list homosexuality as a mental illness from the APA's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The APA's "John E. Fryer, M.D., Award" is named in his honor.

12 Paul C. Lauterbur, Ph.D., Case Western ’51, was a chemist who shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2003 with Peter Mansfield for his work which made the development of magnetic

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14 Clyde Roper, Ph.D., Transylvania ’56, is a research zoologist emeritus at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. He joined the Smithsonian in 1966 and is a world-renowned expert on cephalopods, including the giant squid, a specimen of which is displayed in an exhibit at the Natural Museum of Natural History, "In Search of the Giant Squid". He has discovered and described new species, a number of new genera, and one new family of cephalopods.

15 William H. Shideler, PhD, Miami 1906, was a professor and founder of the Department of Geology at Miami University where he taught for 47 years. As a paleontologist, he became an expert on the Upper Ordovician fossils and stratigraphy. He was a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Ohio Academy of

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aircraft the Wildcat, the Hellcat and the Avenger that were responsible for more than two-thirds of enemy planes shot down by the U.S. Navy in the Pacific theater.

18 Ernest H. Volwiler, PhD, Miami 1912, was a chemist and co-inventor of the “truth serum” Pentothal. He spent his entire career at the drugmaker Abbott Laboratories, retiring as chairman of the board in 1961. He was appointed to the governing board of the National Science Foundation by President Eisenhower and received the American Chemical Society's Priestley Medal in 1958 and the American Institute of Chemists Gold Medal in 1960. He was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1986 for his work with Pentothal.

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FIVE MINUTES WITH...

RON KEMP, NEW MEXICO STATE ’77 What drew you to a career in healthcare? What drove your decision to become an RN? After I graduated from New Mexico State University, I went to work in the oil business, then the real estate business. I wanted to make a difference, and contribute to humankind, but the oil business and real estate fields were not that contribution that I desired. Although those fields are still a big part of my life, and although I am still fascinated by both, I was looking for a different type of person-to-person interaction. I was called into the nursing profession and my career in healthcare has allowed me to have an impact on humankind and to touch many lives. After all, how many careers in our world allow us to have a lasting impact on lives several times per day?

How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed your field over the past two years? The pandemic has caused nurses to re-assess their passion for the career of nursing. When we know all the dangers which exist, a definite passion must be present for nurses to remain active in the profession.

Nurses have husbands, wives, children, aging parents, and family members with comorbidities, and the nurse could predispose them to the COVID virus. Therefore, in their profession, nurses have had to do a lot of soul searching to determine whether the benefits of the known and unknown outweigh the risks. Everyone calls nurses heroes, but we, as well as many professions, [12] THE LAUREL || MAY 2022

New Mexico State 1977 Associate Class

aren’t heroes. Nursing was my calling and I signed up to take care of patients whether in a pandemic or not. Another change occurred when hospitals were not allowing elective surgeries. In addition, many patients were not able to maintain current appointments for pre-existing problems, so patients were delaying many essential procedures and assessments. This has caused another increase in patient census, because after this extended time with no treatment patients are now “sicker”.

As a nurse manager, things changed for me because I have learned to be a lot more tolerant and compassionate of staff’s issues and concerns. Children couldn’t go to school, so parents had to stay home and teach them, which caused staffing challenges in an already physically and emotionally taxing profession. Emotions were flying through the roof! Nurses were emotionally distraught, thus needing compassion, time to vent, and to be listened to. At several points along the journey the “curve appeared to be flatting”. Finally, nurses were able to take a breath, and the pandemic appeared to

be lessening. However, soon on the heels of the “flattening” the additional surges began again; an emotional roller coaster!

What nursing unit do you work with?

What compelled you to work with this specific unit? Practice-wise, I am a telemetry nurse, which is the monitoring of the electrical activity along with the efficiency of the cardiac system. When I was in nursing school, I found the system that most fascinated me, and I was always drawn to patients with cardiac problems. As a manager, I have managed various departments (i.e., Telemetry, Ortho, Cardiac ICU, Interim CNO, Staffing Office, Employee Health, Med/Surg), but the ones I like the best are Cardiac Related.

Have you been affected by the current nursing shortage? If so, what challenges has that presented in your field? All hospitals and Healthcare in general have been impacted by the staffing challenges during the pandemic due to an exploding patient census. As stated previously, there were

many nurses who were required to become teachers for their children, and this kept the nurses at home and out of the hospitals caring for patients. As a manager, I have been truly appreciative of our travel nurses, who contributed to bridging this gap. Too, our permanent nurses have worked many extra hours to care for patients. Contributing to the challenge is the fact that many nurses have retired early, while others have opted to leave the profession altogether.

What is one of your most meaningful memories as a member of the healthcare community? Wow. I have a plethora of memories, most of them are good. One memory that stands out is when a patient was suffering a heart attack in front of me and his wife in the room. I was working a night shift, and there are skeleton crews in a hospital at night anyway. I was relieving another nurse for their lunch, so I was the sole caregiver for this patient at the time. While the patient was suffering the heart attack, I completed all those appropriate tasks that my nurse’s training taught me. The patient’s life was in the balance as he was whisked off to the cardiac catheterization lab. His wife spoke to me after he was stabilized in the cardiac catheterization lab and expressed a huge amount of appreciation. She was so thankful that I was there and thankful that I stayed with him until the cardiac catheterization lab nurses transferred him to perform his procedure. When he recovered, he returned to my care, and he too echoed his wife’s comments. Similar scenarios presented themselves many times throughout my career, and it is truly satisfying to know that I was able to impact a life, and that I was essential and appreciated.

In your opinion, what is the most rewarding aspect of your career? Likewise, what is one of the biggest struggles you face? One of the most rewarding aspects as a manager is the fact that I can care for, support and mentor those who are taking care of others. Now, I am able to impact the lives of not only the patients, but of nurses alike. One of my major struggles is the medical decisions which are inconsistent with my beliefs or morals. However, one of the beauties of being human is that our choices are exactly that…our choices, and I must respect those individual decisions, even though I might struggle with it.

How did your time as an undergraduate member of Phi Kappa Tau help to prepare you for your career? I realized there are many cultures and ideas within the fraternity. The fraternity did so much for me, maturing me while still enjoying a positive college life. The founding fathers knew how to grow high school aged boys into mature young men. We probably had too much fun at times (nothing dangerous), but many of those relationships still exist today.

What is one of your favorite memories as a member of Phi Kappa Tau? I especially remember the comradery of Greek sing. Phi Kappa Tau at New Mexico State University was the Greek sing Fraternity participant, who had the “color outside the lines” singers. This was a great time of Brotherhood building. Oddly enough, I don’t remember the level of performance or the ranking we achieved among the Greeks, but what I remember is the contribution to Brotherhood bonding.

Do you believe more undergraduate members should consider the nursing field as a career option? If so, why? Nursing is the best career in the world! So yes, I do believe more should join the profession of nursing, IF they have a passion for people and IF they love caring for people. If not, as with any career, they won’t be happy. Unless the fire is there, a nurse can’t be successful without passion and compassion. Nursing has been very satisfying for me, and my love for people has made me successful. I guess I would relate it to balancing my checkbook.

