The Sigma Alpha Epsilon Foundation Board of Trustees and the members of our Scholarship Selection Committee proudly announce our 2020-2021 academic year scholarship winners. These brothers excel in their personal, professional, and academic pursuits, and their accomplishments have earned recognition among their peers. This year, the Foundation awarded 29 scholarships totaling $88,000.
We thank our generous supporters, alumni, and friends, who make these scholarships possible. In addition, we encourage you to congratulate any winners you may know. The name of the scholarship, followed by the scholarship’s category or area of interest, and its respective recipients are listed below.
Robert Hamrdla Award (History)
Harrison Ledda (Mansfield University)
Past Eminent Supreme Recorder Bob Hamrdla (Stanford ’60) established this award for a brother in any major with transcripts that reflect considerable study of 19th and 20th-century history.
Jones-Lawerence Award (Academic Performance)
Brennan Cox (University of Georgia)
Josh Figus (Western Illinois University)
Established in memory of past Eminent Supreme Archon Walter B. Jones (Auburn ’10) and Philip J. Laurence (Minnesota ’15), the award is given to the brothers who display the most outstanding academic achievement.
Dr. Charles A. Preuss (Medical)
Kapil Reddy (Indiana State University)
Ethan Yang (Northwestern University)
Established in memory of Brother Dr. Charles A. Preuss (Idaho ’24), this award recognizes brothers attending or planning to attend medical school, or enrolled in a course of study related to medicine and who have demonstrated service to their community and fellow man.
Frank C. Ginocchio Professional Staff Leadership Scholarship (Health & Safety)
Spencer Dubbels (Morehead State University)
Established in recognition of Brother Frank C. Ginocchio’s (Northwestern ’66) leadership while serving on the Sigma Alpha Epsilon staff, this scholarship recognizes brothers who have demonstrated a positive influence in the field of risk management.
Thomas W. Devine Volunteer Leadership Scholarship (Health & Safety)
Yianni Mercer (DePaul University)
Established in recognition of Brother Thomas W. Devine’s (Minnesota ’74) volunteer efforts on behalf of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, this scholarship recognizes brothers who have demonstrated a positive influence in the field of risk management.
W. Emil Forman Award (Community Service)
Nathan Gavelek (Colorado School Of Mines)
Senna Adachi (University of Cinncinati)
Brenden Wlodkowski (University of Toledo)
Aiden Ruble (Simpson College)
Jake Brend (Simpson College)
George Lippy (Western Carolina University)
Eddy Connors (University of Colorado-Boulder)
Alex Rogers (Bucknell University)
Jesse Jones (University of Cinncinati)
Dean Straton (Morehead State University)
Established in memory of Brother W. Emil Forman (Pennsylvania ’29), this award recognizes brothers who have shown extraordinary commitment to their community and fellow man as demonstrated by community service work.
Bradley M. Cohen Courage Award (Courage)
Peter Zhang (University of Missouri-Kansas City)
Past Eminent Supreme Archon Bradley M. Cohen (Arizona ’85) established this award to recognize brothers who have shown extraordinary courage in overcoming a major personal or organizational obstacle.
Ivan Allen Jr. Leadership Award
Tyler Allbritton (Nicholls State University)
Established in memory of Brother Ivan Allen Jr. (Georgia Tech ’33), this award was created by Atlanta-area brothers. The award is given to the brother whose leadership in the chapter and community demonstrates the spirit of Allen, a former Atlanta mayor.
Charles Collins Award for Outstanding Achievement
Phillip Necessary (University of Arkansas)
TJ Jacoby (South Dakota State University)
Nick Albers (University of Cincinnati)
Evan Sterling (Arizona State University)
Joshua Murillo (Western Illinois University)
George Lampen (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Chase Philport (Kettering University)
Sean Engler (Fort Hays State University)
Charles King (University of Missouri – Kansas City)
Carson King (Indiana University – Bloomington)
Styles Martin (East Tennessee State University)
Caleb McFarland (Simpson College)
Nicholas Purdie (University of Minnesota – Twin Cities)
Andrew Samrock (University of Minnesota – Twin Cities)
Gene Szyba (University of Colorado – Colorado Springs)
Established in memory of Brother Charles F. Collins (Boston ’12), this award recognizes brothers who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and service in the Fraternity, on the campus and in the community.
