Brother Gossett served in the Army Air Corps in the U.S. and Europe from 1943 to 1946, during the height of World War II. After returning home, Gossett took over the family business, Gossett’s Cleaners. He has been an active member of numerous civic organizations including the Abraham Lincoln Hospital Association, American Legion, Knight’s Templar, Lincoln Rotary, Lincoln Toastmasters Club, Lincoln-Logan County Chamber of Commerce, Masons, Oasis Senior Center, Salvation Army, and the Union Cemetery Association. He joined the Lincoln College Board of Trustees in 1998 and served as a member of the Board for 15 years. Upon his retirement from the Board, Gossett was elected as Trustee Emeritus in 2013.
Brother Gossett gives a piece of advice to all his brothers, a lesson he learned from his father, “Don’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands – throw something back!”
“[Being in a Fraternity] is not unlike life in an embassy overseas. You have to find ways to compromise and build on people‘s relative skills in one or another area. You have to be the peacemaker if the collective is going to succeed.” — AMB Robert Beecroft, Tau ’62
Ines Martinovic Berger, Epsilon Iota ‘05, RAC, PMP is the Associate Manager of Drug Product Project Management at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. She graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2008 and was the Vice President of Psi Upsilon’s Epsilon Iota chapter. Her work at Regeneron has involved the development of REGN-COV2, an experimental antibody cocktail that is being evaluated for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19.
REGN-COV2 is currently being evaluated as part of four late-stage clinical trials, including the RECOVERY trial in the United Kingdom, to determine its effectiveness in the treatment of hospitalized patients and prevention for those who have been exposed. The first preliminary human data from the ongoing, randomized, double-blind trial was released on September 29, 2020. Upon releasing the data, George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Scientific Officer of Regeneron, stated, “We are running simultaneous adaptive trials in order to move as quickly as possible to provide a potential solution to prevent and treat COVID-19 infections, even in the midst of an ongoing global pandemic.”
Ines’ role on the project is managing the process of getting bulk material filled into individual vials, labeled, packaged, and shipped out to distributors. Typically, her group works with the research and development teams over the course of a year to transfer the research process up to large-scale manufacturing. But, in order to rapidly respond to COVID-19, the teams had to work in parallel. “The research team began working on COVID-19 in early 2020, and by early Spring, we learned that a potential treatment would be coming our way quickly,” Ines said. “We needed to prepare for filing, labeling, and packaging it, without having all the details like number of molecules or their properties.” In addition to the physical process, a lot of documentation needs to be in place before any manufacturing work can proceed. Materials need to be ordered and often have a lead time of over six months – yet the team was aiming to have product manufactured and out the door within three.
Despite the challenge of preparing to manufacture a product so quickly, the team rose to the occasion. Ines stated, “The team worked long hours, weekends, holidays, and through the night. Getting this potential treatment to patients has been everyone’s top priority. One of Regeneron’s ways of working is to ‘make it happen,’ and we’ve banded together to find creative solutions and do just that. “I’m so grateful to have been a part of this exceptional team and to have had this opportunity.”
This week we’re excited to welcome Tara Storm as Psi Upsilon’s new Donor Relations Associate!
Tara joins the Psi Upsilon staff after 14 years experience in direct sales, sales management, and marketing, rising from Sales Manager to Area Sales Leader for Marriott International in both Indiana and Southwest Florida. She graduated from Purdue University and received a Bachelor’s of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management in ‘06.
Tara is excited to start this new endeavor and grow with the organization. She will work with the Foundation President and staff as a Donor Relations Associate to coordinate media related items, support relationship development/engagement, and build outreach strategies. The outreach and stewardship efforts will be on a large scale through direct mail and email as well as personal engagement of our brothers through phone calls.
Tara originally hails from North New Jersey, and loves to cheer on the Yankees. As a sports fan in general, she enjoys watching college football and basketball (Boiler Up!). Tara loves to travel with her two kids and explore new cities, especially the food scene!
To say this Fall has been unique would be an understatement and as Executive Director of Psi Upsilon I wanted to take a moment to pass along a progress report to let you know how our chapters are performing. This summer, as we were trying to predict the fall, there was a lot of uncertainty and anxiety. Now that we are into October, and most campuses are starting to learn their new routines, we are finding that ‘fraternity’ can truly endure in this environment. While no one will deny that this semester has offered distinctive challenges, an organization that offers “A Mighty Friendship” has a place on college campuses, possibly more so now than ever before. If you aren’t familiar with how your chapter’s campus has responded COVID-19 The Chronicle of Higher Education has created a helpful resource (you will need to create an account to view the webpage, but it is free).