Although I am not a banker, it helps to at least know how to balance my checkbook.

Likewise, everyone might not want to be a nurse and care for patients every day, but medical knowledge can still prove beneficial.

With medicine and healthcare at the forefront of discussion and debate, do you have any parting thoughts or words of wisdom for our readers and their loved ones? Once again, nursing is the best career ever! The past two years have been stressful for all walks of life, and all populations deserve congratulations and recognition, not only healthcare professionals. The entire population should pat themselves on the back – we made it!

The world calls nurses heroes. I appreciate the admiration, but I don’t see myself as a hero, because my calling is to be a nurse.

The past couple of years have been the most stressful and impacting time of my nursing career, but taking care of patients is what I signed up to do. Nurses encounter many issues that only another nurse will understand, and since we do, nurses are very deserving of all the kudos and all the compensation that comes.

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FEATURE

THE PHI TAU ENGINEERS:

Building the Future Inspiration is born out of a number of things.

There’s no telling what moment, series of events, or experience will set you on a path that determines the course of your life. It could be a trip to the local fire station when you’re young, then your whole life is headed on a path to becoming a firefighter; playing a video game for the first time, being immersed in the world and lost in the story, and you dream of creating these worlds for others; maybe you decided to run for student government as an undergraduate, and now your life is dedicated to politics. While this could go on for pages, the point is—whether it comes early or late—most can trace the origin of their passions and drive to a few moments in life.

For Chad Thrasher, Centre ’88, a passion for understanding how things were made was always present, but it wasn’t until he witnessed the tragedy of the Challenger accident in in 1986 that this passion found an end goal. Now working for NASA at the Marshall Space Flight Center, Thrasher is one of the many accomplished engineers within our organization. Each of the nine alumni in this feature made the decision to set out on the long and difficult journey to become an engineer, knowing full well that this would mean a strenuous academic life with hours and hours of studying, a mastery of problem-solving skills and creativity, and countless other traits needed to be successful in this field. Each one had the

motivation, skills, and know-how to make it to the top of their field—creating and building the future.

With limited space and no shortage of accomplished alumni in the engineering field, finding a way to highlight all those deserving men in our organization was no easy feat. There was the option to list out all the alumni, paragraph by paragraph and give the bullet point summary of each individual’s careers, but that seemed a little cut and dry. Fitting each into an overarching story was a viable route, but had the potential to lack the respective spotlight these brothers warrant. The answer became glaringly apparent; keeping in line with our Hall of Fame feature, we are going to build out a veritable All-Star Team of Phi Kappa Tau engineers. For all those who are not basketball fans, I apologize, but our number of alumni perfectly reflects a five-man team with four players coming off the bench (and honestly, that’s where my expertise lies). Now, a quick disclaimer before revealing our team, an individual being denoted as a bench player has nothing to do with the career achievements or successes but is a necessary part of this exercise and of every team. We as an organization are equally proud of all our alumni in the engineering field, and even those not included in this piece are worthy of just as much praise. With that out of the way, lets meet our team.

BY DALTON LEE, BALDWIN WALLACE ’11

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STARTING SHOOTING GUARD:

CHRIS HEFFERNAN, GEORGIA TECH ’94

STARTING POINT GUARD:

CHAD THRASHER, CENTRE ’88 Much like many of the best point guards in the history of the NBA, Thrasher spends his days working to ensure that all systems, parts, and tools are working in sync to complete a mission. Unlike those point guards, Thrasher’s mission as the Advanced Exploration Systems, Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I), Interoperability Lead for NASA is to complete crewed lunar trips. With this position being built on the fundamental need for attention to detail, meeting deadlines, team leadership, and communication skills, it was only fitting that Thrasher would be chosen to lead this team.

While Thrasher may have had a passion for the nuts and bolts of how things are made, the skills that continue to make him so successful in his career with NASA were fostered and practiced throughout his time as an undergraduate member of Phi Tau. Throughout various leadership positions, Thrasher realized his proclivity for project and team management, but states that the most important lesson learned was how to ask for help.

In space travel there is no room for stagnation or inadequacies, so Thrasher has dedicated himself to being a lifelong learner and recommends that all undergraduate brothers do the same. Curiosity and a willingness to fail are paramount to a career at NASA and in the engineering field. With eyes fixed on the future, Thrasher hopes that we will someday take “routine” trips to the moon—seeing this as a way to make life better for all, and hopefully bring everyone a little closer together.

Until that day comes, Thrasher continues to work at the very top of his field, while serving as the Board of Governers Chairman for the Zeta Eta chapter in Tuscaloosa and remaining a dedicated brother of Phi Tau.

Engineering isn’t solely about building Earth shaking rockets, engines, or a slew of gizmos and gadgets; there is a more personal side of engineering, focusing on the most basic of human needs. For those of who move around freely, uninhibited by medical condition, injury, or ailment, it can be easy to take this for granted. For those who cannot, there are dedicated individuals who continuously work to improve their lives. Chris Heffernan is the Chief Engineer for Stryker Joint Replacement, leading a team on new product development programs for hip and knee joint replacements, implants, and instrumentation related to joint replacement surgeries, to do just that. This foundation of mobility and movement make Heffernan that ideal shooting guard for the Engineers.

A life-long runner, Heffernan developed a passion for the orthopedics at an early age. With a natural gift for math and science and drawing inspiration from his mother’s employer, a doctor with an engineering degree, Heffernan entered college with a concrete goal in mind. Years later, his aspirations came to fruition. Throughout his time in the field of biomedical engineering, Heffernan has helped countless individuals live a better life. In 2012, a childhood friend, and former NHL player, reached out to Heffernan with questions regarding a hip replacement surgery—years of playing hockey had taken its toll on his body. After consulting with various doctors throughout New York City, the two sat down to discuss three different implants presented. Upon review of the third option, Heffernan’s friend asked if he knew anything about it. “Of course, I designed it,” was his response. As you can imagine, Heffernan was immensely proud to have designed a product that helped someone so close to him improve their quality of life.

STARTING POWER FORWARD:

BILL EMERSON, OKLAHOMA STATE ’61 When picking a power forward, there are a variety of attributes to consider. The player must be strong and aggressive, with the ability to box out, rebound, and grind out points in the paint. In short, we are looking for a player with a lot of fire power. Oklahoma State and Phi Kappa Tau Alumnus, U.S. Army Veteran, and founder of Emerson Consulting, Bill Emerson, is just the man for the job. After earning his degree in mechanical engineering, Emerson was commissioned by the U.S. Army as a Second Lieutenant, assigned to the tank and armored cavalry unit. This opportunity, paired with his time in Phi Tau, allowed Emerson to grow his leadership skills. As he gained further experience with heavy equipment, Emerson went on to be a product manager, working in an army research and development laboratory to develop and test new hardware for armored vehicles. In his final role with the U.S. Army, Emerson was assigned to be manager for the development of M1A1 Tanks. During his time in this position, the program designed, built, and tested 14 prototype tanks.

Following his time in the service, Emerson worked for various companies, where he developed U.S. Army smart weapons that would seek out and destroy enemy armored vehicles.

He also managed the design and testing of advanced electronic subsystems for new vehicles, increasing the vehicles’ capabilities.

