This list of awards will be updated throughout the 2020-2021 school year as brothers, chapters, alumni and volunteers are recognized. SigEp is proud to support and encourage members and volunteers for demonstrating the values of the Fraternity in their chapter experiences, volunteer involvement and personal lives.
Know a brother, chapter or volunteer who is deserving of an award? View the full list of awards and nomination forms here. Nominations are due by Feb. 28, 2021.
Undergraduate & Chapter Awards
| Award | Recipient | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Excelsior Award: Academics | Virginia Xi - Old Dominion | After being on the brink of academic turmoil, the Virginia Xi chapter at Old Dominion University implemented a new accountability system requiring brothers to attend library hours, meet with professors and pre-plan their workload. Over the past 2 years, their chapter GPA has increased by over 1 full point and they were recently awarded the “Excellence in Scholarship” award by Old Dominion’s Fraternity and Sorority Life office. |
| Excelsior Award: Recruitment | Missouri SEC | One of SigEp’s newest chapters, the Missouri SEC at the University of Missouri continued to innovate and remain focused on recruitment despite the setbacks caused by COVID-19. They used the BMS as a lead generation tool and interacted with potential new members through Zoom, recruiting new members before the school year began. |
| Frank J. Ruck Leadership Award | Danny Thirakul, Cal-State Sacramento | A young leader with an extensive background in local government and higher education policy, Danny Thiraku honed his skills to pivot California Theta’s Balanced Man Scholarship and recruitment plan to entirely virtual. Engaging the entire chapter and local alumni, he led the chapter to exceed their BMS applicant goal and recruit stellar men to California Theta within just 6 months of becoming a brother. |
| Frank J. Ruck Leadership Award | Ohio Pi - Wright State | With the university president as their faculty fellow, this chapter takes community relationships seriously. Holding top roles and in nearly every campus organization, these brothers embody outstanding leadership on their campus and in their university’s community. |
| Excelsior Award: Chapter Leadership | D.C. Delta - American | In reflecting on the state of the world, campus and Greek Life at American University, the chapter instituted a series of reforms including changes to recruitment, internal operations and member education. Because of these improvements and their ability to better serve their members and campus community, D.C. Delta’s leadership is now in a position to accomplish their goals with motivated members. |
| Talent Power Award | Kentucky Beta - Louisville | Breaking down the barriers holding them back, Kentucky Beta acknowledged and addressed sensitive issues and devised a plan to increase inclusivity and recruit a group of young men that reflects the diversity of their campus. Leaning on the Balanced Man Scholarship to carry their recruitment through the pandemic, the chapter is offering more members an amazing SigEp experience at Louisville. |
| Talent Power Award | Tennessee Epsilon - Tennessee Tech | Throughout 2020, the chapter has pivoted their recruitment plan and planned safe activities to engage potential new members and conduct a successful BMS. Their dedication led them to surpass their recruitment goal this fall and set a new standard for year round recruitment. |
| Frank J. Ruck Leadership Award | Blaine Smith, Memphis | This brother is devoted to the betterment of Tennessee Beta and the Greek community at Memphis. Bringing the Order of Omega back to campus and leading the chapter, alongside serving on the IFC and other campus organizations, he’s committed to continuously improving his leadership and creating opportunities for the men in his chapter and students around the campus community. |
| Excelsior Award: Chapter Leadership | Indiana Zeta - Valparaiso | Indiana Zeta expanded its leadership from 8 to 20 men resulting in a noticeable, positive change in how effectively and efficiently events are planned and tasks completed — all while providing a high-quality experience for members. When brothers expressed concern around mental health during COVID as well as a need to focus on diversity and inclusion, the chapter adapted by identifying leaders who could provide applicable programming and resources to members. |
| Excelsior Award: Recruitment | Wisconsin Theta - Wisconsin-Platteville | Wisconsin Theta found creative ways to show potential new members the value that SigEp can provide. They effectively used the BMS, emailed all students on the Dean’s List, sold how the SigEp network can lead to professional connections, and actively sought non-traditional students. All of these efforts led to the highest recruitment in their chapter’s history, yielding a 100% growth while holding a chapter GPA of 3.53. |
| Excelsior Award: Finances | Tennessee Kappa - Tennessee-Martin | In the spring of 2019, this chapter facing financial difficulties, accruing over $8,000 in debt. Through aggressive savings and cost management, a renewed focus on recruitment, and a new agreement with GreekBill, they were able to pay off that debt. Additionally, the chapter built better standards for financial controls to ensure that future chapter leaders remain good stewards of the chapter’s money. |
