Join us on Wednesday, February 22nd at 7PM Eastern, for a Virtual Roundtable on Alumni Relations and Engagement. This meeting will cover how we communicate with our alumni (newsletters, social media, and email), plan events, and otherwise work with our alumni body. Whether you have an engaged alumni association or are just building one, we’ll have answers to your questions and give you valuable tips as you plan how to better engage with your members and ask all of you what is working in your chapter. These virtual roundtables are an outgrowth of our monthly town halls and come from feedback from chapter presidents to better engage our undergraduate leadership.
Our target audience are Alumni Relations Chairs and Chapter Secretaries (Epistolographos and Grammateus) as they often oversee correspondence, but this session is for anyone who would like to increase alumni engagement in their chapter.
Steven Malinski, Epsilon Iota ’09 (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) was recently appointed to a vacant seat on Executive Council until the 178th Psi Upsilon Convention. Steve received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from RPI and then Master of Engineering Degree in Civil & Environmental Engineering from Cornell University in 2011. He has worked up to a senior lead structural engineer in the nuclear power industry at Indian Point Energy Center since graduating from Cornell and is currently helping with major decommissioning projects at the plant.
Steve initiated into Psi Upsilon in the Fall of 2007, and has been engaged with the chapter ever since. His involvement in Greek Life extends beyond Psi U and he served as a live in advisor to Sigma Pi Fraternity while attending grad school at Cornell. In the last few years he has greatly assisted Psi Upsilon by serving as our official convention photographer in 2019 and 2022.
Steve is an writer and photographer for NYSMusic.com and also hosts radio shows for WVBR 93.5 in Ithaca and WRPI 91.5 in Troy, NY. You can view his personal photography on his Facebook page.
In 1853 Yale University printed “Songs of Yale”, which is known as the oldest college songbook in the United States. But four years before that, also printed in New Haven, CT, Psi Upsilon printed its first songbook in 1849 – making it not only the first fraternity songbook, but also the first college songbook in the United States!
The original Psi Upsilon Songbook was a pamphlet of sixteen pages, containing no music, and only 9 songs. By 1891 the Tenth Edition of the Songbook had over 170 Psi Upsilon songs and music for each!
The nucleus of the original songbook included five songs written by Francis M. Finch, Beta ’49, (Yale), who was a judge, poet, and academic. In fact, the 1858 Yale college songbook was dedicated to Brother Finch “Whose name is inseparably connected with the music of Yale”. The most notable song from this collection, which is still sung at Psi U Conventions regularly, is “The Psi Upsilon Smoking Song”. The four other songs in the songbook have no authors attributed to them.
The Greek Housing Conference is a great resource for all alumni volunteers and the programming goes beyond just managing a facility and includes topics such as: volunteer engagement, finance and fundraising, and risk management trends.
You can view the website for the 2023 Conference Here, including a schedule and registration link: https://www.mygreekgift.org/GHC
Registration is free for the conference, in addition Psi Upsilon will pay all hotel costs (1 room for up to 2 people) per chapter alumni association / house corporation for volunteers arriving outside of the Atlanta area for Friday and Saturday night.
If you are attending and interested in a hotel room please fill out this form. We have reserved some rooms at the Hampton Inn adjacent to the Student Center at Georgia Tech (where the conference will be held).
On Saturday evening, after the conference, we’ll have a group dinner for all Psi U’s who attended to better connect with one another.
Join us on Wednesday, April 12th at 8PM Eastern, for a Virtual Roundtable on Recruitment. This meeting will bring recruitment chairs and our Director of Growth, Travis Smith, together to discuss what tactics are working to attract new members on our campus, summer recruitment strategy, and what we are planning for the Fall. Don’t make the mistake of waiting until next year to start making your recruitment plans, a successful rush is often the result of planning and organization. These virtual roundtables are an outgrowth of our monthly town halls and come from feedback from chapter presidents to better engage our undergraduate leadership.
Our target audience are past and future Recruitment Chairs and any member who is passionate about seeing their chapter grow – in both quality and quantity.
Meeting ID: 317 805 1056 One tap mobile +13017158592,,3178051056# US (Washington DC) +13052241968,,3178051056# US
Dial by your location +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 305 224 1968 US +1 309 205 3325 US +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 646 931 3860 US +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) +1 669 444 9171 US +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) +1 689 278 1000 US +1 719 359 4580 US +1 253 205 0468 US +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 360 209 5623 US +1 386 347 5053 US +1 507 473 4847 US +1 564 217 2000 US Meeting ID: 317 805 1056 Find your local number: https://mattisoncorp.zoom.us/u/kd1q7Z8HWU
The Psi Upsilon Foundation’s Social Impact Fellowship Program provides up to $10,000 in annual grants for the professional development of leaders in social-impact driven professions.