Emerson ultimately opened his own consulting company, specializing in the support of medium- to large-scale engineering firms that had multi-million-dollar deals with the Department of Defense and NASA. Even after years of on-the-job experience, Emerson returned to further his education—earning a master’s in Automatic Controls— and recommends that undergraduate students and recent graduates consider the same.

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FEATURE

STARTING SMALL FORWARD:

JACK LY, PHD, SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI ’10 “Nothing is given, everything is earned, and success is never coasting.”

For Dr. Jack Ly, this quote is one of the keys to his success, and his advice to any undergraduates looking to have a long and successful career. Holding true to this quote, Ly pushed himself to continue his education following the completion of his undergraduate studies. While attending graduate school at UMass Amherst, he met his now wife, Dr. Kara Martin, and both went on to complete their doctorates in Polymer Science and Engineering in 2018. You may be asking yourself, well why put him as the power forward? For two reasons: one, I want a small forward who pushes themselves to know every aspect of the game and to be as knowledgeable as possible, and two, Ly’s primary function as a Research Scientist and Team Lead for UES, Inc is to design and conduct experiments for proof of concept and prototype new technologies for the United States Air Force. When I heard that, all I could think is a high-flying rebounder, who can defend anyone.

Knowledge and know-how are not the only aspects of Ly’s career. It takes of plethora of skills and adaptability to be successful in this industry, and like many of our other alumni, Ly was able to hone those skills throughout leadership position as an undergraduate brother. Serving as Recruitment Chair taught Ly to represent an organization and network with peers, his time on the Interfraternity Council showed him the importance of governing, and he learned the crucial need for strong ties and respect while holding the position of Alumni Relations Chair. In their downtime, Ly and his wife, Kara, continue to make an impact on those around them by creating scientific graphics and art for scientific publication, abstracts, and websites.

These can be found on daytonillustrations.com.

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STARTING CENTER:

MATT CULLUM, OKLAHOMA STATE ’92 Coming in at a staggering 75 feet tall, it’s quite possible the most dominant center in the history of basketball, who can only be described as a literal semi-truck. Coming out of Oklahoma State, it’s Matt Cullum! (crowd cheers) While Matt Cullum may not be an actual 75-foot-tall center, he is the Assistant Chief Engineer—Chassis, Powertrain, and Advanced Concepts at Peterbilt Motor Company. Cullum’s work with the great metal giants, which we all cower to on the highway, makes the logic to put him at center pretty sound. As the Assistant Chief Engineer, Cullum works with his team of seven engineering executives to ensure that their product plan is fulfilled. Utilizing diligent planning and leadership skills, Cullum accomplishes this by defining projects, completing designs and ensuring that his team is completing the validation of their designs to meet customer needs. Leading teams and solving problems is exactly what drew Cullum to the engineering field, and the ability to do so is something in which he takes immense pride. Cullum stated that the most rewarding aspect of his job is getting to work with fellow engineers and seeing them grow their technical and leadership skills.

Career achievements are not the only point of pride for Cullum, he is most proud of the two daughters and the family that he and his wife have created.

When asked what he is most excited for in the future, Cullum stated, “This is an exciting time as vehicles start to move to electric power from fossil fuels. It will take a while, but it is exciting to see the transformation starting to happen and to be a part of that.”

BENCH:

JUSTIN REYES, CAL-POLY POMONA ’98; BRANDON REYES, CAL-POLY POMONA ’03; BRIAN REYES, CAL-POLY POMONA ’11 For our three All-Stars coming off the bench, engineering is not only a career, but a family affair. Justin, Brandon, and Brian (The Rowdy Reyes Brothers, a nickname that is being made up for the purposes of this feature) are all three alumni of the Delta Tau chapter at Cal-Poly Pomona and are all three now successful engineers—managing projects and accounts all over Southern California. Brandon is currently

SCOUTING REPORT

SIXTH MAN FOR THE PHI KAPPA TAU ENGINEERS:

JAY KRISTOLA, PE, MICHIGAN TECH ’74 After over forty years in the manufacturing industry, Jay Kristola found himself retired and searching for a new hobby. Finding his home in academia, Kristola is now an adjunct professor for his alma mater, Michigan Technical University, also for Gogebic Community College.

Teaching Statics, Strengths of Materials, Fluid Mechanics, Math, and Physics keep Kristola busy, while also having the flexibility to enjoy retirement. There couldn’t be a more ideal sixth man for this team, a mix of veteran knowledge and a willingness to teach and mentor.

Not only working as an adjunct professor, Kristola also helped create an engineering co-op program, designed to incorporate duties that give real world experience for engineers in the manufacturing industry. This ability to create an impact within his organization has been a staple throughout Kristola’s career—working primarily with small to mid-sized companies is what he describes as his “sweet spot.”

For Kristola, Phi Tau was much more than a chance to polish skills he’d go on to use in his career. It was a chance to be exposed to a whole new way of thinking. Growing up on a farm, outside a very small community, Kristola was raised with limited social life and had little interaction with individuals not within his community. After becoming a brother of Phi Tau, he was exposed to a slew of differing ideals, beliefs, and backgrounds. Through this he learned to work within a group, resolve conflicts, and compromise when needed. This spark has carried on through adulthood, propelling Kristola to become an educator and to stay involved with our organization as an alumnus. Being given the chance to serve as an Advisor and Board of Governors member for the Gamma Alpha chapter helps Kristola “maintain his spirit of youth.”

leading new freeway projects, Brian is designing waste facilities, and Justin is working with major water treatment facilities. Stacking the bench with three young players—eager to learn and make a difference in the world—with chemistry only biological and fraternal brothers could have, ensures the success of our Phi Tau engineers. With all the similarities these three have, you would think that there couldn’t be more, but each met their wives while in school and attributes much of their success to a strong work ethic instilled in them by their father. Now with five children amongst the three families, one could only imagine how proud their father is of the bond and successes these three share.

Not only growing their own families, the Reyes Brothers continue to stay involved with ours. Attending many social events, donating

to the BOG for various housing projects, and continuing to network with friends and former brothers. With all three almost being initiated members at Brandon’s wedding (Brian was an associate member), there were over fifty alumni members in attendance. Displaying true and genuine brotherhood that spanned over the course of a decade, The Delta Tau chapter and our organization as a whole is fortunate to have not one, but three Reyes brothers within our fraternity. When asked what advice they would give to undergraduates hoping to be successful in the engineering field, they stated that it is all about building your resume and gaining experience. To them, it is better to take a pay-cut if you can get the right knowledge and time under your belt.

There have many a number of notable All-Star teams throughout the years—the 1991 Western Conference team and 2012 Eastern Conference team among them. A smart man would take any odds for the Phi Tau Engineers to take them all down.

This star-studded cast of mathematical savants, foreword thinkers, and creative minds only scratch the surface of successful brothers within the world of engineering and across all STEM careers. While this was an enjoyable exercise to highlight the featured brothers and have a little fun along the way, it also shows the depth of talented and ambitious members we have across every field.

