Annual Communication of Executive Council

Annual Communication of the Foundation

Executive Council & Foundation Directors for 2023-24

We would like to thank Brighten Meade, Phi Beta ’21 (William & Mary) for his work on the Executive Council last year, and welcome new term member, Steven Malinski, Epsilon Iota ’09 (RPI) who was elected for a one year term.

The 2023-24 Officers of the Executive Council were also installed at the Annual Meeting:
Jeremy McKeon, Eta ’08 (Lehigh), President
James Platner, Phi Delta ’10 (Mary Washington), Vice President
David Hollis, Gamma Tau ’11 (Georgia Tech), Secretary
Timothy Zepp, Chi Delta ’08 (Duke), Treasurer and President-elect

For a full list of members of the Executive Council please go here

The Officers of the Foundation were also appointed for the 2023-24 year:
Alex Senchak, Eta ’06 (Lehigh), Chairman
Matthew Eckenrode, Epsilon Nu ’04 (Michigan State), Vice Chairman
J. Martin Brayboy, Gamma ’84 (Amherst), Secretary
John Ong, Gamma ’82 (Amherst), Treasurer

For a full list of the Directors of the Foundation please go here

2023-24 Undergraduate Advisory Board Members

Another important business item at our Convention is the election of two brothers to the Undergraduate Advisory Board (UAB). This board serves to facilitate input from the undergraduate chapters to our Executive Council. We’d like to congratulate Ethan Francoeur, Delta Omicron ’24 (Purdue), and Isaac Lam, Theta Theta ’25 (Washington), on being the elected representatives for the 2023-24 Academic Year.

The 2023 Leadership Institute Curriculum

The keynote of the 2023 Summer Leadership Institute was Dr. Michael Dunphy who led a workshop on Situational Leadership and how to best lead given your individual skill set. Dr. Dunphy is a trained martial arts instructor and his highly interactive session incorporates martial arts with practical applications to help explain emotional intelligence, conflict resolution and leading highly effective teams in an engaging way. Dr. Dunphy currently serves as the VP for Academic Affairs at Walsh University and is a leadership coach who has worked with many companies and sports teams in his professional career.

The Psi U History and Archives Committee gave a presentation on the founding of the Gamma Tau Chapter at Georgia Tech and its prior locations through the current house it owns today led by Heather Burns Edmisten, Gamma Tau ’02 and Jonathan Chaffin, Gamma Tau ’00. International Office Staff reviewed programs and current operations, Psi Upsilon’s policies, and engagement opportunities. We also continued our roundtable programs and had discussions focused on recruitment, diversity and inclusion, utilizing the connects grant, chapter services programming, the Psi U Cares Program, and more.

In addition, after soliciting feedback from attendees, we had roundtable discussion groups covering topics asked for by the members; including recruitment, diversity and inclusion, the Psi U Cares Program, alumni fundraising, and more. You can read a more detailed summary of our programming and topics here.

Convention Photos

You can view the photos of the 179th Convention on our Flickr account album for the Convention. Thank you to Steve Malinski, Epsilon Iota ’09 (RPI) who served as our Convention Photographer and Tuna Ergan, Gamma Tau ’23 (Georgia Tech) for assisting.

179th Convention Awards Banquet

One of the most meaningful pieces of our annual gathering is our Awards Banquet where we are able to honor both individuals and chapters for their outstanding accomplishments to Psi Upsilon. We had the honor of Charles M. Hall ESQ, Nu Alpha ’71 (Washington & Lee University) as the keynote speaker to close our convention. Chuck is a former president of the Psi Upsilon Executive Council and Foundation and a recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Service Award for his ongoing service with the Psi Upsilon Society of Georgia, including being instrumental in purchasing the Gamma Tau Chapter House.