| Frank J. Ruck Leadership Award | Arkansas Epsilon - Arkansas Tech | Always stepping up to help out, this chapter has made both a physical and intangible impact on their campus and in the Russellville community. These brothers are mentors to the younger generation in town, eager to work with residents with disabilities at a local nonprofit, and tirelessly devoted to the upkeep of their campus and community’s environment. |
| Excelsior Award: Academics | Mississippi State SEC | Mississippi State SEC instituted a new Vice President of Scholarship position to help brothers academically. He discussed study methods and recommended outside academic resources at chapter meetings, even creating major-specific group chats so younger members could learn from older brothers in their major. As a result, the chapter’s GPA rose from 3.01 to 3.53 in just one semester and the new member GPA increased by over a full point in that same time, from a 2.83 to a 3.87. |
| Excelsior Award: Member Development | Ohio Nu - Cleveland State | Ohio Nu at Cleveland State revamped their BMP, providing multiple activity options for each of the development areas, to better cater to the specific needs of their members. They also continued to innovate throughout the pandemic, ensuring that all activities within the app could be completed virtually. In fact, they never missed a week of challenge meetings, continued hosting development events and engaged highly successful content experts. With their focus on improvement, they saw a 30% increase in members using the BMP app. |
| Excelsior Award: Academics | Colorado State SEC | Colorado State SEC created academic teams to hold each other accountable and provide healthy competition. They also recruited a live-in resident scholar who holds study hours and helps reinforce an academics-focused chapter culture. As a result, they’ve seen their new member GPA increase by a staggering 1.13 points and their chapter GPA go back above the all-campus average. Additionally, they now only have 1 member on academic restrictions, a dramatic decrease from over half the chapter a semester ago. |
| Excelsior Award: Chapter Leadership | Georgia Alpha - Georgia Tech | Georgia Tech was thrust into the national spotlight after a large outbreak of COVID-19 cases. The chapter led the way in the Greek community to get students tested, resulting in a 90% weekly testing rate for the community. They also set up a plasma donation event for students who had been infected to help with research efforts. Their work to overcome the challenges of COVID-19 has been recognized by campus administration, including their university president. |
| Excelsior Award: Chapter Leadership | Indiana Zeta - Valparaiso | Indiana Zeta expanded its leadership from 8 to 20 men resulting in a noticeable, positive change in how effectively and efficiently events are planned and tasks completed — all while providing a high-quality experience for members. When brothers expressed concern around mental health during COVID as well as a need to focus on diversity and inclusion, the chapter adapted by identifying leaders who could provide applicable programming and resources to members. |
| Excelsior Award: Academics | Tennessee Eta - Austin Peay | Austin Peay wanted to change the environment of their chapter to reflect academic excellence. Chapter leaders began holding chapter-wide study sessions and providing academic mentors to those who were struggling. As a result of their diligence in pursuing this goal, for the past three semestersTennessee Eta has achieved the highest GPA of all fraternities on campus and has far surpassed the all campus and all Greek averages. |
| Excelsior Award: Member Safety | New Jersey Alpha - Stevens | Brothers at Stevens Tech worked with their AVC to develop a plan which allowed them to live safely together in their chapter home. Rules and regulations were created to ensure their safety including a quarantine floor in case of exposure, a maximum of two members on each floor and a COVID safety officer to ensure everyone is following the outlined protocols. They also created engaging virtual events to continue providing a valuable development experience for all brothers. |
| Frank J. Ruck Leadership Award | Greg Pierson, Missouri Alpha SEC - Missouri SEC | Missouri SEC would not be the chapter it is without the guidance, leadership and care of Brother Pierson. As the second member of the re-established chapter, he’s been instrumental in the chapter’s development through the BMP, the balanced man scholarship process, and year-round recruitment. |
| Frank J. Ruck Leadership Award | Logan Daniels, Missouri Lambda - Northwest Missouri | As IFC vice president of communications and programming, Logan holds his ear to the ground and is involved in bettering the communication, promotion and transparency of all Greek organizations at Northwest Missouri. He’s a trusted mentor and brother with his chapter, providing valuable insight and strong leadership after the chapter’s membership review. |
Alumni & Volunteer Awards
| Award | Recipient | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Outstanding New Volunteer Award | Jorge Rivera-Gonzalez | Eagerly stepping up to help during a complicated move-in process, Jorge proved he was a reliable, insightful and proactive resident scholar and newly elected AVC Director. Bridging the gap between undergraduates and alumni with a positive and proactive attitude, he’s a catalyst of change that shifted the SigEp experience from an idea to reality at Colorado State this semester. |