Almost all brothers featured draw back on their time as an undergraduate and alumni of Phi Kappa Tau both fondly and with praise for preparing them for the road ahead. The All-Stars of the Phi Tau Engineers and all those who were not featured in this piece are continuing to break new grounds, bettering and building the future of our world. For that, we owe a great deal of thanks, and a reminder that we are endlessly proud to have you within our organization and equally proud to call you all brothers.

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MINIFEATURE

ALUMNI

Phi Kappa Tech

BY DALTON LEE, BALDWIN WALLACE ’11 NEWHOUSE

W

e are going to go back in time for just a moment, not too far, only about twenty years. The year is 2002, you’ve just woken up for work and are still reeling from what happened on Survivor last night. Headed off to work, you grab your brand spanking new iPod, so you can jam out to all the tunes you’ve downloaded from LimeWire (you’ll salvage what’s left of your virus ridden desktop some other day). Huddled around the coffee pot in the morning, one of your co-workers predicts that in just twenty years you’ll all be walking around with supercomputers, working from home and holding meetings via video calls (and could oh-so-cleverly make it seem like the Eiffel Tower was just outside the window behind you), and finally that there was a forthcoming virtual world called the Metaverse. As you sit down at your desk, you might find yourself thinking, “What’s gotten into this guy? He must be on some weird AOL sci-fi chat rooms.”

When thinking about the leaps and bounds that technology has taken over the last twenty years, it can be staggering to comprehend. Now more than ever, it is the driving force behind our daily lives and continuously expanding its reach on the global economy. With

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boundless advancements in technology, it comes as no surprise that careers and education in this field are also booming.

More and more members of our organization are pursuing careers in the tech industry, and those who were ahead of the curve are flourishing in their respective roles. We were fortunate enough to speak to three of our alumni who are doing just that. Bill Newhouse, Georgia Tech ’86, is a Cybersecurity Engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce; Shawn Brown, PhD, Bethany ’94, is the Director of the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center; and Brian Smith, Cal Poly-Pomona ’91, is the President of the Haven Agency.

While there are few similarities in the day-to-day functions of these positions, each of these brothers shares a common link (see what I did there) in the journey to their roles. For Brown and Smith, there was a deviation from their original plans. Brown planned to become a high school teacher, but soon realized a passion for computers and began the journey to his current position—working the heft of his career performing research in public health. Following the completion of his bachelor’s degree in

SMITH AND HIS COMPANY, HAVEN AGENCY (ABOVE).

communication, Smith was struggling to find employment opportunities in this field. With great foresight he and another former member of the Delta Tau chapter enrolled in website development classes at a local community college, eventually finding employment in this field and working his way to the Haven Agency. Taking a more traditional path, Newhouse, a graduate of the cooperative education program at Georgia Tech, found employment with the National Security Agency (NSA) in their telecommunications (TCOM) directorate. Spending 23 years with the NSA, Newhouse went on to become their representative within other agencies and at the Pentagon. In the spring of 2010, Newhouse left the NSA

BROWN

and began his career with the NIST— continuing to serve his country and working with colleagues at the very peak of his industry.

The second connective thread between these three distinguished careers, and throughout most of our lives, is brotherhood. With his start at the Haven Agency, Smith had gone into business with the company’s founder and life-long friend, Chris Wheeler, who was an associate member of the Delta Tau chapter while Smith was serving as the

Membership Orientation Officer. Brown and Newhouse may not have been directly hired by another Phi Tau brother, they attribute the opportunities given and skills learned within the fraternity to many of the successes throughout their careers.

Leadership, teamwork, and problem solving are highly valuable skills in the fields of all three brothers, and each of them detailed how the fraternity helped nourish and grow these attributes at an early age. The impact of these opportunities stretches far beyond the years as an undergraduate; when you’ve been in an organization that offers the chance to develop such skills and knowledge, it becomes easy to undervalue them and think them common.

The accomplishments of these three men, in both personal and professional life, is something to behold. Long before the COVID-19 pandemic, Brown was working with WHO, UNICEF, and the Gates Foundation to transform vaccine supply chain in Benin, ensuring that more children in the country received lifesaving vaccines. With the experience of being imbedded in U.S. Government during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemics, helping them with computer modeling to advise the CDC, Brown and the PSC team were able to make the Bridges-1 supercomputing platform available to the national community during the COVID-19 pandemic. As Brown was working to curb

a country and world in distress, Smith and the Haven Agency were becoming a beacon for companies in distress.

Gaining the reputation of the “fixers” in the website development community, they were able to land video game juggernaut, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 as a client—completing the design and development of the website in just six weeks. This led to partnerships with Riot Games, Live Nation, Ticketmaster, Tech Deck, Coachella Music Festival, and countless other big-name organizations. Sometimes the greatest accomplishments can be as simple as safely getting together with old friends. Following his COVID-19 vaccines, Newhouse was happy to once again get together with brothers of the Alpha Rho chapter at John Cochran’s, Georgia Tech ’89, lake house.

Now that we have reflected on past and present, a brief glimpse into the future is only fitting. With the ever-expanding world that falls under the blanket term of “tech” and the inevitably growing number of our undergraduate members looking to enter a career in it, each of our three alumni reflected on how to help our younger brothers in their journey. There was a general consensus among Brown, Newhouse, and Smith—it's all about knowledge and experience. Taking the time to learn everything you can possibly know about your respective field of study, practicing and perfecting, and gaining all the experience possible—be it from internships, jobs, or any other conduit. Take it from three men who have gone far in their careers, and you’ll find yourself on the road to equal success.

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ON CAMPUS

ON CAMPUS

Undergraduate Brothers Discuss their Experience as STEM Majors ZAID HATEM, BELMONT ’19 Coming into Belmont, I had the sole aim of earning a degree in science, but I never knew what that pursuit could entail. As I progressed into my studies, I gained a unique perspective into the immense possibilities that STEM offers. My institution highly values scientific exploration, offering graduate-level research at an undergraduate pace. Indeed, this phenomenon was displayed throughout the courses that I had to take as a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major, but that was only a glimpse into the world of scientific research.

In the summer following my first year, I had the opportunity to participate in Belmont University Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) and research endophytes within known medicinal plants in pursuit of novel antibiotic synthesis. As my first research experience as an undergraduate student, I learned laboratory techniques in microbiology, biochemistry, and genetics and was exposed to the professional aspects of conducting a major scientific study.

Utilizing that momentum, I began to integrate myself into other research projects that have spanned the last four semesters of my college career. Cur-

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rently, under the supervision of an accomplished Belmont faculty and primary investigator, I am conducting a study that explores the mechanisms of mRNA export in S. cerevisiae under stressed environments, such as heat shock conditions. My project specifically focuses on identifying an unknown adaptor protein that assists the recruitment of another protein, Mex67, to the stress induced SSA4 mRNA transcript. When bound to Mex67, this transcript is targeted to the Nuclear Pore Complex for export into the cytosol to be translated by the ribosomal machinery into amino acids, the basic building blocks of all proteins.

I am thankful for these experiences because they have opened my eyes to the real world of scientific exploration. I had the opportunity to publish my work in the Vanderbilt Young Scientist Journal. I also had the chance to interact with aspiring and leading scientists at key academic events, such as Belmont University's Undergraduate Research Symposium and Tennessee Academy of Science annual conference, where my research efforts were being showcased. Most importantly, these opportunities allowed me to challenge myself with complex yet crucial questions and enhance my problem-solving skills, gaining affection for inquiry.

