Theta Xi - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

www.alpha6294.com Alphabet 4 er without acquiring additional skills. is prompted him to earn an MBA from New York University. "I was tutoring graduate stu- dents and had friends going to Wall Street. I thought, 'Why not interview?' I had a strong numerical background and was a person- able engineer." David was hired into Salomon Brothers' infamous sales and trading train- ing program and has spent the last 25 years hopping between bulge bracket and boutique banks. David is currently managing direc- tor of Imperial Capital, an investment bank, focusing on aviation M&A, capital markets, and restructuring. Even while busy with career and family—wife Rochelle and children Angela (22), Robert (21), and Daniel (17)—David has dedicated much of his time to eta Xi. He began his volunteer work as regional director of the Northeast Region for eta Xi National, then was elected to the Grand Lodge, "where I successfully lobbied for and got agreement to hold eta Xi's 150th anniversary con- vention in Troy, hosted by Alpha Chapter in 2014." He currently is working on a couple of alumni engagement special committees for the Grand Lodge. He has been a board mem- ber of the alumni association, co-coordinates alumni communications, and has chaired the fundraising campaign and renovations. "I've also been unofficial mentor of the active chapter president for about the past decade." David was elected president of Alpha's Alum- ni Association at its 2019 annual meeting at 6294 in April in Troy. David's love of and dedication to eta Xi is undoubtedly a factor in the campaign's suc- cess. He is proud of the "steady work to return our well-worn chapter house to a much better condition. We've done more than we thought possible. It has been exciting to witness our chapter house returning to its original glory and being listed on the National Register of Historic Places. "We've shared the same values and ritual with almost 1,800 Alpha Chapter brothers over the past 155 years and have shared the chapter house for almost 90 years." With the support and leadership of alumni like David, eta Xi at RPI will provide a home in Troy for many more generations of Alpha Chapter brothers. David can be contacted at dwfowkes@verizon. net. David Fowkes '89 (A1275) (Continued from page 3) I n a year with a great deal of uncertainty for the Greek community at RPI, Alpha Chap- ter of eta Xi displayed great resolve and was successful in many aspects of fraternity life. e chapter began the academic year on suspen- sion, but thanks to the tireless effort of actives, alumni, and eta Xi National, the chapter was removed from suspension status in mid-October and was allowed to participate in fall recruitment. Although this was a noticeably weaker recruit- ment period for the Greek community compared to previous years, the actives worked diligently, and between the fall and spring semesters, Alpha Chapter initiated 15 new brothers. While a re- spectable number for any given year, the actives are especially proud of the results in a year when many fraternities struggled to produce similar numbers. We are satisfied by not only the quan- tity but also the quality of our newly initiated brothers. We are eager to see how they will each contribute to Alpha Chapter in their own unique way in their next three years. In addition to two successful semesters of re- cruitment, the Alpha Chapter put a strong em- phasis on philanthropy and community service throughout the year. e actives completed a total of 853.5 community service hours, averag- ing to 22.5 hours per brother. is was accom- plished by brothers participating in the chapter's own events, events from other Greek organiza- tions, and from other external organizations. e chapter held the annual cleanup of Oakwood Cemetery, as well as coordinated with eta Xi National to set up a Habitat for Humanity day for brothers to give back to our community. In the spring we brought back Dog Days the week before finals, hosted with Pi Beta Phi. e Alpha Chapter will continue this good work into next year as we strive to promote eta Xi in a positive light in the RPI and Troy communities. e Alpha Chapter also strives for academic and professional success and betterment. As of fall 2018, the chapter held a 3.02 term GPA and 3.04 cumulative, just shy of the all-Greek GPA of 3.07. e actives have worked hard academically this spring semester and fully expect to be above the all-Greek GPA at the end of the year. Many brothers of the Alpha Chapter also benefitted from great professional successes, with brothers gaining valuable experiences at co-ops at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Collins Aerospace, Corning, and Quest Global Services. e spring saw 12 brothers graduating, most leaving RPI with accepted job offers in their re- Alpha Chapter Succeeds in the Face of Adversity Brothers volunteering their time with Habitat for Humanity. Special thanks to eta Xi Nationals for helping set up the event! Front row (le to right): Peter Yapchanyk '19 (A1718), Justin Palovchak '19 (A1725), Ben Lanning '19 (A1719), Cameron Die- selman '20 (A1727), Harry Niles '20 (A1736), Leo Leighton '19 (A1732). Back row (le to right): Fred- die Hole '19 (A1700), Harry Rubenzahl-Martinez '20 (A1735), John Wilt '18 (A1698), Colin O'Connor '19 (A1717), and Sage Parin '18 (A1701). spective fields or continuing their education with graduate school. ese brothers are grateful for the support from both the actives and the Alpha alumni in their time here and sincerely appreci- ate the role that eta Xi played in their profes- sional development. Yours in the Bonds, Cameron Dieselman '20 (A1727) Chapter President (781) 315-1291 / diesec@rpi.edu Newly Initiated brothers were welcomed into the brotherhood this January (le to right): Chase Olsen '21(A1751), Matty Behar '22 (A1747), Marc Perez '22 (A1749), Jeff Wenner '22 (A1753), Chris Flory '22 (A1757), Joe Canale '22 (A1756), Vish Kasinath (A1755), Matt Abbatte '22 (A1750), Luke Smith '22 (A1748), Zack Stankovics '22 (A1752), and omas Cesard '22 (A1754).

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