This year we had three additional alumni in attendance who were able to receive their medallions for the Distinguished Alumni Service Award along with Brother Hall: Robert McIntire, Omicron ’68 (Illinois), Jesse Scherer, Gamma Tau ’05 (Georgia Tech), and David Hollis, Gamma Tau ’11 (Georgia Tech). You can read more about the award and their impact on Psi Upsilon here.

In addition, chapters were recognized for Garnet and Gold Award for Academic Excellence, The Owl Award for Exceptional Academic Performance, the Clasped Hand Award for Outstanding Philanthropy and Service, the Award of Distinction and the Diamond Award for Exceptional Chapters was presented to the Gamma Tau Chapter at Georgia Tech. You can view all chapter award winners here.

179th Convention Records

Over the weekend Convention delegates split into five committees to discuss the work of the fraternity, these committees are: Nominations and Credentials, Awards, Budget and Development, Unfinished Business and New Business. The Convention Records below document the actions taken by the 179th Convention.

You can also view an updated Psi Upsilon Constitution and the policies of the Fraternity on our website here and view the 179th Convention Binder – which includes items on the Fraternities Budget, Membership Statistics, Chapter Reports and more.

2022 Annual Impact Report

Thanks to many volunteers, the Foundation has been able to create exceptional opportunities as showcased in the following pages. A portion of those who we engage with in 2022 have returned after years or even decades of time away from brotherhood activities. It is a joy to bring them back into our programs and build new relationships and find new ways for them to share their expertise, nurture personal interests, and be inspired by other each other. We now turn to grow our relationships and look through these annual and more frequent programs, stay connected through these long-form journalistic publications and convene more forums for substantive discussion and deeper connection. We are indebted to our generous community of donors who play such an important role in supporting the Foundation’s work to make Psi Upsilon a place of connection, joy, renewal, and inspiration!
2022 Impact Report

Visit this page to learn more about how you can support our programs.

Final Weeks! Oral History Project Continues

This is your last chance to be a part of the Psi Upsilon Oral History Project, led by Publishing Concepts Inc. (PCI). This project will let us hear the unique experience from all our members, and also help update information and ensure your connection to Psi Upsilon remains strong.

The stories will be packaged in a book that is available for purchase and will live on forever in the history of our organization. Can you attribute your success to Psi Upsilon? Did a brother leave a lasting impact on you? What tales of leadership and camaraderie that brought the chapter together can you share with our younger brothers? All of these moments make up Psi Upsilon, and we want to hear them.

We urge every alum to please participate! It costs no money to share your story and you are under no obligation to purchase a book! Submissions close at the end of the month so please be sure to call 855-376-5979 today and share your story. To learn more details about the project visit here

The History and Archives committee has recently redesigned and expanded the presentation of the digital archives on Psi’s website. Go take a look!
If you would like to get involve with the committee, or have a research project about a chapter or brother, contact jonathan@psiu.org.

Speaker Series

Live via ZOOM webinar: Register Here

Bridging the divide: How best to honor one another as we engage in civil/political discourse. A fireside chat on engaging civil political discourse with Rt. Rev. Mark Beckwith, Gamma ’73 (Amherst)

The author of Seeing the Unseen: Beyond Prejudices, Paradigms and Party Lines, Mark Beckwith is a co-founder of Bishops United Against Gun Violence, and a leader in Braver Angels, a national movement to depolarize America. He is passionate about helping people move beyond the confines of their political and religious silos in order to find common ground. He is a graduate of Amherst College and Yale Divinity School. A retired bishop in the Episcopal Church (Diocese of Newark, NJ), he is an avid hiker, tennis player and competitive swimmer. He lives in Jaffrey, New Hampshire. He blogs weekly on markbeckwith.net

Have a perspective or expertise to share? ♦ NOW BOOKING speakers for the 2023-24 Virtual Speaker Series
Direct inquiries to Director of Member Engagement Jonathan Chaffin jonathan@psiu.org

Annual Fund Updates

Please check to see if your company does Donation Matching for 501c3s. (Google, The Home Depot, Microsoft, and many more match 50 to 100%, some up to 500%!).
https://doublethedonation.com/psiufoundation

Thank you to everyone who made a gift in 2023! Check out donors from your chapter here!
You can view the 2022 Founder’s Society Members here.