Fred Archibald Leadership Award
Remy Lodrigues (Nicholls State University)
Edward Major (Centre College)
Established in memory of Brothers Fred J. Archibald (Cornell ’45) and his father, Fred I. Archibald (Nebraska ’14), this award recognizes brothers who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in their chapter, community and school.
Richard Generelly Leadership Award
Dante Filpula Ankney (University of Montana)
Stanton Thomas (Oklahoma State University)
Kieran Mangla (College of William & Mary)
Ethan Buck (Purdue University)
Logan Canada-Johnson (University of Puget Sound)
Established in memory of past ESA Richard Generelly (George Washington ’47), this award recognizes brothers who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in their chapter, community, and school.
Warren P. Poslusny Award For Outstanding Achievement
Conor Emery (California State University, Sacramento)
Rhett Theobald (Embry-Riddle Areonautical University)
Matthew Te Slaa (South Dakota State University)
Alex Glauthier (University of Mount Union)
Frank Cruz (Simpson College)
Collin Fiorentini (Simpson College)
Nick Giambrone (Simpson College)
Gabe Gross (Simpson College)
Nick Hanna (Simpson College)
Past Honorary Eminent Supreme Archon and former Foundation Trustee Warren Paul “Pos” Poslusny (Kettering ’69) established this award to recognize brothers who have demonstrated an enthusiastic commitment to the highest ideals expressed in “The True Gentleman” including exceptional personal integrity while leading chapter and campus activities, coupled with notable philanthropic service and scholastic achievement.
Trustees Award for Scholarship and Service
Logan Wolf (South Dakota State University)
Funded by Foundation Trustees, this award recognizes brothers who demonstrate quality involvement in campus and chapter leadership positions, particularly the measure of his contribution to the education of his chapter brothers.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s 20 Under 40 Successful Alumni: 2021 List
All of these individuals were nominated and completed an application for consideration. Evaluators scored applicants on SAE involvement, professional achievements, community involvement, and leadership.
If you know a young alumnus deserving of recognition, please email foundation@sae.net. Individuals must be alumni members in good standing and under 40-years-old by March 31, 2022.
James Balandran (Texas-Dallas ’10)
James is the Chief Operating Officer for Vudu Consulting LP and has started several companies throughout his career. He also works with Rock the Campus, raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and partnered with Oklahoma Community Cares to distribute $200M in CARES Act funds. James remains involved in SAE and currently serves as the Province Sigma Archon.
Aaron Bernasconi (Fort Hays State ’10)
Recently, Aaron served as the Senior Advisor to Deputy United States Trade Representative Ambassador C.J. Mahoney. He played a role in negotiating the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which Congress passed in 2020 with bipartisan support. Fort Hays State University recognized Aaron as Young Alumni of the Year in 2020. He is active in the Kansas Delta Alumni Association and his church.
Ross Biestman (UC-Berkeley ’07)
Ross is the Chief Revenue Officer for ServiceTitan and an Executive in Residence for Bessemer Venture Partners. He previously served as Vice President of Sales for Lithium Technologies, which Vista Equity Partners acquired and co-founded Stealth HD, Inc., which Amazon acquired. Ross is a board member for the SAE California Beta Educational Institute and Cal Rugby Advisory Board.
Matthew Brooks (Loyola-Chicago ’06)
Matthew is the Global Sales Director for Enterprise DB. Previously he worked for IBM, most recently as a Strategic Clients Account Executive for IBM Data & AI and North America Sales Leader for Watson Data & AI Platform. He consistently exceeded his target goals, and IBM recognized his professional success as a member of their 100 Percent Club.