The fellowship program helps brothers transition into public service jobs and assume volunteer leadership positions at any point in their careers. Among other things, fellowship grants can be used to attend conferences and seminars, courses, to help build professional networks and gain corporate governance, financial management, strategic planning, fundraising, human resources, and conflict resolution skills. In addition to providing direct financial support, the fellowship program recognizes brothers who have made outstanding contributions to society and encourages members of different cohorts to learn about each other’s work.
The recipients for 2022-23 were announced recently and began their cohort sessions in November. The recipients for this year can be found below:
Founder of More Than Bootstraps; Professor of English at New Jersey City University
New Jersey
2022 GAMMA CHAPTER CORPORATION SENIOR FELLOW
2022-23
Dr. Elizabeth Andresen
Chi Delta ’04 (Duke)
Adult and Pediatric Neuropsychologist
Indianapolis
2022 DR. SAMUEL FAGER, TAU ‘81 SENIOR FELLOW
2022-23
Devon Trotter
Phi Beta ’06 (William & Mary)
Equitable Sustainability Coach
Washington DC
2022 FISHFUND SENIOR FELLOW
2022-23
Dr. Alison Munzer, Ph.D.
Gamma ‘09 (Amherst)
Postdoctoral Scholar at UC Irvine School of Education
California
2022 GAMMA CHAPTER CORPORATION FELLOW
2022-23
Christopher Lawrence Tang, ESQ
Gamma Tau ’01 (Georgia Tech)
Chief Editor of the L.I.N.C. Organization and Freelance Writer
Georgia
2022 SOCIAL IMPACT FELLOW
The 2022-23 Social Impact Fellowship Cohort.
“Public service is a hallmark of Psi Upsilon. Our brothers have included presidents, prime ministers, Supreme Court justices, cabinet secretaries, diplomats, members of Congress and philanthropists, not to mention thousands of outstanding men and women who have taken on less visible, but highly significant leadership roles in their communities. This important new initiative helps ensure Psi Upsilon’s tradition of public service continues for many years to come.” • Alexander Senchak, Eta ’06
Research proves that fraternities foster positive mental health, serve as a success accelerator for students, and engender tremendous loyalty and connection among alumni to support their alma mater.
We all know that the Fraternity experience matters, and thanks to the work of the North American Interfraternity Conference – we now have research to prove it!
Psi Upsilon is proud to be a part of the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC), a trade association of over 50 fraternities dedicated to supporting the fraternal experience on college campuses with advocacy, education and providing assistance with campus IFCs.
In recent years the NIC has collected data on a number of studies that have show the positive impact of the fraternity experience today. For years we’ve believed the fraternity experience matters and we’ve seen the significance it can have in the lives of college students and alumni, long after they graduate.
You can review more details on research on the NIC’s website, including links to the studies referenced.
Fraternities are an accelerator for success, in college and beyond.
Students spend 90% of their time outside the classroom. Fraternities capitalize on those hours by preparing students for success in college and in their futures far beyond what their peers experience. A study of thousands of alumni of diverse backgrounds shows this holds true regardless of an individual’s background or socioeconomic status entering college4.
Because of higher expectations, as well as the support and network fraternities provide, members experience greater gains in learning2 and graduate at higher rates than their peers6. Nearly 75% of chapters offer focused leadership development programming at least monthly, and 83% of members say their confidence in their leadership skills increased because of their membership1. So, it is no surprise that fraternity alumni are twice as likely to believe their college experience prepared them well for life after college4.
Fraternity members experience stronger mental health and wellness.
While college students are experiencing loneliness and depression at increasing rates, fraternities empower students and provide a strong support system. This family—this home—offers help and guidance when a member needs it most. Research shows these connections can create a strong sense of belonging, leading members to have more positive mental health and less anxiety and depression than other students5. And when members seek help, they are twice as likely to turn to a brother than anyone else1.
Fraternities create lifelong connection to one’s campus, community, and peers.
Fraternity membership connects students to their university in a way that nonmembers simply don’t experience. Brothers are more engaged inside and outside of the classroom than their peers2—they report feeling more supported by their faculty2, and nearly half serve in leadership roles across campus1. They’re also more connected to their local communities, with research showing they spend significantly more time volunteering than nonaffiliated students3.
1. Fraternities & Values of Single Sex Experience; UT-PERC 2. The Greek Experience Revisited: The Relationships between Fraternity/Sorority Membership and Student Engagement, Learning Outcomes, Grades, and Satisfaction with College; Pike 3. Perspectives on Fraternity and Sorority Life; Positive Youth Development, EverFi 4. Fraternities and Sororities: Experiences and Outcomes in College, Work and Life; Gallup 2021 5. Mental Health and Wellness for Fraternity and Sorority Members; Biddix, Assalone and Grace 6. Greek Values and Attitudes: A Comparison with Independents; Baier and Whipple
We received a wonderful piece of memorabilia in the office last month. The granddaughter of Alfred E. Driscoll, Delta Delta ’25 (Williams College), sent us this Psi Upsilon Banner from her grandfather’s collection. It was made by “The Chicago Pennant Co.” a well known and respected brand to those who collect vintage pennants today, and the tag shows this product was made between 1924 and 1927.
