Virtual Speaker Series next Thursday, March 7th – Using the Psi U Archives to Increase Engagement!
Join the Psi U History and Archives Committee for an informative Q&A!
Speakers include Evan Terry, Epsilon Phi ’93 (McGill), John F.H. Ong, Gamma ’82 (Amherst), Joshua Rodgers, Phi Beta ’23 (William and Mary), and Jonathan Chaffin, Gamma Tau ’00 (Georgia Tech)
Attendees will learn:
– Where the archives are physically and virtually, what’s in them, and how you can access them!
– Strategies for using them to strengthen your chapter alumni base, for job searches, and for fun!
– A case study about using the archives to further personal research on early American Glee clubs.
– Ongoing projects of the History and Archives Committee and some things we’ve found.
– Using YOUR college library to get published in Reflections: A Journal of Psi Upsilon History and to learn about your chapter.
– What are History and Archives Weekends!
Special thank you to all the members of the History and Archives Committee!
2024 FishFund Venture Summit and Venture Presentations
You are cordially invited to our FishFund Venture Summit & Presentations Hear from thought leaders and investors in the innovation space and learn about new projects helmed by Psi Upsilon brothers.
Significant others and guests are welcome!
Wednesday, April 3rd, 2023. Coffee and Afternoon Sessions 2-5:30 Ticketed Reception and Presentations 6 PM – 9PM.
To qualify to present, the startup must have a fully developed and working product. A founder, C-Suite leader or key investor must be a Psi Upsilon brother.
Founded in 2021, the Psi Upsilon FishFund is designed to Honor, Support, Educate, and Facilitate the projects and skills of venture-minded brothers of Psi Upsilon. Learn more at www.psiu.org/fishfund/
MADE POSSIBLE BY GENEROUS SUPPORT OF OUR HOSTING BROTHERS
•Oliver V. Smith, Beta Alpha ’93 (Miami University of Ohio)
•Patrick J. Gilrane, Psi ’83 (Hamilton College)
•James T. Volpentest, Theta Theta ’90 (University of Washington),
•Joseph P. Cillo, PhD, Delta ’61 (New York University)
Make a Donation Here or Text GIVE to (317) 399-4318 to make a tax-deductible suggested donation of $25+ to the Foundation & support our programs, operations and outreach efforts like this.
PROGRAM INCLUDES
Speaker
2:00
Coffee and networking. Afternoon welcome
2:45-3:45
Free presentation: The Power & Magic of Humor: A Practicum
Karen Buchanan
4:00-5:30
Free presentation: AI for Everyday Use Everyone is talking about AI, but what can it really do for you? (Tips and practical Workshop)
Dr. Tamara Powell, PhD Jeanne Beatrix Law, PhD
5:45-9:00
Ticketed event and Reception begins
Welcome
Keynote
Risks, Opportunities, and Valuations in the Craft Beverage Distillation sector with a focus on Madrona Distillery
Tom Allan IV, Theta Theta 89‘ (Washington)
FishFund Alumni Company Updates
Jonathan Chaffin, GT’00
The Internet of Experiences: NFC infused clothing and art with and a focus on XtremeSignPost, Inc.
Dr. Monto H Kumagai (Joseph P. Cillo, PhD, Delta ’61 is a key partern)
The Power of Humor A Practicum Presentation by Karen Buchanan
About Karen Buchanan, ARM Public Speaker, Comedian, Workers' Compensation Claims Administrator
Karen Buchanan is a Community Leader, Public Agency Risk Management Professional, Historian, Public Speaker, Actor, History Tour Guide and Standup Comedian. She is very active with many local organizations in the Richmond Community, and is the incoming President of the Board of Directors of the Richmond Museum Association.
Karen has acted in local theater productions, including Shakespeare and musical comedy, and performs at Comedy Clubs around the Bay Area. She also produces a weekly Comedy Show at Kaleidoscope Coffee in Point Richmond.
Karen has given entertaining and educational presentations to the Point Richmond Business Association, the Richmond Public Library, Richmond Rotary, the Point Richmond History Association and the Richmond Museum Association. For the past 14 years, Karen has lead popular History Hikes around the Bay Area and launched her small business Urban History Hikes, LLC, in 2021.