As I am nearing the end of my undergraduate education, I decided to utilize my love for scientific inquiry to pursue a career in medicine. My academic journey has provided me with skill sets that I believe will empower me to become a better physician in the future. Indeed, much of my success would not have been possible without the support of my brothers of Phi Kappa Tau. Throughout my time in the ZetaAlpha Chapter, I had the incredible privilege to share a brotherhood filled with exceptional leaders and men who are genuinely committed to transforming their campus and community. Through the optimistic spirit and great determination instilled in these men, I

am constantly encouraged to challenge myself and reach new academic and professional milestones. Inspired by their leadership, I served the chapter as the community service chair and the scholarship chair, and Belmont University's Student Body President for the year 2021. I am forever thankful for their constant encouragement and motivation, for they have molded me into a leader dedicated to going far every single day.

JAMES O’CONNOR TENNESSEE ’21 Nowadays, anybody who is halfway decent at math and ready to get their hands dirty is labeled an “engineer” from the start. But that doesn’t mean that person is necessarily cut out to be all that is an engineer. Thankfully, I’m glad I earned that label, because I have come to love the idea of using my problem-solving skills to make things more efficient, specifically the body.

From the get-go, I have always been interested in the human body and how it worked, and biomedical engineering gives me the perfect opportunity to explore the way the body works and how we can make it more efficient. I’m most interested in how the brain works, and I recently picked up a minor in Neuroscience. One topic that fascinates me is sleep. Most college students are either sleep deprived or jacked up on caffeine to spend more hours studying, but what if there was a way to improve sleep quality and efficiency? I plan to get into research next semester, and my engineering brothers at Phi Tau have been a huge help with finding me

the right people to reach out to at the University. Knowing me personally, it just seems there are never enough hours in the day to do everything I would like to do, so what if I spent less time sleeping and more time being productive?

Rather than bore you with my talk about research, I cannot express my gratitude to Phi Tau for the leadership opportunities and skills it has provided me. As philanthropy chair for our chapter, I was able to raise $5569 for our chapter in my first

semester on the job—more than double our amount from last semester. I could not have done this without the help of my peers in Phi Tau and the mentoring they gave me about how to lead a group of guys. Leadership is often a topic, especially in the STEM field, that gets swept under the rug.

However, by taking a leadership class on campus and through Phi Tau, I have found myself being much more productive team member and actually enjoying team projects, whereas I used to despise them.

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ALUMNI ADVICE

ALUMNI ADVICE

What advice would you give to undergraduates pursuing a career in your field?

“For students interested in academic medicine, the obvious advice is to take and do well in science classes. Truthfully, most of the science can be learned later and maybe the most important skill during undergrad is to learn and practice how to effectively communicate.

Whether talking to patients, writing manuscripts, or presenting data at conferences, effective communication sets the best apart from the rest.”

MARK BALL, MD, Centre ’04 Urologic Cancer Surgeon-Scientist, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health

“Utilize your networks and seek out internships through your schools, friends and family and other students to gain exposure and experience. Stay curious, make connections, help other students and try new things and pursue new areas of technology such as Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence.”

JOHN BARNES, Nebraska-Kearney '90 Chief Technology Officer, Infutor Data Systems

“My role focuses on helping clients create digital experiences people enjoy. It isn’t enough to just know the technology. If all you know is the technology, you’ll be competing with highly qualified, lower cost resources from around the globe. Make sure you are also conversant in how to humanize technology.

In short, don’t skip those humanities electives.”

MIKE BAWN, Ohio ’88 Executive Director - Digital Transformation and AI Consulting, TTEC

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“Engineering is about solving interesting problems using creativity, ingenuity, and most importantly, a passion for what you do. Pick your passion, then pursue that vigorously. Don't be afraid to take risks, particularly early in your career until you find your path.”

SCOTT CARDEN, North Carolina State ’98 VP Eyepiece Engineering, Magic Leap

“Start learning no-code! Tools like Bubble, Zapier, and Airtable are critical business tools for anyone that wants to get involved in working in Sales, Marketing, Project Management, or any type of SaaS business.”

TIM DAHLSTROM, Lawrence ’14 Chief Operations Officer, Zeroqode _______ “It’s totally okay if you don't start out at your dream job right after graduation. All you need is a couple years of experience and a security clearance, and then companies will start reaching out to you practically begging you to apply for their openings.”

ROB JEZIOR, Purdue ’13 Systems Engineer, Northrop Grumman Space Systems

“You can learn a lot on the job, so if a role may not be exactly what you are looking for it may benefit you to take it in the long run. Don't be afraid to take something new on, learn something new, challenge yourself.”

SASHA KANEVSKY, Rutgers ’05 Aircare Lab Manager, Givaudan

“Never stop learning. Your years as an undergraduate will be dwarfed by your years spent in your career. The pace of change happening in the technology space will require you to keep constantly learning the latest tools and techniques.

This will keep you relevant in your current job, as well as set you up for your inevitable next job.”

TONY NOWICKI, Michigan Tech ’05 Project Manager, 3M - Personal Safety Division

“If you graduate with a degree in ChemEngr as I did, you’ll have a good number of job offers to choose from. Remember, you’ll likely be at your first job for <5 years. So, pick your job not by the highest starting salary but by which job provides you the best opportunity to enhance your CV in the first 5 years. Specifically, think about continuing education, i.e. getting an advanced degree ‘at night’ while working full time. So, pick your job by its geographical access to a good graduate program to enroll in.”

“Practicing orthopaedic and hand surgery for over 40 years was always joyful, rewarding, and gratifying. The most valuable advice I can offer to current undergraduates is to put great value on a pre-professional liberal arts education and to maintain intense interest in areas away from medicine. The broader one's exposure to many things in life, the more enjoyable will be one's time on earth. My pursuits have included skiing, tennis, golf, ham radio, flying, music, etc. NOT just orthopaedic and hand surgery.”

MICHAEL ROY TREISTER, M.D., Franklin & Marshall ’62 Orthopaedic and Hand Surgeon, Semi-retired (after treating over 100,000 patients and performing around 18,000 surgeries over 42 years.)

WALTER PISKORSKI, Rensselaer ’67 Retired, various pharmaceutical and medical device companies, along with a few start-ups _______ “Career options are limitless for those in the STEM field! You can mix in elements of law, business, policy, education, or whatever else your heart desires. Focus on what makes you happy and I guarantee you that success, money, etc., will follow.

Passion fulfills material dreams, and not the other way around.”

SHARDULE SHAH, Case Western Reserve ’04 CEO and Co-founder, Lime Therapeutics

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LAURELS

LAURELS [1965] Jeff Rivard, Central Michigan, and his 45-year career in golf administration, was honored by the International Association of Golf Administrators (IAGA) on November 9th of this past year.

Receiving the Distinguished Service Award— the most prestigious individual award the organization has— Rivard claimed his spot in the history books of the IAGA. [1966] David McCollum, Oklahoma State, was the sole inductee to the New Mexico Press Association Hall of Fame during its 112th convention, McCollum was honored with a standing ovation, befitting his storied career in the newspaper industry.