Brother Driscoll had a distinguished career as a politician, attorney and businessman, most notably serving as the Governor of New Jersey from 1947-1954. When he was elected Governor in 1947 he was one of the youngest Governors in the United States at 43 years old and he became the first two-term New Jersey Governor. His most notable achievement was that as the “Father of the Turnpike” as it was under his guidance that New Jersey Turnpike was completed in 1951, and the construction of the Garden State Parkway began. From the time of their construction, these two major transportation links would transform the agrarian “Garden State” into the most densely populated state in the union. He also served as a member of the New Jersey Senate (1939-1941), was President of the Warner Lambert Pharmaceutical Company, and served as the chairman of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, which he called a “labor of love” after retiring from Warner-Lambert in 1968.
He was named the “Psi Upsilon Personality of the Month” in the January 1947 edition of the Diamond which you can read below:
We would like to thank Brother Driscoll’s Granddaughter, Antoinette, and her other family members for thinking of us and donating this banner to the Archives! If you have any Psi Upsilon Memorabilia in storage and are interested in donating it please contact Executive Director Thomas Fox.
The newest team member at the Psi Upsilon International Office is Clanton Johnson who has been serving as our Director of Donor Relations since the spring! As the Director of Donor Relations, Clanton focuses on enhancing the Foundation’s stewardship activities of all donors and coordinating outreach to donors for the annual fund and special initiatives. Clanton will also oversee the recognition circles established by the Foundation to honor donors in a variety of ways. His efforts also focus on attracting new donors through research and follow-up from events and program activities.
Prior to joining Psi Upsilon Foundation, he served as the Director of Advancement Services at Fayetteville State University, where he provided leadership for the Campaign for FSU, raising $27.3 million over five years. He is a recognized leader in the nonprofit sector with more than 10 years of fundraising experience with regional and national organizations.
In addition to his position with Psi Upsilon Foundation, he serves as a fundraising professional with Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society. In this role, he is responsible for planning and implementing strategies for identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of individual donors to support the mission of Sigma Xi.
The David A.B. Brown, ΕΦ ’66 Distinguished Alumnus Award is the highest award which may be bestowed upon an alumni of Psi Upsilon for bringing honor to the Fraternity by exemplifying the true spirit and meaning of brotherhood in all that they do and say, for dedicated and unselfish service in pursuit of the advancement of the Fraternity, and for demonstrating a commitment to serve the educational environment, their community, and their country. The Executive Council is pleased to announce this award has been bestowed on Eldred A. Halsey, Jr., Delta ’58 (NYU) for his lifetime of service to Psi Upsilon and the nation.
Brother Halsey is the son of Eldred Halsey, Delta 1919 (NYU), and like his father his undergraduate experience was interrupted for military service in the U.S. Navy. Upon Brother Halsey’s return to NYU he became the chapter’s Archon and helped lead a rebuild of the chapter after the Korean War. After graduating he became active in the Delta Corporation.
Eldred leading the 178th Convention in song at the close of the Awards Banquet
For many, Brother Halsey needs no introduction, but here are a number of the ways El has affected Psi Upsilon:
He has been a longtime member of the Delta Chapter’s Board of Trustees and always active with the Undergraduate Chapter
He served as a Director of the Psi Upsilon Foundation
He helped spearhead the Henry B. Poor, Gamma ’39, Scholarship at the Psi Upsilon Foundation.
He has attended innumerable Psi Upsilon Conventions and takes time to meet and speak with delegates of all chapters. He has served as a songmaster for decades
He has helped a number of chapters with retreats and planning and was instrumental in the founding of the Alpha Omicron Chapter at the New Jersey Institute of Technology
Eldred speaking with undergraduates during the 2022 Leadership Academy
When recommending Brother Halsey for the award, Murray Eskenazi, Lambda ’56 (Columbia) had the following to say:
The years have passed, but Eldred A Halsey, Delta 1958, is still as enthusiastic and in love with Psi U as he ever was. In the words from ‘Brothers the Day is Ended’, Eldred is the living embodiment of “a green old age”.
Eldred with fellow recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Service Award (from left to right): Brad Corner, Omicron ’72 (Illinois), Dick Rasmussen, Upsilon ’72, Bob Dorigo-Jones, Epsilon Nu ’85 (Michigan State) and Gary Pan, Eta ’86 (Lehigh)
In addition, at the 178th Awards Banquet we were able to recognize a number of individual award winners, including those who have previously been awarded with the David A.B. Brown, ΕΦ ’66 Distinguished Alumnus Award and the Distinguished Alumni Service Award. Our Director of Engagement, Jonathan Chaffin, Gamma Tau ’00, (Georgia Tech) was able to replicate and modify a prior medallion that was used in the 1990’s and partnered with our current jeweler so we can better recognize and thank our award winners moving forward.
