The Fraternity/Sorority Life Podcast

In this episode, part of a three-part series highlighting advisor thoughts on the fraternity experience, I interview Robert Braswell, advisor to the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and Gamma Phi Omega International Sorority Inc. chapters at Illinois State University.

In this episode, part of a three-part series highlighting advisor thoughts on the fraternity experience, I interview Lindsey Hankinson, advisor to the Sigma Kappa chapter at Texas Christian University.

In this episode, part of a three-part series highlighting advisor thoughts on the fraternity experience, I interview Dick Rasmussen, advisor to the Psi Upsilon chapter at the University of Rochester.

In this episode, Brittany Barnes and Erin McHale join for a conversation about toxic belongingness, what it is, how it affects individuals and organizations, and what we might do about it.

Erin McHale serves as Coordinator for Fraternity and Sorority Life Programs at the University of Iowa.  She advises multiple councils, with focuses on recruitment, risk management, and PR, and volunteers for her sorority, Gamma Phi Beta.  

Brittany Barnes serves as the Assistant Director for Fraternities, Sororities, and Cooperative Life at Purdue University.  She advises the Panhellenic Council and Multicultural Greek Council, as well as handling assessment duties.

In this Pi Day episode, the members of Nerd City get together to explore questions around engagement, advice to professionals and members, and the nature of calling in FSL.

The Nerd City members are:

Donald Abels - Coordinator, Fraternity/Sorority Life, University of Mississippi

James Crawford - Assistant Director, Greek Life, Vanderbilt University

Logan Davis - Assistant Director of Education and Development for Prevention Programs, Delta Gamma

In this episode, Veronica Moore, the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisor's most recent past president joins the show to reflect on her time on the Association board and to offer some challenges and encouragement for the future of fraternity and sorority life.

Veronica has served as the AFA President for the past two years, with her term ending at the most recent annual meeting. In her day job, she recently made a transition from working with fraternities and sororities at Temple University, to serving the Delta Upsilon Fraternity on an international level, while sharing her talents to lead new cultural initiatives at the NIC.

In this episode, Ben Pendry and Cassie Gerhardt, both members of the AFA Foundation, join to discuss the importance of connecting donors with values and to provide an inside look at the work and wins of the AFA Foundation.

Note: you can give to the AFA Foundation by going to afa1976.org/donate

Chris Medrano joins the podcast to provide a primer on multicultural Greek-letter organizations, some of the struggles they face, and how fraternity/sorority professionals can better support them.

Chris Medrano serves as the Associate Director for Fraternity and Sorority Life at Florida International University. She is a proud member of Gamma Eta Sorority Incorporated (with an incredible story of starting up and growing) and served from 2011 to 2015 as the president of the National Multicultural Greek Council which serves as the umbrella council for 12 nationally recognized multicultural Greek-letter orgs.

On this episode, Wendi Kinney joins us for a conservation about long term service in FSL, her experiences working with local fraternities and sororities, and the need for continued volunteering in the FSL field.

This week, Adam McCready joins the show to discuss organizational socialization and its implications for our work with new member and officer education. He pulls from his research on joining to provide some insights into the important components of the socialization experience.

Adam McCready is a doctoral student at Boston College. Prior to beginning his studies there, he served for 7 years in fraternity/sorority life, most recently at MIT.

This week, Ginny Carroll, founder and CEO of Circle of Sisterhood joins the FSL Podcast for a conversation about innovation, relationships, and the inspiring work sorority women are involved in in removing barriers to women's education across the globe.

Ginny Carroll is the Founder of Circle of Sisterhood and served on the board of Trustees from 2010-2013. In January of 2014 she became the part time Executive Director responsible for ensuring ongoing programmatic excellence. Ginny has spent over 25 years in management and consulting, and is also the Principle of her own consulting business. Prior to establishing her consulting business in 2001, Ginny spent 15 years in association management, five of those as the Executive Director of Alpha Xi Delta Women’s Fraternity. She is a strong proponent of the Greek experience, evidenced by several awards she has received nationally for fostering positive change to advance the fraternal movement. Ginny is a sorority woman who truly believes in the value of the sorority experience and the power of the sorority community to make the world a better place for girls and women.

For more information about Circle of Sisterhood, visit - circleofsisterhood.org

To learn more about Ginny's work, visit - inginuity.com

John Shertzer, creator and writer for the Fraternal Thoughts blog, joins the FSL Podcast to talk about the powerful experience of fraternal membership, to provide some challenges for professionals around innovation, and to share his thoughts on the future of the fraternal movement.

Find the Fraternal Thoughts blog at - fraternalthoughts.blogspot.com and follow it on Twitter or Facebook.

This week, on the FSL Podcast, we look ahead to the summer with Dan Wrona sharing thoughts on intentional professional development and some important areas of focus.

Dan Wrona serves as CEO and Project Leader for RISE Partnerships. Since co-founding the company in 2000, he has led training and consulting projects on more than 200 campuses. He specializes in strategy, systems theory, culture change, curriculum design, and interactive training.

This week, assessment mavens Annie Carlson Welch and Ari Stillman join the podcast to discuss the need for assessment in FSL, diverse ways to gather data, and what to do with all the data you've got.

Annie Carlson Welch  currently serves as Assistant Director for Assessment in Exploratory Studies at North Carolina State University. She served a FSL professional at both the University of Oregon and Wake Forest University, and continues to serve the field as the editor for AFA's magazine Perspectives.