In addition to her community volunteer activities and creative pursuits, Karen is the Claims Administrator for the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway & Transportation District, where she also serves on the Wellness Committee helping her fellow public employees get healthy. Karen lives in a charming historic cottage in Point Richmond with her energetic terrier Max.
AI for Everyday Use: Everyone is talking about AI, but what can it really do for you? Presentation by Dr. Tamara Powell & Dr. Jeanne Beatrix Law
Here's what you will get out of this workshop:
1. Step-by-step methods to use AI to create everything from custom recipes to grant proposals
2. A robust discussion of the ethical considerations of using AI—ethical sourcing for raw materials and ethical licensing
3. A foundational introduction to prompt engineering with no coding required!
4. Opportunities to try the prompt strategies and share results
5. Free physical ribbons (just for fun)
This session will include demonstrations and strategies that you can apply in the workshop and opportunities to take your AI explorations further in future workshops. Please join us for an informative and interactive session. Please bring your computers
About Dr. Tamara M. Powell Dr.Tamara M. Powell is a leading figure in the intersection of open educational resources (OER), technology, and accessibility within higher education. Serving as a faculty member at Kennesaw State University, her career is distinguished by a commitment to enhancing educational access and equity through innovative pedagogical practices and research. With a Ph.D. in American Literature from Bowling Green State University, Dr. Powell has skillfully merged her expertise in literature with her passion for educational technology, focusing her research and professional endeavors on the transformative potential of OER and digital learning environments. https://www.linkedin.com/in/tammy-powell-39673723/
About Jeanne Beatrix Law, Ph.D. Jeanne Beatrix Law serves as a Professor of English at Kennesaw State University, where her academic pursuits span teaching, research, and service with a focus on human-machine writing and digitizing historical civil rights rhetorics. Her research portfolio reflects a deep engagement with digital humanities and the educational applications of generative artificial intelligence. A significant aspect of her scholarly work involves the Atlanta Student Movement, of the 1960s. She has led the recovery and digital dissemination of more than 20 narratives central to the movement, blending technological tools with historical inquiry to illuminate this critical chapter of civil rights history. Her studies on civil rights rhetorics have been featured in Routledge, SIU, and Purdue University presses among others. Her trending work in generative AI includes articles with the University of Michigan Press as well as TheChronicle of Higher Education and broadcast media. This cross-pollination exemplifies her research on the intersection of technology, education, and social justice. Her work has garnered support from the Rich Foundation and The Teagle Foundation among others. She has served in advisory roles for Macmillan Education, the Council of Writing Program Administrators, and the CCCCs Research Network Forum. She has been appointed a faculty mentor for the AAC&U's Institute on AI Pedagogies. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanne-beatrix-law-phd-a05b2391/
Dr.Tamara M. Powell is a leading figure in the intersection of open educational
resources (OER), technology, and accessibility within higher education. Serving
as a faculty member at Kennesaw State University, her career is distinguished
by a commitment to enhancing educational access and equity through innovative
pedagogical practices and research. With a Ph.D. in American Literature from
Bowling Green State University, Dr. Powell has skillfully merged her expertise
in literature with her passion for educational technology, focusing her
research and professional endeavors on the transformative potential of OER and
digital learning environments. Recent publications include "Free is Good:
Designing and Implementing a Composition 1 Template Course with Help from an
Affordable Learning Georgia (ALG) Grant" (https://alg.manifoldapp.org/read/pedagogy-opened-v1-a6/section/f120c1e6-7820-46ba-b308-885ee99db179) with Jeanne Law in Pedagogy
Opened: Innovative Theory and Practice. Dahlonega, GA: University of North
Georgia Press. And Open Technical Communication (https://alg.manifoldapp.org/projects/open-technical-communication), coauthored with Tiffani Tijerina. Open Technical Communication is a freely available technical communication textbook that won the 2022 Open Education
Awards for Excellence, Open Reuse/Remix/Adaptation Category.
Dr. Powell currently lives in Atlanta with her partner Paul Travis and her three dogs--Cassie, Oliver, and Gertrude.
2024 FishFund Venture Evening Presentations
Risks, Opportunities, and valuations in the Craft Beverage Distillation sector with a focus on Madrona Distillery Presentation by Tom Allan IV, Theta Theta 89‘ (Washington)
Redmond, Washington’s first distillery is here!