| Outstanding New Volunteer Award | Scott Van Vooren, North Carolina-Charlotte ’94 | As the chapter counselor of Pennsylvania Tau, Brother Van Vooren is a valued leader, dependable mentor and vital liaison with university administration at West Chester and volunteers in the AVC. He’s devoted to timely and thorough communication with all stakeholders and has been extremely informative and reliable during the pandemic. |
| Outstanding New Volunteer Award | Stephen Crowe, Westminster ’14 | Stephen steered the finances of Pennsylvania Lambda AVC back on track in just a year’s time, allowing the chapter to fund improvements to the their home and provide an enriching experience to the men of Westminster. He’s a strong mentor and collaborator who’s not afraid to jump in, solve problems and set the chapter and AVC up for great success. |
| Outstanding New Volunteer Award | David Denner, Missouri S&T ’76 | Passionate about the chapter’s officer retreats and scholarship program, this AVC President has successfully guided the men of Missouri Gamma through the substance free facility transition and has helped the chapter operate safely during a global pandemic. He’s devoted to volunteer recruitment and retention and his efforts have made a crucial impact on the undergraduates and the AVC. |
| Outstanding New Volunteer Award | Nolan Spaenhower, SIU-Edwardsville ’19 | This new volunteer knows the impact SigEp can make on a brother and has modeled the way for the rising leaders and executives in his home chapter at Illinois Eta. He helps young chapter leaders understand their roles and establish effective operations and ambitious initiatives while devoting time to continuing his leadership development with the AVC and the national organization. |
| Benjamin Hobson Frayser Award for Connection through Communication | Colorado Gamma AVC | In addition to their long-running newsletter and focus on engaging social media posts, the Colorado Gamma AVC at Colorado State has created a YouTube channel containing mini documentaries of prominent alumni and playlists tailored to BMP challenges, self-motivation and mental health. These efforts helped them raise over 2 million dollars for their chapter home and they are fully utilizing mySigEp to further enhance their communications. |
| Outstanding New Volunteer Award | Andrew Sharp, Ball State '14 | Engaging, recruiting and training a stellar mentor team, Brother Sharp has sparked enthusiasm and connection in less than two years of volunteer service. The mentorship he provides and inspires from other volunteers in Indiana has been a catalyst for positive change and excellence at Ball State. |
| Outstanding New Volunteer Award | Connor Smith, Western Michigan ’16 | A young volunteer and university partner, Brother Smith prioritizes relationships and has provided meaningful connection, impact and mentorship for the undergraduate men at NC State. He challenges our undergraduates to seek to improve and be the best chapter leaders on their campus. |
| Alumni & Volunteer Corporation (AVC) Operational Excellence Award | Missouri Gamma AVC | Faced with the financial burdens and uncertain future in the wake of COVID-19, these volunteers banded together to conserve their assets and maintain their chapter home in the spring of 2020. They safely organized an inspection, inventory and vital repairs to the chapter home in time for undergraduates to return to a “like new” chapter facilities this fall – a promise they follow through on each year for Missouri Gamma. |
| Alumni & Volunteer Corporation (AVC) Operational Excellence Award | Massachusetts Eta AVC | With alumni and volunteer engagement at a standstill, this AVC took swift action to coordinate virtual transition retreats, networking receptions and an alumni career panel. They prioritized interaction, networking and mentorship in a time of uncertainty and isolation and encouraged their undergraduate brothers to be safe, smart and accountable in their actions on campus. |
| Benjamin Hobson Frayser Award for Connection through Communication | Tennessee Alpha AVC | The Tennessee Alpha AVC has focused on creating connections through communication since the 1970s. Through their diligence, they have marketed and awarded over $1 million in scholarships and raised funds to improve their chapter facility. They also maintain a website that is not only attractive but useful, where undergraduates can apply for scholarships, potential new members can submit a BMS application and alumni can update their contact information. |
| Outstanding New Volunteer Award | Ryan Tranby, North Dakota '06 | A dedicated collaborator and mentor, Brother Trandby has made a significant difference for the undergraduates and AVC at North Dakota. He facilitates connection and mentor relationships between brothers in the chapter and alumni, university partners and headquarters staff, helping them achieve their goals and foster growth |
| Volunteer of the Year Award | Jared Canada, Memphis-Lambuth '07 | A longtime, dedicated volunteer, this chapter counselor stands as a constant and reliable source of mentorship, guidance and friendship for Colorado Delta. His hard work and dedication helped the chapter to win the chapter of the year award on campus and the re-accreditation as a SigEp Learning Community. |
| Volunteer of the Year Award | Darrell Pulliam, Oklahoma State '84 | With his expertise in construction and contract management, Brother Pulliam is devoted to the maintenance and upkeep of the Oklahoma Alpha chapter home. He invests significant time to ensure the home is an ideal living and learning environment for the brothers and volunteers at Oklahoma State. |