Ari Stillman is serves as Director of Research and Assessment for the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors. He has a strong focus in research methodology and assessment practices, with a master's degree focusing on research in social sciences.

This week, Dr. Frank Shushok, Virginia Tech University, joins the podcast to discuss student learning and development in fraternity/sorority life and how we can embrace our roles as educators on a continual basis.

Dr. Frank Shushok serves as senior associate vice president for student affairs and associate professor of higher education at Virginia Tech. His writing and research focus on student learning and engagement and the impact of positive psychology on student growth. He additionally serves as the executive editor of About Campus, one of ACPA's main publications.

Two of the gentlemen of the mastermind group Nerd City (James Crawford and Logan Davis) jump into the FSL Podcast to offer and answer deep questions about fraternity/sorority life and leadership.

James Crawford serves as Coordinator of Greek Life at Vanderbilt University. Logan Davis serves as Assistant Director of Education and Development for Prevention Programs for Delta Gamma.

Byron Hughes joins the FSL Podcast to discuss his relational and direct approach to student advising, the need for intentionality in FSL, and the Legacy Report process for measuring chapter success.

Byron Hughes serves as the Director of Fraternity/Sorority Life at Virginia Tech University. He has previous served in roles focusing on housing/residence life and student conduct. He is a volunteer for many national/international fraternities and sororities and serves on the board for his own organization, Alpha Sigma Phi.

At the largest gathering of fraternity/sorority leaders, three student leaders share their thoughts on challenges, opportunities, and relevance in fraternity/sorority life.

Student voices include the Purdue University IFC VP of Risk Management, the Purdue University Panhellenic VP of Scholarship, and the University of Texas - Dallas IFC President.

On this bonus episode of the FSL Podcast, Justin Kirk, Executive Director for Delta Upsilon Fraternity, and Gordy Heminger, CEO for Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity, share their thoughts and hopes for the NIC 2.0

This week, Judson Horras joins the FSL Podcast to discuss the process behind the creation of the NIC 2.0 and how its priorities will impact the fraternal movement.

Judson currently serves as the Executive Director of the NIC. Previously, he was the Administrative Secretary (Executive Director) for Beta Theta Pi

This week, Ellen Barlow joins the FSL Podcast for a conversation about transitioning into that first role after graduate school, using brotherhood and sisterhood better, and tackling innovation challenges in our profession.

Ellen Barlow currently serves as the Assistant Director of Education and Leadership for Kappa Alpha Theta. She is dedicated to helping students become better leaders and human and passionate about fighting the -isms in society.

This week, Dr. Ann Marie Klotz joins the podcast for a conversation about innovation and empowerment in higher education and fraternity/sorority life.

Dr. Ann Marie Klotz serves as the Dean for Campus Life at New York Institute of Technology. She is a believer in the transformative power of higher education. Her work and research focus on empowering others to create lives of meaning, purpose, and focus.

This week, participants on the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors and Delta Upsilon Global Service Immersion trip provide reflection and insights gained on our weeklong journey and service for a member of the Negril community. Participants explore global citizenship, their growth as individuals, and the impact of the trip on lives in the Jamaican community.

Participants include: Alicia Gilbert, Thea Zunick, Jess Pettitt, Barbre Berris, Michelle Castro, Justin Kirk, Kaye Schendel, Joslyn McGriff, and John DiSarro.

This week, Todd Henry, AFA Annual Meeting keynote speaker joins us to discuss innovation and being our best selves. Todd Henry teaches leaders and organizations how to establish practices that lead to everyday brilliance. He is the author of three books (The Accidental Creative, Die Empty, and Louder Than Words) which have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and he speaks and consults across dozens of industries on creativity, leadership, and passion for work.

Todd's latest book, Louder Than Words, is about how to develop an authentic voice that resonates and creates impact. Bestselling author Tom Rath called it “…one of the best guides to living a meaningful life I have ever read.”

In this episode, a conversation with Anne Arseneau about student and professional leadership development, using even the little things to help students grow, and exploring the #notitleneeded leadership concept.

Anne Arseneau is the Director of Student Leadership Development at William and Mary. She was the 2014 recipient of the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors Robert A Shaffer Award for her long-term dedication to fraternity and sorority life. She serves as a volunteer for her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, and for LeaderShape.

In this episode, a conversation with Kara Miller about learning from multiple experiences in fraternity/sorority life, giving students the space to make a difference, and what's going on in the greater FSL world.

Kara Miller has worked at Cornell University since 2006, and currently serves as the Associate Dean of Students for Fraternities, Sororities, and Independent Group Living. She is a woman of many responsibilities, serving on the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors Board of Directors while also pursuing her PhD at Colorado State University.

In this episode, a conversation with Michelle Robinson about caring for self and others, focusing our energy in the right areas, and how FSL and higher education professionals can contribute more to the betterment of their institutions.

Michelle Robinson currently serves as Assistant Director of New Student Connections at the University of South Florida. Prior to moving down to sunny Tampa, she served in the Fraternity/Sorority Life office at Florida State University for 4 years. She is a proud member of Kappa Delta sorority and continues to volunteer for them and many other organizations.

In this episode, thoughts on empowerment and a conversation with Matt Mattson about the possibilities in fraternity/sorority life.

Matt Mattson is co-founder of Phired Up Productions, and is co-owner of Phired Up’s sister companies – Innova Marketing and TechniPhi. This year, Innova Marketing launched a new initiative to encourage people to ReThink Greek.

For more information on the ReThink Greek initiative, visit ReThinkGreek.com.