Retention was a primary concern with most of our campuses offering few opportunities for in-person classes. Like many fraternities, we anticipated a drop in membership of about 30% from prior years. As of now I am thrilled to report that we only saw a 15% drop in membership. Recruitment is the next concern, and while our Fall statistics are still incomplete, chapters are performing similar to prior years and are reporting an average reduction of only 10% of their Fall New Member classes. I have been impressed with the adaptability of our members to pivot to a hybrid, or even completely virtual, recruitment environment. The good thing is the feedback we’re receiving from many of our chapters is that since they are recruiting and taking classes in a remote environment, transitioning New Member Education to a virtual experience isn’t as daunting a task as we anticipated for them.
Our chapter support model has changed a lot without in person chapter visits, but I think this has accelerated some necessary modifications rather than hindered the support we offer. I would break this new model into four components: Improved Assessment, Consistent Support, Chapter Collaboration and New Opportunities.
Improved Assessment: We’ve had a committee reviewing how we measure chapter performance, and prior to COVID-19 were developing a way to better evaluate chapter performance and mindsets over time – we’ve collected many quantifiable items for years (GPA, Service hours and money raised, retention of new members, size) in the past but knew this was an area to improve and only tells a part of a story. We just introduced a new survey this fall, asking every chapter to report back on their perceived performance, strengths, and weaknesses. This data will help us guide our conversations and over time should lead to some meaningful observations about how to better assist chapters.
Consistent Support: While staff have always made it a priority to visit chapters and respond to needs as they arise we’ve found ourselves to be more proactive in this environment. Jason Allen, our Director of Chapter Services and I have had regular contact with the leadership of our chapters and pivoting to remote meeting software has facilitated this. While I still believe the in person handshake matters, no one can deny the ability to set up regular Zoom chats with leadership has built some stronger relationships. The fact that remote meetings are more normalized in the current environment has helped greatly.
Chapter Collaboration: One of the advantages of an organization like Psi Upsilon is our membership. We have been holding regular Town Hall meetings between alumni advisors and leadership, as well as chapter officers, to not only improve transparency but allow one another to connect and share best practices. The input and ideas shared during and in between these meetings from our leaders was indispensable as we designed guidance for this year. An example of this in action is the fact that undergraduate members of our Delta (NYU), Phi (Michigan), Eta (Lehigh) and Alpha Omicron (NJIT) chapters have been developing an e-sports league to encourage interaction between chapters.
New Opportunities: Another development that has been evident in this current environment is a more collaborative effort across organizations and our professional partners. Whether this is town hall meetings from our insurance company, the fact we were able to make the annual Foundation for Fraternal Excellence seminar accessible to all our board members or finding other events that would be meaningful to our members like “Dignity U” (A program for Chapter Officers to consider how dignity impacts a person’s own thoughts and actions, in both their lives and in their respective organizations) or “Brotherhood, Sisterhood and the Power on Belonging” (A program for advisors hosted by Pennington and Company). We have been able to distribute this information to those who need it. Even 10 years ago these opportunities were not as widely available. The fraternal marketplace has always been incredibly collaborative on a professional level, and I am truly excited about being able to make that collaboration accessible to more of our brothers. We have also been making these opportunities available on our website when we can – either on our events page or our Covid-19 resource page.
I would personally like to thank the continued involvement of all our volunteers – at the chapter level to our Foundation and Executive Council. Without their ongoing commitment and generosity we would not be able to achieve so much. If you would be interested in getting more involved, please take a moment to review our involvement page, fill out an interest form, and feel free to contact me.
I am always honored and humbled to be able to serve as the Executive Director of Psi Upsilon and excited about the great future we have ahead.
The Diamond of Psi Upsilon Summer 1989 recounts this tale of Charlie S.P. Hodge, Gamma ’68 (Amherst). Charlie served on the Executive Council of the Fraternity and was a longstanding member of the Gamma Chapter Corporation. Deceased 6.18.2018, Brother Hodge made Psi Upsilon a beneficiary of his planned giving arrangements as a member of the Shoepflin Society.
To discuss initiating a new fund or planned gift, please visit here, or contact Alexander Senchak, Eta’06, Psi Upsilon Foundation Chair & President at asenchak@psiu.org with any questions you have about this or other giving options
Robert B. “Bob” Dorigo Jones is a recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Service Award.