In Memoriam

See a listing of brothers whose passing has been reported to us since July 2022.

Upcoming Events

Click event title for more details 09.23.23 – Phi (Michigan) Homecoming 10.20.23 – Phi Beta (College of William & Mary) Homecoming 10.21.23 – Omicron (Illinois) Homecoming 10.28.23 – Virtual Speaker Series – Ret. Rev. Mark Beckwith, Gamma ’73 11.04.23 – Chi Delta (Duke University) 50th Anniversary Reunion Weekend 11.10.23 – Theta Theta (Washington) Founders’ Day 11.24.23 – Zeta Zeta (University of British Columbia) Founder’s Day Dinner 12.07.23 – Gilrane Economic Symposium – Greenwich, CT Click here for a complete list of Psi U events. If you’re interested in sponsoring an event in your area or to have your event listed in the calendar please email Director of Engagement Jonathan Chaffin (jonathan@psiu.org).

Have news to pass along? We’d love to hear from you! Please contact Executive Director Thomas Fox (tfox@psiu.org) with anything you would like to share.

© 2023 Psi Upsilon Fraternity

2023 Outstanding Juniors and Griffin Award Winners Announced

Psi Upsilon has a tradition of recognizing upperclassmen who go above and beyond in their service to Psi Upsilon with the Outstanding Junior and Griffin Awards. Each chapter selects the recipients of this award and reports them to the International Office. You can click on the images below to read more about the award and see a photo gallery of the recipients. We would like to thank these outstanding individuals for their dedication and service to Psi Upsilon Fraternity and their respective chapters!

Social Impact Fellowship Applications Open

For 3 years the Psi Upsilon Social Impact Fellowship initiative has provided funds and development opportunities for some of our brightest lights striving for a better society. We’re excited to continue this initiative and announce applications for the 23-24 Social Impact Fellowship are open.

The fellowship is granted to support the professional leadership development of emerging leaders striving for the common good. The fellowship is appropriate for brothers working or volunteering in the environmental, education, social equality, medical, and related fields for good of society (including chapter advisors needing training!)  

Make Nominations, meet more of our Fellows, and Apply here

Spring 2023 Garnet Report Published

The Psi Upsilon Foundation published their 2023 Garnet Report, an annual publication reviewing programs of the Foundation and a listing on contributors to the Annual Fund. 

Articles Include:

1. The Scholarship Announcement Keynote presentation by Mark DiPasquale, Pi ’88 (Syracuse)
2. The President’s Circle Annual Giving recognition
3. Announcing Jay Riemenschnieder, Beta Alpha ’90 (Miami Ohio) joining the Foundation Staff
4. Foundation Grants and Stipends
5. Creation of the Charles Hall, Nu Alpha ’71 (Washington & Lee) Fund
6. The 2023 Fishfund Venture Summit
7. Donors to the 2022 Annual Fund

You can view the Spring 2023 Garnet Report online here.

All donors who are a Gold Member of the Founder’s Society and above receive printed copies of all the Psi Upsilon Foundation Publications – if you would like to make your gift and support Psi Upsilon please do so here.

Oral History Project Continues

Psi Upsilon has partnered with Publishing Concepts (PCI) to undertake a massive Oral History Project. This project will let us hear the unique experience from all our members, and also help update information and ensure your connection to Psi Upsilon remains strong.

The stories will be packaged in a book that is available for purchase and will live on forever in the history of our organization. Can you attribute your success to Psi Upsilon? Did a brother leave a lasting impact on you? What tales of leadership and camaraderie that brought the chapter together can you share with our younger brothers? All of these moments make up Psi Upsilon, and we want to hear them.