~ BILL BRASCH, LOUISVILLE ’67, was named a University of Louisville Alumni Fellow, receiving the Student Affairs Legacy Award at Homecoming 2021.

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[1959] Dick Longo, Transylvania, published a book titled, “How Running Saves Lives” which chronicles his journey with competitive running and how it has saved his life more than once.

[1963] The Ohio State Bar Association honors Norman Geer, Miami, for 50 years of service to the community and legal profession. Geer is a general private practitioner and works—along with his daughter—in the areas of civil litigation, criminal law, divorce and dissolution, estate planning and probate, family law and real estate law.

[1971] Alan Ayres, North Carolina State, has had a long and notable career, but most recently he donated his time to North Carolina Plant Sciences Initiative (N.C. PSI). Ayer and key members of the regulatory industry worked closely with N.C. PSI’s Center of Excellence in Regulatory Science in Agriculture to shape the nation’s first and only regulatory science certificate course in agriculture.

LAURELS

[1983] Nick Nelson, Transylvania, a former Executive Offices employee was named the CEO of the B.R. Distilling Company in Memphis.

[1991] Christopher C. Clulow, Miami, and Luther Peters, Miami, both received promotions from Cummins Inc. Clulow has been named Vice President, Investor Relations, and Peters was named Vice President, Corporate Controller.

[1996] Foundation Trustee, Jeff Hilperts, Spring Hill, was promoted to Senior Vice President of Philanthropic

CLULOW

PETERS

MARK “REIGN” STREITER, GEORGIA ’89, was a successful real estate agent in 2017, but gave that up to start a new agency with a focus on giving back. Give Back Real Estate is a thriving company, in which, all sales agents give 10% of their commissions to Athens area nonprofits. By April 2021, Give Back had donated over $600,000 to local organizations. ~

[1974] In November of 2021, Craig Cobb, Miami, was elected to the Cleveland Heights City Council.

Cobb is now serving as Council Vice President.

[1988] Lance Tucker, Transylvania, who was previously CFO of Jack in the Box and Papa John's and has been a member of Transylvania's Board of Regents and Board of Trustees, has been named Chief Financial Officer of CKE Restaurant Holdings, Inc., parent company of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s.

TUCKER

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LAURELS

KYLE WEISHAAR, KENTUCKY ’03, was nominated for a 2021 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture in Mulan (2020). He and his wife, actor Laura Slade Wiggins, also had their first child, a daughter, earlier this year. ~

Counsel at BWF. He will lead a full-time team of consulting professionals to conduct intensive administrative audits, lead campaign planning studies, interview major and principal gift donors, provide highly customized training for staff and volunteers, and craft growth-justified staffing plans.

HARMS

[2000] Richard Murray, Colorado, received his pin from The Fellows of the American Bar Association. Fellows are elected based on outstanding leadership within the legal profession, and is limited to the top 1% of lawyers in the U.S.

WOJTASIK

BLACK

[2006] Dr. Jared Black, Belmont, has founded and is president of the Arizona Bible College.

In addition to serving as president and founder of Arizona Bible College, Black serves as part-time Faculty Associate at Arizona State University where he teaches graduate courses within the Higher and Postsecondary Education program.

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Tim Harms, Belmont, alumnus of the Zeta Alpha chapter was recently named CEO of Enliven.

Season two of the hit Netflix reality series, Love is Blind, features a familiar face for Phi Tau brothers from the Gamma Mu chapter at Bradley University. Vito Salamone, Bradley, made his television debut in February of 2022. You can check out the whole season on Netflix today.

[2009] Appearing on the 2022 Ohio Rising Stars list is Phi Tau’s own, Brandon Wojtasik, Baldwin Wallace.

This list honors the top 2.5% of Ohio lawyers under the age of forty, or that have practiced law for less than ten years.

[2011] Jason Roberto, Baldwin Wallace, and Phi Tau Sweetheart, Kate Roberto had their first child on August 18th, 2022.

[2015] Zack Flanagan, Louisville, and his husband, Sean Lara, have created a bustling charcuterie business called Board and You. Starting as an at-home business in April of 2019, Board and You has expanded to a brick-and-mortar store that has a 4.9 rating on OpenTable. Zack’s brother, Aaron Flanagan, Louisville ’17, serves as the executive chef at their bistro.

Brandon Lewis, Middle Tennessee State, has left his role as Director of Chapter Services to join our technology partner Chapterspot.

We thank him for all he’s done for the fraternity. ~ COLTON GRAY, MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE ’16, makes history as the first graduate of Delta’s Propel Collegiate Pilot Career Path Program.

LEWIS (CENTER)

[2016] Prashant Chakradhar, Centre, is one of three new young Centre College trustees.

[2019] Zackary Armstrong, Washington State, started in December 2021 as a digital content producer at KTVB-Channel 7 in his hometown of Boise, Idaho.

If you’d like to submit a story to be included in The Laurel you can do so at phikappatau.org/ submit-news.

ARMSTRONG

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CHAPTER ETERNAL

CHAPTER ETERNAL The following members were reported deceased to the Executive Offices between September 30, 2021 and March 9, 2022.

MIAMI Raymond Wagner, ’34 Joseph Burnett, ’35 Everett Jones, ’36 William Freeland, ’37 Harold Knowlton, ’38 Paul Bergman, ’39 Dominic Belloni, ’39 James Wilson, ’39 Robert Burns, ’39 Patterson Benner, ’40 Owen Harrow, ’40 Thomas Kuenning, ’40 Emory Moyer, ’40 Harvey Frye, ’40 James Haire, ’40 Jonas Stuckey, ’41 Louis Zeller, ’41 Harold Cody, ’41 Bernard Wilson, ’41 Edward Allen, ’42 Richard Wright, ’42 Benny Cole, ’42 Joyce Grissom, ’42 Ora Kelsey, ’42 William Bergemann, ’42 Norman Nellis, ’42 Alfred Grimm, ’42 Bernard Belant, ’43 Robert Nanz, ’43 Thomas Stephenson, ’43 Hugh Nichols, ’43 Lowell Reid, ’43 Darwin Helmbold, ’43 Richard Myers, ’43 Lloyd Benham, ’43 Robert Grischy, ’43 Clarence McConville, ’44 Raymond Carroll, ’44 Sheldon Hedges, ’44 Robert Gavin, ’44 William Wilson, ’44 Francis Dixon, ’44 Herman Mumma, ’44 Gerald Studer, ’44 James Crothers, ’44 Joseph Craine, ’44 [28] THE LAUREL || MAY 2022