In 1985, as a young Page in the Michigan House of Representatives, Bob took a break to chat with one of his fellow Pages. He showed a picture in his wallet of his fiancé and explained that he got this job after his father cut off his college funds when he bought an engagement ring. Bob was finishing school and working two jobs. With two jobs, full-time school, a fraternity, and a fiancé, you would think that Bob had enough on his plate, but that year he had the dedication to volunteer for MSU’s student judiciary, too. Even with two jobs there were not enough funds to cover all his expenses. Fortunately, he received a scholarship from his fraternity, good old Psi Upsilon.
Fast forward thirty-five years and Bob is telling this same story to a young undergrad at Michigan State University about how that year in 1985 painted a picture of his life to come. He speaks with gratitude about Brother Keith Kaminski, who had also worked as a legislative Page and helped him get the job. Brother Paul Reising was instrumental in helping him land the position on the student judiciary. Bob often speaks about the opportunities and benefits provided by the Fraternity to others. He’s the first to tell you “I believe the social skills students will learn if they take full advantage of everything the fraternity has to offer can give them a tremendous edge over other college graduates who don’t participate in Greek life. Even more importantly, I believe it will give them an opportunity to achieve their full potential.”
As Bob extols the virtues of Greek life he enjoyed, he’ll tell you that one of the most memorable nights was when Glenn Stinson and Peter Campbell talked up the benefits of joining Psi Upsilon. From there he would go on to serve important roles during his undergraduate years. “I had some of the best professors at MSU, but they couldn’t teach me how to lead a group of young men like I learned (more or less) to do as the Epsilon Nu House Manager and later as President.”
“I parlayed all of these experiences into a 35-year career as a writer, political advisor, radio commentator and advocate for legal reform,” he says. Bob now sits as the president of Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch (MiLAW) after a long and distinguished career that includes debates on national television and a bestselling book.”
In 2007 Bob became a bestselling author for his book “Remove Child Before Folding: The 101 Stupidest, Silliest, and Wackiest Warning Labels Ever”. This led to one memorable and unexpected fraternal encounter. “A few months after the book was published, I found the MySpace page of my publisher at Time Warner, Jason Pinter, and was surprised to learn that he was a Psi U brother from another college! Neither of us knew about this connection until that moment. Incidentally, a Psi U brother who was a student at Michigan State University at the time, Mike Dalere, helped me with the research for the book.”
That fiancé that Bob risked his college career on? Shortly after graduating Bob and Denise wed and have been happily married ever since. Together they have raised two amazing young men: Bobby who graduated from MSU in 2016 and Harvard in 2017, and Johnny who graduated with a degree in Astrophysics from the University of Michigan in 2020. Bob notes he took Denise to the Psi U Homecoming Party two years before they married. “She had just been elected to the MSU Homecoming Court, and had it not been for the Psi U party, I don’t know if I would have ever worked up the courage to ask her on a date.”
While Bob has gone on to many amazing things he’ll be the first to tell you “I owe it all to Psi U” and that this is a major motivation for him in his engagement with the Fraternity. Generations of Epsilon Nu brothers will tell you that Bob has been there for them as a mentor and a help to their chapter. From mentorship, to leadership, to fundraising – Bob has been a stalwart and a guiding light for Psi U. He was the President of the Hesperian Building Association (the alumni organization of the Epsilon Nu Chapter) for 20 years and now serves as its Treasurer. Under Bob’s leadership, fundraising and construction began for refurbishing the house and restoring it to the way it was in 1928 for a beautiful result that has its members calling their home “The Castle”.
Locally Bob is a pillar of the Psi U community, but he has found time to contribute and volunteer at the international level. “Volunteering for Psi U on the international level adds another opportunity for Brothers to enrich their own life and the lives of others. There are many different ways to do that, and I chose to be involved in the scholarship committee. It’s both interesting and inspiring to see what great students we have as Brothers and to see how we can help them achieve their dreams through scholarships. It also provides great hope for our future.”
We’re proud to announce Bob as a recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Service Award.
The 155th Psi Upsilon Convention created the Distinguished Alumni Service Award to recognize those alumni whose service has brought honor to our fraternity.
We would like to congratulate Brother Dorigo Jones on this award and thank him for all his hard work and reflection on Psi Upsilon. We are honored to have him as a member of our fraternity.