We introduced our small batch dry gin in our tasting room and select Puget Sound retail and cocktail destinations in February 2024. Look for regular tasting room hours beginning in mid-March! Current offerings include Madrona Dry Gin and Vodka. Madrona Distillery is owned by Tom and Anne Allan of Kirkland and Orcas Island, Washington. The name is inspired by the beautiful madrona trees found growing wild along the shores of Puget Sound, and particularly in the San Juan and Gulf Island arhipelagos.
As head distiller, Tom leverages more than fifteen years of beverage industry experience and formal training from Scotland’s Heriot Watt University and the University of California – Davis.
About Tom Allan Tom is an executive leader and strategist with 20 years of experience analyzing, growing, and managing consumer product and technology companies. In addition to his management experience, he has held leadership roles in six M&A deals representing $60 million in transaction volume. His expertise in operational and financial business modelling has been utilized in several industries, from wine distribution to financial services.
The Internet of Experiences: NFC infused clothing and art with and a focus on XtremeSignPost, Inc. Presentation by Dr. Monto H Kumagai
XtremeSignPost, Inc. has developed methods to store, transfer, and recall information in a mobile setting in a secure fashion. Their radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is used to produce interactive art and clothing. In this process, customers personalize products using near field communication (NFC) cell phones. At a later point in time, they can touch the surface of the items with the NFC phone to retrieve, display, and share memories in the form of photos, videos, and music. XtremeSignPost provides an inclusive environment at live events with their interactive clothing. Their patented technology enables the audience to personalize clothing with memories in the form of photos, videos, and music. As the consumers laugh, dance, and sing they become part of the artistic experience and can capture these special moments in time using wearable technology. Mobile devices allow the participants the ability to disseminate their experiences via messaging and social networks. This process is part of The Internet of Experiences and is called consumer-based advertising. It is the wave of the future. Leave a message. Burn an impression. The issue is sharing experiences.
XtremeSignPost, Inc. was incorporated in the state of California July 20, 2007. It is a biotechnology company that has developed methods to store, transfer, and recall information in a mobile setting in a secure fashion (US patents 7598869 and 7843334). XtremeSignPost’s radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is used to produce and sell personalized, interactive art and clothing. Customers can touch the consumer products with near field communication (NFC) cell phones to retrieve, display, and share memories in the form of photos, videos, and music.
About Dr. Monto H. Kumagai Dr. Monto H. Kumagai is a graduate of UC Davis and has developed novel methods to produce compounds in plants for use in medicine. He has a background in molecular genetics, biotechnology, and bioinformatics. His research and business efforts involve combining NFC and ai technology together to open up lines of communication in medicine, music, and outdoor recreational sports.
Join us for a reception to recognize this years Social Impact Fellowship recipients and committee members.
In addition, January 5th will be the beginning of the 30th Archons’ Academy for Chapter Presidents, so you will have the opportunity to meet the leaders of our undergraduate chapters for 2024.
All Psi U alums and their guests are encouraged to attend this night of fellowship. Hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar will be available.
Join us for a special evening with architect Peter Weismantle (Eta ’72), who will present “Stories from a Life Designing Tall Buildings.” Significant others welcome!
Hosted by a generous brother of the Omega (University of Chicago), Alexander Senchak, Eta ’06 (Lehigh), President and Chair, Psi Upsilon Foundation
Peter A. Weismantle FAIA RIBA , Eta ’72 (Lehigh) is the Consulting Director Supertall Building Technology with Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture LLP . Join us for a discussion about the future of skyscrapers and stories about his current and future projects.
More about Peter.
Peter A. Weismantle, AS+GG’s Director of Technical Architecture, is responsible for overseeing the development of AS+GG’s challenging and complex projects from onset to completion. He works in collaboration with the project team to develop the design of such technical elements as the building envelope, vertical transportation, and life safety systems, and to assure compliance with applicable building codes and standards. He is a recognized authority on the technical aspects of the architecture of tall and complex buildings; both nationally and internationally.
Peter has led the technical architecture of many of AS+GG’s international projects including Jeddah Tower, Wuhan Greenland Tower, and Greenland Tower Chengdu, all of which are now under construction. Recently Peter led the technical architecture of Al Wasl Plaza, the centerpiece of Expo City Dubai, which features a 150-meter diameter domed trellis with an immersive projection experience and Uptown Tower, a new 190,000 sm 72-story mixed-use building also in Dubai.