Joseph Hafner, ’44 John Jones, ’44 Harry Hughes, ’44 Lawrence Rodebach, ’44 Steven Horvath, ’44 George Stanley, ’44 Howard Wilson, ’44 Louis Florio, ’45 Ernest Eichelberger, ’45 William Walsh, ’45 Lester Zych, ’45 Jesse Vanlandingham, ’45 Michael Cyb, ’45 James Misheff, ’45 Jack Deal, ’45 Julian Hurtubise, ’45 Robert Bender, ’45 William Yensel, ’46 Richard Dudzinski, ’46 Stephen Dyer, ’46 David Trezise, ’46 James Cuebas, ’46 Claude Carroll, ’46 Jack Ison, ’46 John Wills, ’46 Harold Paul, ’46 Edward Willman, ’46 Vernon Leuck, ’46 John Magato, ’46 Robert Conway, ’46 Cory Mahan, ’46 Carl Torch, ’46 Donald Kramer, ’47 Loren Rice, ’47 Stanley Keel, ’47 Michael Tymoszczuk, ’47 John Weaver, ’47 Harry Hall, ’47 Farrand Martens, ’47 Walter Edwards, ’47 James Kesler, ’47 William Wynne, ’48 Richard Hopkins, ’48 Walter Schousen, ’48 Charles Schmermund, ’48 William Haag, ’48 Horace Smith, ’48

Robert Lindquist, ’49 Arthur Jastrzebski, ’49 Donald Kinch, ’49 John Sheard, ’49 Julius Skeebo, ’49 Jack Schweibold, ’49 Edmund Dicenzo, ’49 Leonard Wirtz, ’49 Walter Roehll, ’49 Covington Welch, ’49 Donald Karns, ’49 Franklin Wickwire, ’50 Gerald Mecklenborg, ’50 Louis Kammerer, ’50 Cash Powell, Jr., ’50 Glendon Carryer, ’50 Russell Beatty, ’50 Thomas Dinwiddie, ’50 Chester Allread, ’50 Robert Saltmarsh, ’50 Donald Kronmiller, ’50 Alfred Ward, ’51 Robert Rex, ’51 James Bailey, ’51 Michael Cheselka, ’51 Lee Betts, ’51 Harold Davis, ’51 Harry Ritz, ’52 Larry Henkel, ’52 Charles Lucas, ’52 Gerald Smith, ’52 Robert Lutz, ’52 Richard Skurko, ’52 Eugene Pleiman, ’52 Stanley Laughlin, ’53 Arthur Korney, ’53 Richard Gove, ’53 William Rudge, ’54 Harland Harris, ’55 George Bach, ’56 David Rotan, ’57 Clark Roland, ’57 Richard Fardal, ’57 Austin Schraff, ’57 Frank Mroczka, ’57 Ivan Lawson, ’57 Robert Hilleary, ’57

Harold Attix, ’58 Michael Oser, ’59 Thomas Kirchhofer, ’59 G. Dudley, ’59 Calvin Beck, ’59 Wesley Shellen, ’62 Constantine Giviskos, ’62 Adam Polacek, ’63 Richard Custard, ’64 Steven Brackins, ’64 Fred Applegate, ’64 Joseph Hart, ’65 Richard Powers, ’65 Stephen Spoerndle, ’66 Dale Shapiro, ’66 Dennis Dunkelberger, ’66 Kenneth Klespies, ’68 OHIO Raymond Golli, ’53 David Budd, ’56 Bill Jones, ’60 Charles Harkins, ’66 William Bruck, ’68 OHIO STATE John Ward, ’65 MOUNT UNION Kenneth Shaweker, ’42 Anthony Coco, ’50 Edwin Weimer, ’50 ILLINOIS James Grebe, ’41 MUHLENBERG Henry Kimmel, ’58 TRANSYLVANIA Harold Faulconer, ’51 KENTUCKY Hubert Hume, ’67 James Dawkins, ’71

PURDUE Arthur Bass, ’56 Robert Lueg, ’57 Jeffrey Jacob, ’75 Jeffrey Phares, ’76 Douglas McDaniel, ’78 LAWRENCE R Rosenheimer, ’49 Dean Wheelock, ’58 CAL-BERKELEY Frederick Vogt, ’32 Wellington Draper, ’34 Albert Carlton, ’35 Cecil Atchison, ’39 Robert Salz, ’39 Norbert Ramirez, ’40 Walter Farrell, ’40 Robert Fugazi, ’40 James Dunn, ’40 Peter Burrows, ’41 Gennaro Filice, ’42 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA August Grebe, ’39 RENSSELAER Robert Christie, ’42 SYRACUSE Richard Gross, ’48 NEBRASKA WESLEYAN Jack Plummer, ’58 Darwin Blue, ’61 Larry Ohs, ’73 BETHANY Alan Duvall, ’63 Mark Gorby, ’83 Paul Sheridan, ’84 COLORADO Brandon Campbell, ’90

*Please note that the passing of several brothers in the Alpha chapter at Miami University were only recently reported, accounting for the unusually high volume.

DELAWARE Price Snyder, ’49 Mitchell Russell, ’53 KANSAS STATE Marc Schowalter, ’39 Roger Rickard, ’58 OREGON STATE Ronald Brown, ’56 FLORIDA William Wright, ’32 George Gramling, ’50 WILLIAM AND MARY George Royer, ’55 WASHINGTON STATE Dean Ratzman, ’43 Raymond Badgett, ’54 AUBURN Joe Haynie, ’57 Gene Glenn, ’59 Robert Street, ’63 GEORGIA TECH Eric DeGrave, ’95

C. Baldwin, ’50 Robert Silman, ’50 Frank Cricchio, ’53 James Raper, ’54 Carl Bradley, ’55 Ernest Dyke, ’55 David Phillips, ’57 Orel Dugger, ’58 LOUISVILLE Ben Pence, ’48 Townsel Adams, ’51 Ronald Howard, ’57 Thomas Lightfoot, ’60 Charles Smoot, ’61 Nicholas Muller, ’65 E. Dick, ’71 John Graft, ’84 IDAHO James De Partee, ’49 Gene Easton, ’49 John Bostick, ’51 Michael Howell, ’69 U OF MIAMI Anthony Di Padova, ’54

TEXAS-EL PASO Weldon Cochran, ’63

SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI John Dale, ’48 Sam Tidwell, ’48 Hilbun Brown, ’48 Thomas Shields, ’48 Bernice Smith, ’48 Billy Byrns, ’48 Robert Hutcherson, ’49 Wallace Keen, ’50 Herschal Napier, ’50 Eldon Lowe, ’51 Wayne Benton, ’54 Larry Mattina, ’60 Joe Johnson, ’60 Richard Lenoir, ’62 Willard Gowdy, ’63 Eugene Elmore, ’65 James Fowler, ’68 Raymond Blacklidge, ’68 C. Wood, ’70 Ronald McNeil Jr, ’76 Harold Horton, ’78 James Decell, ’78

BALDWIN WALLACE Stanley Keel, ’47

Timothy Byrd, ’78 Dwight Douthit, ’79

COLORADO STATE Dennis Howland, ’66 COLGATE Clarence Renouard, ’51 David Laubach, ’57 Eric Livers, ’64 AKRON Steven Underation, ’85 MISSISSIPPI STATE Benton Coggin, ’43 William Hood, ’62 James White, ’65 Joseph Gordon, ’65 Ronald Humphrey, ’68 Mike Billings, ’85

TEXAS Charles Convis, ’49

NEW MEXICO STATE John Ireland, ’71

NICK DAVATZES, ST. JOHN’S ’60 On August 21, 2021, Nick Davatzes passed away. The former television executive and New York City native created and developed two cable television networks: A&E and The History Channel. Recruited in 1983 to save two failing networks, Davatzes took the opportunity to build two new successful networks that are still prominent in today’s culture. Davatzes is survived by his wife, Dorie and two sons.