Austin Bury (Georgetown ’15)
Austin is a Security Consultant for Torch Technologies providing support for Department of Defense initiatives. He previously served four years in the United States Marine Corps and attained the rank of Captain. As a Marine, Austin completed several certifications and in 2020 received the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for his achievements as part of an intelligence team in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
Brendan Calamito (Florida Southern ’16)
Brendan is a Senior Manager of Credit Risk for Fidelity Investments specializing in hedge funds and is a CFA Charterholder. Brendan serves his community as Treasurer and Board Member of Community Learning Center. He remains involved in SAE as Chapter Advisor for Massachusetts Beta-Alpha and Vice President of the Florida Gamma Alumni Association.
Logan Davidson (Texas Tech ’17)
Logan is a Legislative Director for the Texas House of Representatives. Throughout his career, he has volunteered and worked for several campaigns and state representatives. Over the past year, Logan worked to ensure proper staffing at various food banks throughout Texas with Powered by the People. Logan has also focused on registering and engaging voters with several organizations.
Darren Deoraj (Hartford ’12)
Darren is the Director of the Department of Urology for Mount Sinai Beth Israel. The American College of Healthcare Executives gave him the 2018 Early Career Healthcare Executive Regent’s Award. He is active in several professional organizations, including as Secretary for Healthcare Leaders of New York. He is Chapter Advisor and Alumni Advisory Board Member for Connecticut Lambda.
Chester Donnally III, MD (Southern Methodist ’09)
Chester recently completed his fellowship at Rothman Orthopaedic Institute and is a surgeon for Texas Spine Consultants, specializing in minimally invasive and complex spine surgery. He has been published over 50 times in professional journals, contributed to several book chapters, presented to colleagues on various topics at professional conferences, and is a member of several professional associations.
Patrick Fredricks Assistant Director of Admission
Patrick Fredricks (Central Michigan ’10)
Patrick is the Assistant Director of Admissions for Fort Lewis College, where he created an award-winning online orientation. He is on the school’s COVID-19 Leadership Team as the Campus Life Chair and has completed certifications and training focusing on mental health and diversity topics. He remains active with SAE by serving as a faculty member for many educational programs.
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Alexander Fusaro (Hartford ’16)
Alex is a Digital Consultant for eBizSelect.net. He was recognized as Newsday’s Media Person of the Year in 2019 and received the University of Hartford’s Presidential Leadership Award in 2016. He is a member of Huntington’s Young Professionals Committee. Alex recently volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island, delivering holiday meals and gifts to local families.
John Rivers III (Centre ’11)
John is an Agency Fit Consultant for LEAP Group. In 2020 LEAP received several awards for work where he was directly involved. He also received several professional recognitions, including making Louisville Business First’s Forty Under 40 list. John supports several nonprofit organizations in his community and remains active in SAE as President of the Louisville Area Alumni Association.
Trey Rome (Southern Methodist ’08)
Trey is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Home Tax Solutions, the largest property tax loan originator in Texas. Under Trey’s leadership, Home Tax Solutions has received several awards and accolades, and he made Dallas Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 list in 2020. Additionally, Trey and Home Tax Solutions support several non-profit organizations throughout the year.
Dylan Silva (Long Island ’18)
Dylan is an Officer, Program Oversight Specialist for Bank of America, and is active in several professional organizations. Dylan is also an advocate for the Be Nice Foundation, spreading awareness about the importance of mental health. He remains involved with SAE as the Alumni Advisor for Michigan Gamma and the Chapter Advisor for South Carolina Nu.
Nathan Tallman (Central Michigan ’07)
Nathan is Vice President of Metro Wire & Cable, and his contributions have earned Metro Wire regular industry recognition. Additionally, he has received several individual recognitions, including making DBusiness Magazine’s Thirty Under 30 list in 2019. Nathan supports his community as a leader on several boards and stays active in SAE as President of the Michigan Delta-Omega Alumni Association.