Before joining AS+GG in 2008, Peter was an Associate Partner in the Chicago office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, where he served as Senior Technical Architect on several supertall towers, including Shanghai’s 88-story Jin Mao Tower and the 163-story, 828 meter (2,717 foot) tall Burj Khalifa, currently the world’s tallest building. He also collaborated on Ludgate Development, Broadgate Development and parts of Canary Wharf, all large mixed-use developments in London, as well as the 94-story Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago.
Peter is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat and the Façade Tectonics Institute. He is the past-Chairman of the Chicago Committee on High Rise Buildings, past-President of the Safety Glazing Certification Council, past-member of the Advisory Committee of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat and past-Chairman of the Height Committee, past-member of the Architectural Advisory Group of Underwriters Laboratories and member of the Otis Elevator Customer Advisory Board and the National Fire Prevention Association’s High Rise Building Safety Advisory Committee As well as a founding member of the Board of Directors of the Façade Tectonics Institute.
This meeting will not be recorded to encourage candor.
MADE POSSIBLE BY GENEROUS SUPPORT OF OUR BROTHERS
Make a Donation Here or Text GIVE to (317) 399-4318 to make a tax-deductible suggested donation of $25+ to the Foundation & support our programs, operations and outreach efforts like this.
Keynote & Moderator
Andy Serwer Kappa ’81 (Bowdoin)
Andy Serwer is Editor at Large at Barron’s, covering a wide range of topics. Prior to Barron’s, he led Yahoo Finance’s editorial team for nearly eight years. He spent 29 years with Fortune Magazine, rising to the position of managing editor, and was the business news anchor of CNN’s American Morning from 2000-2006. Serwer is the 2020 winner of the Elliott V. Bell Award for financial journalism which honors journalists who have made a significant contribution to the field.
He’s interviewed high-profile business leaders and influencers including Bill Gates, Mark Cuban, Warren Buffett, Meg Whitman, Sheryl Sandberg, Michael Dell, Dick Parsons, Valerie Jarrett, Steve Ballmer, Gary Vaynerchuk, Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Alba, Haim Saban, Roger Ferguson, Jamie Dimon, Ambassador Samantha Power, Former National Security Advisor Susan Rice.
For eight years he was the managing editor of Fortune—the longest service of any editor since the 1980s—and worked at Time Inc for 29 years. As Managing editor of FORTUNE Serwer was responsible for overseeing FORTUNE magazine and FORTUNE.com, as well as FORTUNE digital media and FORTUNE’s conferences.
Serwer has been a regular guest on MSNBC’S Morning Joe and CNBC’s Squawk Box and many other TV and radio programs. From 2001 to 2006 he served as the business anchor for CNN’s American Morning. He reported all business news on the network in
the morning, and reported live on air all manner of developing stories, and worked daily with anchors Paula Zahn, Soledad O’Brien, Miles O’Brien, Bill Hemmer, Anderson Cooper and many others to produce CNN’s morning business news. Serwer also co-anchored and helped produce “Minding Your Business,” a weekend TV news program with Jack Cafferty.
From 1997 through 2006, Serwer wrote the groundbreaking business news blog,
“Streetlife,” one of the first daily digital newsletters covering the world of finance and business. Iconoclastic, irreverent and widely read, “Streetlife” influenced an entire generation of digital journalists.
Serwer joined FORTUNE in 1985 as an intern from Columbia Journalism School and went on to cover and edit Wall Street, Washington, investing, information technology and entertainment for the magazine. In 2000, TJFR Business News Reporter named him
Business Journalist of the Year. In a Talk of the Town piece about him, The New Yorker called Serwer “perhaps the nation’s top multimedia talent, successfully juggling the roles of serious journalist, astute commentator and occasional court jester.” Among his many accomplishments, Serwer oversaw the relaunch and redesign of FORTUNE’s magazine and website and led a major expansion of its conference division. Under Serwer’s leadership, FORTUNE won numerous Loeb, Deadline Club and SABEW awards, among others.
He holds degrees from Bowdoin College, BA 1981, Emory University, MBA 1984, and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, MS 1985. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of Bowdoin College. He is an Emory University Goizueta School of Business Presidential Fellow. Serwer received Emory University Goizueta School of Business Distinguished Alumni Award 2014. Serwer is the proud father of two daughters; Katie and Emily. He is a resident of New York City and Georgetown, Maine, is a seasoned world traveler and enjoys swimming, running, and all things outdoors.