DARREL TROPPY, TEXAS STATE ’80 The Beaumont art community, and we as an organization mourn the loss of this revered artist behind the city’s famous painted utility boxes. Troppy passed away on December 25, 2021, and is survived by husband, Eddie Bates. In 2014, Troppy was the only American artist invited to participate in the Carrousel Eastern and Western International Art Exhibit in Paris, France at The Louvre. This trip across the pond netted Troppy an award for “Most Creative Artist” and three certificates for “Outstanding Accomplishments” in a variety of categories.

Gary Eidson, ’77 Gregory Whitfield, ’86

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS Stephen Shipcoff, ’68

FLORIDA STATE James Van Middlesworth, ’53

CAL STATE, LONG BEACH Robert Lynch, ’56

OKLAHOMA STATE Paul, Coulter, ’59

CAL STATE, CHICO William Duval, ’59 Donald Fowler, ’58 Robert Madlem, ’69 David Jones, ’71

INDIANA Duke Golden, ’49 Darrow Owens, ’51 Norris Wright, ’59 Robert Roth, ’61 GEORGIA Lennart Bjerken, ’52 Robert Cook, ’74 IDAHO STATE Leroy Phillippi, ’56 BOWLING GREEN STATE Richard Parsel, ’50 William Mullen, ’67 Gregory Stout, ’73 HOBART Gary Sandstrom, ’62

EAST CAROLINA Stanley Roberson, ’60 William Carter, ’66 CENTRAL MICHIGAN Jim Lahmann, '65 BRADLEY Jeffrey Goetz, ’62 Rolf Hubert, ’62 William Bolas, ’64 William Wreath, ’66 Peter Roccaforte, ’87 Jeremy Ruck, ’89 EAST CENTRAL John Paul Lundry, ’01

NEBRASKA-KEARNEY Joseph Moroski, ’66 Whitney Clausen, ’90 TEXAS STATE Darrell Troppy, ’80 OLE MISS Harry Turner, ’69 BRYANT Thomas Burns, ’69 GEORGETOWN Kenneth Owen, ’70 Carl Hensley, ’70 Harrison Woodsmall, ’76 WRIGHT STATE Allen Mangira, ’14 NEW JERSEY Denis Naughter, ’94 LONGWOOD Bryan Good, ’01 INDIANA STATE Jeromy Glover, ’03

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WHY I GIVE

Brotherhood Fund

Q&A WITH JAMIE DAY, OHIO STATE ’89 Q: Do you remember your first contribution to the Phi Kappa Tau Foundation? If so, what compelled you to start giving?

A: I have always wanted to give back to the fraternity, but it wasn’t until I sold my business in 2015 that I was able to give a ‘meaningful’ gift. So in 2015 I began contributing $3,000 annually to the Phi Kappa Tau Foundation. The gift to the Foundation has now become a cornerstone of my annual charitable contribution plan.

Q: Have you historically given more toward the Foundation or to your chapter at The Ohio State University? And why do you sway one way or the other?

A: I give to the Foundation instead of Gamma Chapter of which I was a member. The thought process is simply that the Foundation has many different programs that allows it to allocate it base on the most specific need at a given time.

Q: Do you consider your gift society status when donating, or is that designation more of a perk that accompanies donations?

A: I don’t consider any of the status designations when giving, as

[30] THE LAUREL || MAY 2022

that really defeats the purpose of giving back. Of course it is nice to be recognized by my peers in hopes that they will follow suit in their giving plan, but it certainly does not drive the reason for my annual gift.

Q: Why is it important for you to donate to the Foundation?

A: The most important driving force behind my gifts to the Foundation is that it affords the opportunity for Phi Kappa Tau members of the future to continue benefitting in the manner that I benefitted as a fraternity member. The Foundation has created so many wonderful programs that allow Phi Kappa Tau to remain among the elite in the fraternity system.

Q: Do you have any parting words for alumni who are more reluctant to give to our Foundation?

A: Don’t think about it, just do it! If you believe that the fraternity experience helped contribute to who you have become as a person, spouse, parent, leader, mentor, etc. then showing your gratitude with an annual giving plan to the Phi Kappa Tau Foundation is a must.

FROM THE CEO

FROM THE CEO DIRECTORY LEADERSHIP MESSAGE

IMPACTING THE WORLD THROUGH GENERATIONS

T

he vision of our Fraternity is to be recognized as a leadership organization that binds men together and challenges them to improve their campuses and communities. After reading this edition of the Laurel, it would seem that vision (no matter the date when it was originally crafted) has been reached by brothers across chapters and generations of our organization. Just a high-level look at the work and accomplishments of the men listed in the STEM Hall of Fame reveals aeronautical, space and athletic shoe pioneers; a Nobel Prize winner who developed the MRI; an ahead of his time oncologist who later became President of the American Cancer Society; designers of defense products (Manhattan Project, and Wildcat, Hellcat & Avenger aircraft) that helped our country win WWII, and the co-inventor of “truth serum” (how fitting)!

Also highlighted are men who are at different levels of their careers — from Undergraduate STEM majors conducting research to those men in the feature article that are working to “Build the Future.” These men are constantly working to gain knowledge (note the quote from the Reyes brothers on pg. 17) in their chosen fields and find a way to impact campuses/communities and the world around them.

Throughout the stories that are being told, you also see the compassion that exists from our brothers. The spirit of giving back to those in need resonates through the work that Ron Kemp outlines in the “5 Minutes with” section (pg. 12) and in the work that brother Chris Heffernan has done to assist those who require joint replacement to improve their quality of life.

What an impressive collection of brothers and chapters to highlight! From my desk, it just seems natural to share these stories and bring this level of focus to our members who have been industry leaders and pushed to improve the world around them. Thank you to each of the highlighted brothers and chapters and to all of you who have helped to carry forward our Vision!

NATIONAL PRESIDENT Dale Holland Kent State ’87 dholland@phikappatau.org NATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT Barry Mask Auburn ’78 bmask@phikappatau.org FOUNDATION CHAIRMAN Buzz Green Ole Miss ’66 bgreen@phikappatau.org FOUNDATION VICE CHAIRMAN Warren Mattox Nebraska Wesleyan ’69 wmattox@phikappatau.org CEO Tim Hudson Truman State ’97 thudson@phikappatau.org

Additional contact information for the Executive Office staff, Fraternity National Council, Foundation Board of Trustees, National Advisors, Domain Directors, and Educational Deans can be found at phikappatau.org/contact.

Go Far,

WM. TIM HUDSON CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

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PHI KAPPA TAU FOUNDATION Ewing T. Boles Executive Offices 5221 Morning Sun Road Oxford, OH 45056

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID OXFORD, OH PERMIT # 13

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SUPPORT YOUR BROTHERS! The Laurel helps provide you with stories that share the highlights of the Fraternity experience today. We hope you have seen examples from this issue that compel you to support our brothers into the future.

PHIKAPPATAU.ORG/GIVE