Pi Kappa Alpha - University of Texas

Beta Mu Review the Pi Kappa Alpha Beta Mu Alumni Group P.O. Box 7842 Austin, TX 78713 - 7842 Address Service Requested 2015 Rush Co-Chairmen Plan Active Summer T he Pike rush co-chairmen have been nominated and are preparing for an active spring and summer of Pike promotion. They are Colby Lewis '13, Ryan Merkley '13, Michael Moroney '13, J.D. Swancoat '12 and Ryan Thompson '13. These new leaders have exciting summer plans to introduce incoming students to Pike. The plans include a number of Austin events, as well as a sustained Houston focus throughout the summer. New Houston city rush captains will be named this spring and Houston alumni will be contacted to support this reconstituted rush effort in the region. Alumni can refer prospective rushes by sending an e-mail to rush@texaspikes.com or downloading and mailing a rush recommendation form found on the texaspikes.com/rush page. Rushees may also directly register on the same webpage. Pike rush leaders ready for summer are J.D. Swancoat '12, Ryan Thompson '13, Ryan Merkley '13, Colby Lewis '13 and Michael Moroney '13. Beta Mu aluMni honoR DeceMBeR gRaDuateS W ith the support of Beta Mu's Alumni Fund, a Senior Sendoff lunch and presentation of gifts in Austin was held in December 2014 for eight graduating Pikes. The new Texas Exes are Chandler Abbott '10, Will Brown '11, Scott Englar '11, Dalton Hardy '11, Anthony Kruger '10, Jordan Robirds '10, Zach Schaefer '10 and Evan Scofield '10. This was an impressive group of upperclassmen whose leadership will be missed, including a past Pike president, past vice president external, past treasurer, and former rush chairs, as well as two Texas Cowboys and one Silver Spur. The new graduates are heading into new careers: Abbott is newly employed by Oracle Corp.; Brown is in management consulting with The Structure Group; Hardy is employed by pipe maker Tenaris; Kruger is applying to medical schools; and Schaefer has joined the deal advisory practice of KPMG. Alumni-Led Career Advisory Sessions Held During Holiday Break A s in recent years, alumni participated in Career Advisory Sessions during the holiday break. Pike students had the opportunity to join a Houston "Preparing for Law School and a Legal Career" lunch discussion on January 6, and a January 8 session on "New Media, Big Data and the Digital World" at the studios of YouPlus Media in Dallas, a company owned by Jeff Hinson '74. These events were organized by Pikes Continuing Education Chairman Drew Lane '14. At the Dallas event, Jeff led a tour of his digital firm's nerve center and creative studio. Pikes studying advertising, marketing and computer science enjoyed the session with Jeff. He discussed his firm's media, film and digital branding and marketing capabilities, as well as generational changes in social media and how Big Data opens a significant business opportunity for this generation of marketers. Jeff, who serves on the Advisory Board of U.T.'s Moody College of Communications, as well as several publically traded companies, was an excellent presenter according to attendees. Likewise, the alumni lawyer presenters in Houston provided firsthand knowledge based on experiences in preparing for law school, how to excel in law school and what to expect in a legal career, including small solo practices to mid-sized firms to large global law firms. The working lunch was held at the downtown Houston office of mega global law firm Jones Day, by partner Bruce McDonald '82. Joining Bruce (kneeling, center in photo) as faculty at the lunch were fellow attorney Pike alumni Mack Gibson '67, Chad Smith '04, John Wallace '78 and David Zdunkewicz '81. New graduates presented with Pike blankets are Jordan Robirds '10, Scott Englar '11 and Dalton Hardy '11. John Scofield '75, a member of the Beta Mu Alumni Advisory Board, congratulated his son, Evan '10, at the Senior Sendoff luncheon. Connect with Beta Mu Online at www.texaspikes.com Pike alumni and undergraduates enjoyed lunch and a career session on the legal field January 6 at the Houston offices of Jones Day.

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