Tyler Thompson (Virginia Commonwealth ’13)
Tyler is a volunteer firefighter for the Citizens’ Hose Company. He serves as Captain for the Kent County Special Operations Team and Team Leader of the Kent County Water Rescue Team. Additionally, Tyler is involved in various community service projects as a Freemason and serves as President of the Smyrna Police Athletic League.
Preston Van Buren, DO (Puget Sound ’13)
Commander Van Buren is a General Medical Officer for the United States Navy, currently posted in Japan. He is published in various medical journals and regularly presents on orthopedic procedures, programs, and management. Preston is also an advocate for the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program, which assists victims with resources from the U.S. Navy.
Brian Vasquez (Iowa ’10)
Brian is Vice President of Par Logistics, Inc., growing the company from $5M in revenue to over $35M in just eight years. Brian is also the Founder and President of Landshark Realty, LLC. He is devoted to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, serving as a Wish Grantor and board member for the Make-A-Wish annual Walk for Wishes event.
Shawn Wood (UC-Davis ’06)
Shawn is the President of Student Movers, Inc., which is Pro Mover Certified by the American Moving & Storage Association. He is also a graduate of AMSA’s Leadership School. Shawn is active in his community as President of Kiwanis Huntington Beach and board member for Kindervision and Huntington Beach Woman of the Year. He also supports several community organizations.
April was National Volunteer Month and to celebrate, collegiate chapters from around the Realm held True Gentleman Days of Service.
A TG Day of Service is any service project a group of brothers puts on or participates in. All collegiate chapters and colonies, alumni associations, and any other groups of brothers are encouraged to give back to their community by volunteering and performing community service year-round.
Below, we highlight some of the great service projects our brothers participated in last month.
Penn State-Harrisburg granted students a wellness day to give them a break from classes on April 7. Brothers at Pennsylvania Psi Eta decided to turn this wellness day into a TG Service day and spent a three-hour-long hike at Hawk Rock in Duncannon, PA cleaning the trails. Each of the fourteen participants was responsible for filling a bag of trash while wearing gloves to ensure nothing came back with them from the trails. This event allowed everyone to relax from their academics and enjoy the great outdoors, while also giving back as a group. This was the first event after their last initiation of the spring semester, which allowed all the newer brothers to bond even more and understand how important community service is to SAE.
Brothers at Fort Hays State, Kansas Delta woke up early in the morning on Saturday, April 17 to volunteer at the Arc of Central Plains thrift store, which supports local participation in the Ellis County Special Olympics. There they spent 4 hours sorting incoming items, tagging, and pricing clothing and putting the clothing out on the racks for display and purchase. They also connected with other volunteers of the organization, positively engaged with them, and spread awareness of the fraternity and SAE’s goals.
On April 18, a group of 20 brothers at Rollins College, Florida Omicron collected trash and other waste that had polluted Lake Virginia in Winter Park, FL. Brothers picked up a total of 53 pounds of trash over three hours.
Fifteen brothers at Texas-Dallas, Texas Chi helped pack over 20,000 meals on April 20 for starving kids in poverty-stricken countries with the organization Feed My Starving Children. With their efforts and the other volunteers, the brothers helped feed 20 kids for an entire year, making sure they went to bed with full bellies.
Has your chapter or alumni association recently held a True Gentleman Day of Service? Tell us about it here. Not sure where to start with planning your next TG Day of Service? Check out SAE’s resources, including event ideas, a planning guide, and tools for tracking and reporting your event, here.
On January 9th and 10th, Sigma Alpha Epsilon hosted the first-ever Virtual Executives Academy. Executives Academy provides Eminent Archons, Eminent Deputy Archons, Eminent Treasurers, Recruitment Chairmen, Health and Safety Chairmen, Member Educators, and Advisors with the tools necessary for success in leading their chapters.
Thanks to the SAE Foundation, this event was offered at no cost to our attendees. As our third virtual Educational Programs event within the past year, the Virtual Executives Academy was our largest and most successful event to date. Though we couldn’t meet in person, the Executives Academy connected over 230 brothers from across the Realm as they tackled the important issues of their office roles. Programming at the event spanned over two days and included a wide array of topics such as Executive Presence, Action Planning, Officer Nuts & Bolts, Health & Safety Training, Coaching, Officer Need-to-Knows, Leaving Your Legacy, and Networking.