Andy Serwer Kappa ’81 (Bowdoin)
Andy Serwer at Yahoo on Oct 10, 2018 in New York. Photos by Gino DePinto, Oath
Larry Rakers is a portfolio manager and group leader at Strategic Advisers LLC, a registered investment adviser and a Fidelity Investments company. Fidelity Investments is a leading provider of investment management, retirement planning, portfolio guidance, brokerage, benefits outsourcing, and other financial products and services to institutions, financial intermediaries, and individuals.
In this role, Mr. Rakers is the lead asset allocation portfolio manager for Portfolio Advisory Services Accounts, and works closely with the lead portfolio managers for Portfolio Advisory Services Accounts – Tax-Sensitive Accounts and Workplace Managed Accounts* to ensure asset allocation consistency.
Prior to assuming his current position in January 2014, Mr. Rakers was a portfolio manager at Fidelity Management & Research Company, LLC (FMR Co.). From 2008 to 2013, he managed the Fidelity Dividend Growth Fund, Fidelity Advisor Dividend Growth Fund, VIP Balanced Fund, and Pyramis SAI Core Dividend Growth Fund. Prior to that, he managed Fidelity Advisor Balanced Fund from 2005 to 2008, Fidelity Balanced Fund from 2002 to 2008, and Fidelity Convertible Securities Fund from 2001 to 2002. Previously, Mr. Rakers worked as an analyst at FMR Co., where he covered various industries and managed multiple funds from 1993 to 2001.
Before joining Fidelity, he was a project engineer at Loral Corporation from 1986 to 1993. He has been in the financial industry since 1993.
Mr. Rakers earned his bachelor of science and master of science degrees in metallurgical engineering from the University of Illinois and his master of business administration degree from Northeastern University. He is also a Certified Financial Planner® (CFP).
John Thaler Omega ’97 (University of Chicago)
Founder and Portfolio Manager at JAT Capital Management, L.P.
Mr. Dell'Aquila is a Managing Director at Brookside Equity Partners. He focuses on all aspects of the investment activities of Brookside Equity Partners. Mr. Dell'Aquila commenced his professional relationship with The Brookside Group through the review and sponsorship of certain private equity co-investment opportunities. Prior to joining Brookside Equity Partners, he was a Managing Director at Parallel Investment Partners, a middle market private equity firm in Dallas, TX, where he was involved in sourcing, evaluating, structuring, managing and exiting several private equity investments. Before joining Parallel, Mr. Dell'Aquila was a Principal at Southfield Capital Advisors, a Greenwich, CT-based lower-middle market private equity firm, where he helped execute the firm’s investment strategy.
Prior to joining Southfield, Mr. Dell'Aquila was a Research Analyst and member of the investment team at Sasco Capital, a $3.5 billion special situations public equity fund. Earlier in his career, Mr. Dell'Aquila was the Director of Finance & Corporate Development for Pangea, Ltd, a private equity-funded telecommunications company. Mr. Dell'Aquila started his career as a Financial Analyst in the leveraged finance group at Bear, Stearns. Mr. Dell'Aquila graduated from Hamilton College where he received a B.A. in Economics. He also studied at Oxford University.
AgileBrain Presentation by Jon Penrose - guest of Alex Senchak, Eta '06 (Lehigh)
AgileBrain is a breakthrough emotional / motivational measurement technology that addresses two trillion dollar problems: mental health & wellbeing and employee engagement. AgileBrain's image-based exercise is gamified to drive high engagement and highly efficient to capture 144 data points in just 3 minutes. This data is highly correlated with critical indicators of engagement and wellbeing, like depression, loneliness, trauma, burnout and retention. The technology has been validated in 6 large-scale studies, 6 peer-reviewed articles, and extensive beta testing.
AgileBrain is in the market already serving practitioners and building partnerships. Mental health counselors, coaches and consultants are paying to use the AgileBrain SaaS platform in support their work with individuals, groups and organizations. AgileBrain also integrates its proprietary technology and algorithm with partners to deliver greater insight, personalization and predictive power. Pilots are underway in key target markets, including corporations, colleges, military and marketing information.