We understand that it’s not everyday that you receive a post card or an email asking you to call a number to verify your information and share your Psi U story – so to put you at ease, we’ve compiled some frequently asked questions below that should help to clarify the process. But we urge every alum to please participate! It costs no money to share your story and you are under no obligation to purchase a book!

To call and share your story use this toll free number: 855-376-5979. To learn more details about the project visit here

From the Archives: Psi U and the First NFL Draft

Jay Berwanger, Omega ’36 (Chicago), has a storied football history with the Chicago Maroons where he earned the nickname “The One Man Team”. While his position was officially halfback, he played all over the field even handling some of the kicking duties. His senior year he rushed for 577 yards, passed for 405, returned kickoffs for 359 and added five PATs. All his accomplishments led him to be the Big Ten Most Valuable Player, a unanimous All-American, and was the first recipient of the Downtown Athletic Club trophy in 1935 – which was renamed the Heisman Trophy in 1936. In addition, he was the first player ever chosen in an NFL Draft!
Read more about his career and influence here!

Doug Jackman, Omega ’89 and Ken Ono, Omega ’89, Honored by University of Chicago

The University of Chicago has a long tradition of honoring distinguished and committed alumni who have shaped the world and strengthened their global alumni community. This year two Omega brothers from the same class were recognized for their contributions: Doug Jackman, Omega ’89 received a 2023 Alumni Service Medal and Ken Ono, Omega ’89 received a 2023 Professional Achievement Award.

Read more here!

2023-24 Scholarship Recipients & Keynote

We’d like to congratulate the 30 brothers from 16 chapters who received scholarships for the 2023-24 Academic Year from the Psi Upsilon Foundation, including four graduate awards! Below is the list of recipients based on their award.

We held an online announcement for the Scholarship recipients on May 4th hosted by the Psi Upsilon Foundation’s Chair and President, Alex Senchak, Eta ’06 (Lehigh), and our keynote speaker Mark DiPasquale, Pi ’88 (Syracuse), offered comments on how Psi Upsilon has positively affected his life. You can view that speech in the video below.

We would like to thank all the generous donors to the Annual Fund and everyone who has helped make these named scholarships possible. Since 1959 The Psi Upsilon Foundation has awarded over 1.2 million dollars in scholarships to our members because of the generosity of our donors!

See all our winners
Watch Keynote

Speaker Series

Have a perspective or expertise to share? ♦ NOW BOOKING speakers for the 2023-24 Virtual Speaker Series
Direct inquiries to Director of Member Engagement Jonathan Chaffin jonathan@psiu.org

Annual Fund Updates

Please check to see if your company does Donation Matching for 501c3s. (Google, The Home Depot, Microsoft, and many more match 50 to 100%, some up to 500%!).
https://doublethedonation.com/psiufoundation

Thank you to everyone who made a gift in 2023! Check out donors from your chapter here!
You can view the 2022 Founder’s Society Members here.

In Memoriam

See a listing of brothers whose passing has been reported to us since July 2022.

Upcoming Events

Click event title for more details 07.28 – 07.31.2023 179th Psi Upsilon Convention July 28th – July 31st, 2023 Atlanta Sheraton Downtown Atlanta, GA Hosted by the Gamma Tau chapter Register Here 09.23.23 Phi (Michigan) Homecoming – Save the Date 10.21.23 Omicron (Illinois) Homecoming – Save the Date 11.04.23 Chi Delta (Duke University) 50th Anniversary Reunion Weekend Details Here Click here for a complete list of Psi U events. If you’re interested in sponsoring an event in your area or to have your event listed in the calendar please email Director of Engagement Jonathan Chaffin (jonathan@psiu.org).

Have news to pass along? We’d love to hear from you! Please contact Executive Director Thomas Fox (tfox@psiu.org) with anything you would like to share.

© 2023 Psi Upsilon Fraternity