Since the Nu Alpha chapter at Washington and Lee University joined Psi Upsilon in the fall of 1970, Charles M. “Chuck” Hall, Nu Alpha ’71 (Washington & Lee), who was the chapter’s President at the time, has been an active member of Psi Upsilon. He has inspired generations of Psi Upsilon brothers strive to for bigger achievements and supported them with advice, recommendations, and compassion.
“Psi U changed my life, and in a very good way,” says Chuck. “I came from a small town on the Ohio River in West Virginia and hadn’t been exposed to a lot of the world. When I joined a fraternity, I grew up in ways that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. I learned leadership skills, self-confidence and how to work with and manage people. It was a positive experience—and it helped me in life.”
After graduating from W&L, Chuck received his commission thanks to ROTC and went on active duty as an officer in the U.S. Army. After he was released from active service, he attended law school at Emory University in Atlanta, where he remained to practice law. At the urging of William Robie, Epsilon Omega ’66 (Northwestern), Chuck became involved with the leadership of Psi Upsilon on the International level; he is a past Treasurer and past President of the Fraternity’s Executive Council and also Past President of the Psi Upsilon Foundation.
Chuck congratulates Price & Norma Gehrke, Tau ’43, on their wedding anniversary, celebrated at the 151st Psi Upsilon Convention
“Psi Upsilon has had a positive influence on a lot of undergraduates,” Chuck added, “but that didn’t just happen. It’s because members who came before us decided to leave something behind. A bequest is an easy way to provide for the fraternity and help change people’s lives.”
Chuck was elected to the Executive Council while he was in law school and soon was asked to became an alumni advisor to the fledgling Gamma Tau chapter at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Since then he has been continuously involved with the Psi Upsilon Society of Georgia, serving at times as the only board member and for a long time as Treasurer.
During his long involvement with PUSOG, Chuck negotiated the purchase and financing of two chapter houses as the Gamma Tau grew and matured.
He was initiated into the Gamma Tau chapter 30 years ago and even though some say it was an honorary membership, the brothers of the Gamma Tau have always told him that as far as they were concerned he was a real brother of the chapter (and to forget walking away because of semantics). Becoming a Gamma Tau kept Chuck involved and many of the undergraduates he met over the years have become life-long friends.
“Donating to the Foundation pays off for years and years to come. Consistent donations at any level were the one thing that humbled me when I served on the Executive Council and on the Foundation. They were always voluntary and came from people who were not compelled to give. Scholarships, Fellowships, and similar awards are, in large part, paid for by brothers who are no longer with us but who believed in the mission of the Fraternity and in a better future, paying it forward to help people they would never know.”
Brother Hall maintains a well-regarded private law practice and contributes to social excellence through involvement with other community organizations.
On the role of alumni, he writes, “Alumni play a vital role in the Fraternity. They provide an important link, without which, undergraduates of each generation would know little or nothing of the rich history of Psi Upsilon and of the strength and durability of brotherhood and friendship.” Chuck has guided the Fraternity with distinguished leadership and deep and abiding Fraternal devotion. It is with deep gratitude that we bestow upon him the Distinguished Alumni Service Award.
From the North American Interfraternity Conference:
Long-time prominent higher education researcher Dr. Gary R. Pike of Indiana University recently presented conclusions of a study on fraternity and sorority membership at the Foundation for Fraternal Excellence Seminar in advance of publishing these results. The study finds fraternity and sorority members are significantly more engaged than non-members, report greater gains in learning and are more satisfied with their college experiences.
Dr. Pike finds that fraternity and sorority membership is associated with significantly higher levels of engagement on a number of measures including high impact practices, collaborative learning, student-faculty interactions, perception of a supportive campus environment and discussions with diverse others.
Some specific conclusions found in Dr. Pike’s study included:
Fraternity/sorority membership also indirectly improved learning gains, acting through higher levels of student engagement.
Despite being less diverse than students in general, fraternity/sorority members reported higher levels of interaction with people different from themselves than did other students.
Membership in a fraternity or sorority is associated with greater involvement in curricular and co-curricular activities, promotes student learning and development, and promotes satisfaction with the college experiences.
The largest positive effects were generally found for first-year students, arguing against deferring recruitment until the second semester or second year.
The findings of this study indicate that fraternities and sororities are not antithetical to the values of American higher education.
Problems found throughout higher education including alcohol use and abuse, hazing, sexual assault and academic achievement (i.e., grades) remain in Greek-letter organizations as well. Effectively addressing these issues will better allow fraternities and sororities to contribute to the academic and social life of American colleges and universities.