We are looking for help in 4 areas:
Introductions - We are looking for introductions to corporate, academic and other leaders who are motivated to address wellbeing in their organizations
Investors - We are raising a $1 million convertible note round and would welcome your participation or introductions to potential investors
Advice - We are recruiting senior advisors with specific knowledge in mental health, SaaS business and marketing
Visibility - We are looking for high profile individuals who support our mission and can help raise our visibility
Addison Morse, Psi '16
Presentation 2
THIA Presentation by Board Member, Advisor, Former Director Andrew H. Arnold, E.A. M.B.A. Lambda ’09 ( Columbia)
A B2B Copilot platform to manage AI for business uses. THIA goes beyond just using LLMs, but dynamically ties to your data streams, providing contextualised responses that understand your business needs. This radical new philosophy of using generative models in AI copilots: cuts development costs; maintains & updates without retraining; and meets military security and privacy requirements. We currently have Boeing, Booz Allen, the DoD, Hugh Kaul Medicine Institute, and US Chamber of Commerce using our technology, with Deloitte, Siemens, and Ankura pending LoI. We are cash flow positive, starting our new funding round to support development and aggressively go-to-market as the definitive AI Copilot platform.
We are looking for help in the following areas: We are raising $20 Million, and are looking for investors and strategic partners on our growth journey. Specifically, we are looking for interested partners in aviation, finance, and other verticals with vast corpi of regulations that regularly get revamped.
Schedule a Meeting with Andrew andrew.h.arnold@gmail.com
Golf and Reception (Includes special PsiU golf mementos)
$1,100
Discounted Foursome Golf & Reception Includes above for each player plus embroidered shirt for foursome “captain”
$315
Discounted rate available for Founders Society Members
$85
Reception only
$1,500
Corporate Sponsorship
The 18-hole, Robert Trent Jones, Senior-designed golf course at Tuxedo is consistently praised as being one of the most beautiful and challenging courses in the New York metropolitan area.
In August 2022, the Club completed a multi-million-dollar renovation of its historic course which included the creation of a new short game practice area, a new 9th hole, the renovation of all fairway and greenside bunkers, and the re-grassing of all necessary green surrounds.
Guests welcome. Caddies available per foursome. Ticket includes all special Psi U golf gear, greens fees, cart rental, and open bar reception. We are investigating embroidered Psi U golf polos and caps for advance purchase as well. Two corporate sponsorship advertising opportunities available with proceeds defraying event costs and benefiting under-endowed Psi Upsilon scholarships and increasing award amounts.
Special thanks to Doug Hahn, Omega ‘89 (Chicago) for hosting.
Easily accessible from greater NYC/Northern NJ area. Newark airport is about 1 hour away.
Jeremy McKeon Eta, ’08 (Lehigh) President of the Executive Council
Given by the Executive Council President Jeremy McKeon, Eta ’08 (Lehigh), to the Convention attendees, the Annual Communication of the Executive Council reports on the state of the Fraternity and addresses issues to be dealt with by the Convention.
Alex Senchak Eta, ’06 (Lehigh) President and Chairman of the Foundation
The Report of the Chairman of the Foundation, Alex Senchak, Eta ’06 (Lehigh), captures the state of the Foundation and the work being done to support the educational goals of the Fraternity.
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
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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
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.
Join brothers from the History and Archives committee and others who are interested in the history of Psi Upsilon and travel to Indianapolis in Sept to work on organizing and cataloging the archives. For those unfamiliar with the archives, they currently occupy several storage units and contain material dating back to the founding of Psi Upsilon. Organizing them is a daunting task, to say the least.
The Psi Upsilon History & Archives committee was created last year and charged with researching the materials in our archives, sharing stories with our brotherhood, and preserving and making the archives accessible for research.
Committee Chair and Psi U Archivist Evan W. Terry, Epsilon Phi ’93 (McGill University) said it best: “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” During this work weekend we will continue better organizing the archives, make improvements to storage, and assess needs going forward.
Again, we are so thankful for all the time the committee spent on this important work.
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!
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!)
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:
The Scholarship Announcement Keynote presentation by Mark DiPasquale, Pi ’88 (Syracuse)
The President’s Circle Annual Giving recognition
Announcing Jay Riemenschnieder, Beta Alpha ’90 (Miami Ohio) joining the Foundation Staff
Foundation Grants and Stipends
Creation of the Charles Hall, Nu Alpha ’71 (Washington & Lee) Fund
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.
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!
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!
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.
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!
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
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
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
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.
