Kansas Newsletter Spring 2025

TRIANGLE CHAPTER KANSAS ALUMNI

JAYHAWKER SPRING 2025

UPCOMING EVENTS

KANSAS CHAPTER

JAYHAWKER

Alumni Organization Realignment

APRIL 12, 2025 Founder’s Day Event at the Kansas Chapter House Fall 2025, TBD New Bylaws Adoption Fall 2025, TBD Alumni Banquet

Active Triangle Brothers at the House

The Kansas Chapter Alumni Organization is working on a comprehensive realignment of its structure to provide more opportunities for alumni to join the board and help shape the future of the organization.

Currently, the bylaws only structure the Corporation Board, which oversees the ownership of the house. In 2019, efforts were made to create an Alumni Advisory Board focused on providing mentorship and support for active officers.

The proposed changes, to be voted on in Fall 2025, aim to unite the Alumni Advisory Board and

Corporation Board under a single entity: the Alumni Organization of the Kansas Chapter of Triangle.

The new structure will include an Alumni Board, which will oversee and appoint members to two separate boards: a Housing Corporation Board and an Advisory Board.

This unified structure will drive a collaborative focus across all branches of the organization and create opportunities for alumni to get involved in different capacities.

Alumni Board members will be elected, while Housing Corporation and Advisory Board members will be appointed based on positions such as President, Vice President,

Secretary, Treasurer, and Members at Large.

This new structure will also introduce a system of checks and balances, ensuring that the three branches of the organization are working together in unison.

Volunteers will be needed to help with various responsibilities, including building alumni relations, fundraising for chapter projects, maintaining the chapter facility, mentoring active officers, and ensuring the organization’s financial health. Monthly one-hour meetings will be scheduled, and positions will focus on different aspects of the organization.

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SPRING 2025

From Triangle to Patent Law

By Justin Poplin

I pledged Triangle in the fall of my freshman year (19971998), and my four years in the House were invaluable. At the time, we had thirteen pledges and only six in-house actives, which immediately led to an increased amount of responsibility shared by all.

Just three years later, we had grown to around fifty members, all while maintaining the closeness of the smaller group.

After KU, I attended the University of Georgia School of Law and then worked as a patent attorney at a national firm based in Kansas City. The firm had a strong patent practice spread across the country, and I became a partner within seven years. A year later, I chaired its

JAYHAWKER

Intellectual Property Prosecution & Transactions department. I never turned away from opportunities or shirked responsibilities, and my earlier experiences as Rush Chair were especially helpful in building relationships and managing projects.

After growing tired of the direction the firm ultimately took, I left with two other attorneys to start our own firm just before COVID. We took six non-attorneys with us, and soon after, we began hiring additional staff. Five years later, our firm has grown to twenty-two attorneys, seven patent agents/engineers, and nine paralegals/administrative

personnel — a growth trajectory similar to the jump in membership I experienced during my Triangle days.

I’ve been fortunate to practice almost all aspects of patent and trademark law and to be recognized as a leader in my field by outside groups. I’m proud that some of the largest companies in the U.S. and abroad trust my firm to obtain and enforce patents and trademarks. I’m also proud that we provide great jobs at a respectable firm, attracting top talent with no turnover. These values closely align with those of the fraternity.

My wife, Irene, and I enjoy traveling for both work and pleasure (with and without kids), and we’ve been to four continents in the past six months. Some of our closest friends are fraternity brothers, and I always welcome phone calls.

Active Executive Board 2025 Kellen McGowan, President, Initiated Fall 2023 Paul Johnson, Vice President, Initiated Spring 2023 Sean Rodrigo, Recruitment, Initiated Spring 2024 Sean Sullivan (Sully), Treasurer, Initiated Spring 2024 Zachary Rostberg, Pledge Educator, Initiated Spring 2024 Jaiden Green, Social Chair, Initiated Fall 2022 Andrew Paget, Sergeant at Arms, Initiated Fall 2022 Adam Richardson, Secretary, Initiated Fall 2024

Brothers at Kansas Sporting Event

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SPRING 2025

JAYHAWKER

ACTIVE SPOTLIGHT

Kenny Brooks kan25 Civil Engineering Major

I joined Triangle because I was drawn to the welcoming and supportive environment it created, and I had a close friend who was already a part of it. From the beginning, I could see how strong the sense of brotherhood was, and I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. The friendships I’ve built and the connections I’ve made have had a lasting impact on my college experience. I truly enjoy the community that Triangle offers—it’s a place where I feel valued, supported, and constantly encouraged to grow both personally and professionally.

Arthur Conley kan25 Accounting Major

The boys were welcoming and laid back, and I wanted a place closer to campus to live.

Moving in with some of the most genuine folks I know has been an amazing experience.

The sense of camaraderie and support makes everyday life more enjoyable, whether we’re studying together, hanging out, or just sharing laughs. It’s more than just a place to stay—it’s a community that feels like home.

Dang Nguyen kan25 Mechanical Engineering Major Originally, I had no intention of joining a fraternity—I’m a reserved person and didn’t find the stereotypical fraternity lifestyle appealing. My focus in college was purely academic.

However, I happened to attend a Triangle recruitment event by chance and quickly realized that, at my university, Triangle was deeply rooted in academics. More important, its members were unique individuals with their own goals and values, not just copies of one another. They supported each other while also holding themselves accountable. It was their professionalism, honesty, and authenticity that convinced me to join.

SUPPORT KANSAS’ LEGACY

BY CONTRIBUTING TO OUR CHAPTER ENDOWMENT FUND

The Chapter Endowment Fund supports the development and training of a chapter’s active officers by providing funding for their participation and travel to Leadership Training Weekend. This retreat and training event focuses on developing key leadership skills while fostering both peer-topeer and mentorship relationships. Through this experience, active members can creatively problem-solve and work toward continuously improving their chapters.

Movie Night at the House

Consider making a donation to the Kansas Chapter Endowment Fund to help sustain this and other valuable training opportunities for active members.

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STAY CONNECTED LIKE US ON FACEBOOK

KANSAS CHAPTER

facebook.com/kutriangle

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM Instagram: @kutriangle

UPDATE US WITH YOUR INFO Update your contact information via Triangle Portal, at chapterspot.triangle.org

SUPPORT US WITH A GIFT Make a gift to the Kansas Chapter Endowment Fund!

Scan the QR code or use this link https://qrco.de/bfnjMJ

A Recipe for Community If you have been a member of the Kansas Chapter of Triangle Fraternity since 2011, you are familiar with a fixture of the house, Clint Countryman. He is known for serving up incredible meals and giving a bonus for all the members to gather together each night. From the formal days of escorting a House Mom to dinner to today’s casual style with a Graduate House Director, he has facilitated it.

His commitment has gone well beyond the food: he often ends up being a great listener and sharing his advice with members. This skill led to his proudest moment, “In 2021 the guys initiated me as an honorary member.

It was heartwarming and special.”

Clint is also a familiar presence at the chapter house on weekends, BBQing for tailgates.

Whenever there is a big event, the food always becomes the focal point, bringing everyone together. “My favorite part is the friendships I have developed with the actives over the years,” he shares.

As for his favorite meal to prepare? “It’s definitely the chicken carbonara. The guys ask for it all the time. The 32-pound burrito we made in 2016 was also pretty memorable.”

Fun fact: Since 2011, Clint has made over 32,400 meals for members.

Chef Clint Countryman