On Saturday, January 9th, the event began with undergraduates and alumni logging on to a single Zoom meeting. Hannah Cotton, SAE’s Manager of Education, kicked off the event with an overview of the schedule and what to expect for the weekend. Other speakers included our Eminent Supreme Warden, Mike Rogers, Eminent Supreme Herald, Mark McDonough, Senior Director of Member Education and Development, Spencer Long, and National Ambassador, Ashwin Sinha.
Unlike in-person Executives Academies, members were able to join the event from all four time zones. Whether chapters are meeting in person or online, participants attended the event from their campuses or the comfort of their homes. The advantage of offering the event online is that it allowed some officers to attend for the first time. While traveling expenses and scheduling may hinder chapters from sending more than one or two officers to in-person events, the virtual setting made the event more inclusive and affordable for all executive officers.
The event was an invigorating and reassuring reminder that, even during a pandemic, SAEs continue to thrive and Rise Above. The conversations, connections, and ideas offered by our undergraduate brothers were nicely complemented by the guidance and wisdom of our Supreme Council, staff, facilitators, and advisors. While many organizations are struggling to operate and grow during COVID-19, the participants of the Executives Academy showed that SAEs are leaders and innovators amongst the challenges of the pandemic.
Let’s hear what our participants had to say about the event!
Remy Lodrigues (Eminent Archon, Nicholls State): “I learned about all the different resources that [Fraternity Service Center] has to offer. Basically, there is never a reason the chapter should be stressed because [FSC] has probably already faced a similar issue and is there to help you.”
Russell Wells (Member Educator, Fort Hays State): “This program was a great way to introduce new ideas and helped enforce anyone that is an executive leader to be more confident.”
Andy Wilson (Eminent Treasurer, Penn State – Harrisburg): “The most important thing I learned was when we were in the officer specific rooms we talked about issues during COVID such as difficulty fundraising, I heard many great ideas from other brothers that will be useful to helping my chapter thrive next semester.”
Alex Dirksen (Eminent Archon, Chapman): “I learned a lot of things, but I found the most helpful part of the program the times that we were just able to talk to the other brothers and hear about their experiences.”
Anthony Mack (Alumni Advisor, North Florida): “My biggest takeaways were the practical ways of being an effective chapter advisor. Every chapter is different, so learning what works at chapters around the country was invaluable!”
The Sigma Alpha Epsilon Foundation Board of Trustees and the members of our Scholarship Selection Committee proudly announce our 2020-2021 academic year scholarship recipients. These brothers excel in their personal, professional, and academic pursuits, and their accomplishments have earned recognition among their peers. This year, the Foundation awarded 29 scholarships totaling $64,000.
We thank our generous supporters, alumni, and friends, who make these scholarships possible. In addition, we encourage you to congratulate any winners you may know. The name of the scholarship, followed by the scholarship’s category or area of interest, and its respective recipients are listed below.
Robert Hamrdla Award (History)
No Qualified Applicants
Past Eminent Supreme Recorder Bob Hamrdla (Stanford ’60) established this award for a brother in any major with transcripts that reflect considerable study of 19th and 20th-century history.
Jones-Laurence Award (Academic Performance)
Brennan Yee (Bucknell) – $2,000
Alex Austin (Simpson) – $2,000
Established in memory of past Eminent Supreme Archon Walter B. Jones (Auburn ’10) and Philip J. Laurence (Minnesota ’15), the award is given to the brothers who display the most outstanding academic achievement.
Dr. Charles A. Preuss Medical Award (Medical)
Chris Bruni (Millsaps) – $2,000
Established in memory of Brother Dr. Charles A. Preuss (Idaho ’24), this award recognizes brothers attending or planning to attend medical school, or enrolled in a course of study related to medicine and who have demonstrated service to their community and fellow man.
