Sigma Phi Delta - University of Illinois

2 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS Chief Engineer Hrishi Kini '25 Vice Chief Engineer Ellis Irwin '26 Assistant House Manager Peter Brennan '27 Philanthropy Ray Chen '27 Historian Will Kelley '27 Business Manager Josh Loomstein '24 Recruitment, EOH Sam Royer '27 Recruitment Hamza Otry '25 Alex Luckett '26 Andy Trujillo '27 Chaplain Kent Lullo '24 Social Gavin Metzger '24 Commissar Cole Profitt '26 Social and Merchandise Carter Smith '24 Pledgemaster Jacob Stocco '25 Risk Manager and Network Jack Stubenvoll '24 Secretary and Athletic Christopher Taylor '26 Philanthropy and External Canyue Wang '26 CHAPTER CHAPTER OFFICERS OFFICERS S ince the start of freshman year, Victor Schutz '99 loved the idea of a brotherhood of engineers. Today, Vick enjoys a remarkable career in visual effects while staying true to his fraternal roots. Delta Development "The bonds formed in my time in Sigma Phi Delta are much of what defines me," Vick said. As an in-house pledge during his first semester, he valued the guidance from older members and local alumni, learning the essence of teamwork. Vick found fraternal service opportunities as president of his large pledge class and in various roles on the Homecoming float teams. This involvement not only honed his engineering and artistic skills, but also taught him invaluable lessons in organizing team efforts and effective communication. "My friends from Sigma Phi Delta are friends for life. It could be 20 years since I've seen them, and it will be like no time has passed." Success in Film After graduation, Vick found an entry-level position with George Lucas' visual effects company, Industrial Light & Magic. Vick worked his way to an assistant technical director role, which earned him the chance to do technical and artistic work on Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. "The combination of engineering training for practical problem-solving, the ability to work as part of and eventually lead a team, and a developing artistic eye were the right combination of skills to thrive in this environment." Vick's career portfolio encompasses numerous iconic entertainment franchises, including Star Wars, Harry Potter, Spider-Man, Mission: Impossible, and Pirates of the Caribbean. An Emmy nomination for The Mandalorian is just one highlight from the five Star Wars projects Vick has helped bring to life. Vick has also supervised many development projects, including the creation of a new proprietary hair grooming system, originally developed for the movie Warcraft, which recently earned a Sci-Tech Award from the Motion Picture Academy. Over the years, Vick spearheaded the introduction of new lighting software and renderers at the company. In addition to his contributions to visual effects, Vick has lent his acting skills to motion capture for various films, notably the skeleton pirates in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Though every career has its challenges, Vick always appreciates the chance to put his engineering and teamwork skills to work and creatively overcome any obstacle. He urges today's undergraduates to get creative in finding a path that inspires them to pursue their own passions. Personal Life Vick and his wife, Kristen, met during freshman year of college and will celebrate 27 years of marriage this July. They have three children, one studying acting at Ithaca College and the other two currently in high school. The Schutz family enjoys movies, television, theatre, and board games (including some long- running family Dungeons & Dragons campaigns.) In his spare time, Vick enjoys sharing culinary creations on Instagram at @vickschutz4 and woodworking, often in the form of set building for local theatre productions. He is also a voice actor and performs in local community theatre. You can connect with Vick at vickschutz@gmail.com. "I love knowing that I'm a small part of bringing entertainment to people around the world." Lights, Camera, Delta Victor Schutz '99 on the World of Visual Effects

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