Frank C. Ginocchio Professional Staff Leadership Scholarship (Health & Safety)
Thomas Sturman (Central Florida) – $3,000
Established in recognition of Brother Frank C. Ginocchio’s (Northwestern ’66) leadership while serving on the Sigma Alpha Epsilon staff, this scholarship recognizes brothers who have demonstrated a positive influence in the field of risk management.
Thomas W. Devine Volunteer Leadership Scholarship (Health & Safety)
Armand Ghazanfar-pour (Houston) – $3,000
Established in recognition of Brother Thomas W. Devine’s (Minnesota ’74) volunteer efforts on behalf of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, this scholarship recognizes brothers who have demonstrated a positive influence in the field of risk management.
Emil Forman Award (Community Service)
Eric Puetz (South Dakota State) – $3,000
Trevor Curran (South Carolina) – $3,000
Jacob Austin (Simpson) – $2,000
John Vrba (Arizona State) – $2,000
Charles Martell (Illinois)- $2,000
Jake Brend (Simpson) – $1,000
Established in memory of Brother W. Emil Forman (Pennsylvania ’29), this award recognizes brothers who have shown extraordinary commitment to their community and fellow man as demonstrated by community service work.
Bradley M. Cohen Courage Award (Courage)
Ismael Gutierrez (Puget Sound) – $2,000
Past Eminent Supreme Archon Bradley M. Cohen (Arizona ’85) established this award to recognize brothers who have shown extraordinary courage in overcoming a major personal or organizational obstacle.
Ivan Allen Jr. Leadership Award
No Qualified Applicants
Established in memory of Brother Ivan Allen Jr. (Georgia Tech ’33), this award was created by Atlanta-area brothers. The award is given to the brother whose leadership in the chapter and community demonstrates the spirit of Allen, a former Atlanta mayor.
Fred Archibald Leadership Award
Cuong Le (Mansfield) – $2,000
Daniel Short (Morehead State) -$2,000
Established in memory of Brothers Fred J. Archibald (Cornell ’45) and his father, Fred I. Archibald (Nebraska ’14), this award recognizes brothers who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in their chapter, community and school.
Charles Collins Award
Ethan Naquin (Nicholls State) – $3,000
Dominic Zappa (Mount Union)- $3,000
Matthew Hill (Delta State) – $3,000
James Cowan (Rollins) – $2,000
Reid McIntire (Evansville) – $2,000
Anthony Madalone (William and Mary) – $2,000
Jose Osorio (McDaniel) – $2,000
Tanner Johnson (North Dakota State) – $1,000
Established in memory of Brother Charles F. Collins (Boston ’12), this award recognizes brothers who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and service in the Fraternity, on the campus and in the community.
Richard Generelly Leadership Award
Andrew Beckman (South Dakota State)- $2,000
Brandon Dare (Mount Union) – $2,000
Established in memory of past ESA Richard Generelly (George Washington ’47), this award recognizes brothers who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in their chapter, community, and school.
Joseph Mancini Leadership Award
Sean Engler (Fort Hays State)- $2,000
Established in memory of past ESA Joseph Mancini (Cincinnati ’35), this award recognizes brothers who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in their chapter, community and school.
Warren P. Poslusny Award
Noah Kucza (Missouri-Kansas City) – $3,000
Garrett Williamson (South Florida) – $2,000
Kevin Senkus (Maryland-College Park) – $2,000
Past Honorary Eminent Supreme Archon and former Foundation Trustee Warren Paul “Pos” Poslusny (Kettering ’69) established this award to recognize brothers who have demonstrated an enthusiastic commitment to the highest ideals expressed in “The True Gentleman” including exceptional personal integrity while leading chapter and campus activities, coupled with notable philanthropic service and scholastic achievement.
Trustees Award for Scholarship and Service
Riley Sullivan (Mount Union) – $2,000
Funded by Foundation Trustees, this award recognizes brothers who demonstrate quality involvement in campus and chapter leadership positions, particularly the measure of his contribution to the education of his chapter brothers.