Sigma Phi Epsilon - University of Florida

Page 2 SigEp Gator Heart FLORIDA ALPHA DOING GOOD WORK Making a Difference rough Simple Acts of Kindness Florida Alpha Stays Focused on Philanthropy B uilding a brotherhood that is passionate to serve is a goal of our Chapter. This semester, we hosted service organization A Reason to Give again in the backyard for their weekly events. Brothers spend their Sunday mornings making sandwiches for the homeless in Gainesville, reminding us all that simple acts of kindness can make all the difference. We also led a service project with the Delta Zeta sorority to make dog toys for the North Central Florida Humane Society. Nearly 80 individuals met on a Saturday morning at Depot Park, bringing old T-shirts and personal dogs in what became a stimulating and enjoyable atmosphere. Additionally, with the objective to make philanthropy and service accessible, we recently led a blood drive from our driveway. Booking a blood bus and giving brothers the chance to donate 10 feet from our front door is a simple yet meaningful way to save the life of another. Surrounded by members of our brotherhood, our Chapter aims to share the impact that service can have on our lives, our character, and those who we are helping. Brothers Gain Real-Life Research Experience at UF F lorida Alpha members have been involved in academic research on campus for several years. Conducting and being a part of this process allows them to gain exposure and experience toward their respective majors or future professions. Brother Ryan McKeever '23 shared that UF is a public research university, so taking advantage of the great opportunities in undergraduate research and creating a thesis provides unspeakable benefits. Ryan works with a USDA economist investigating food insecurity at UF through the Field and Fork Pantry. Michael Cohn '21 has spent time with the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Research Lab as a part of the program for neurotrauma, neuroproteomics, and biomarker research. Michael's specific research focuses upon the pathology of TBI and the prognostic models for clinical TBI patients. Michael emphasizes his lab's development of blood tests are cheaper, easier to administer, and more accurate than imaging systems. In the same lab, Alex Briones '23 recently received a position working on a cardiac arrest project with the aim of determining the severity of brain injury in patients following cardiac arrest. Zach Karpinski '22 is furthering research seeking to validate models for Faraday instability, with defining experiments conducted in the absence of gravity on the International Space Station and comparing these to ground experiments. His project seeks to determine when the interface saturates to standing waves and when it breaks catastrophically to rupture. Florida Alpha is incredibly proud of all our brothers for participating in research projects that are bound to positively impact our lives. W hile the past two semesters have been filled with unprecedented challenges and obstacles, Florida Alpha has stayed heavily involved in campus organizations. Serving as leaders, ambassadors, and members, our brothers have been hard at work participating in and giving back to the community. Ryan McKeever '23 and Drew Pancione '22 represent Gator Party as senators on campus, attending weekly legislative and committee meetings. Blake McCoy '24 and Grady Svetly '24 work as Gator Party ambassadors, in charge of sharing Gator Party's message to students across Gainesville. IFC Executive Vice President Scott Ater '22 serves as a guide and resource for Greek life leaders and assists with philanthropic events across campus. As a facilitator for the Heavener Leadership Challenge, Andrew Pao '23 spends his time leading small groups through leadership workshops, activities, and presentations. Brother Pao is also a sponsorships captain for Dance Marathon, in charge of finding sponsors or in-kind donations for the main event. Bobby Poehlitz '23 joined ThriveIFC, a new program on campus concerned with discussing mental health and providing support to our brotherhoods and community. Brady Alexander '22 serves on Florida Blue Key Executive Board as executive producer for Gator Growl, managing a team of more than 200 students and peers and coordinating with administration to deliver a successful and profitable event. This is just a fraction of our Chapter's involvement throughout campus, but these leaders strive to help their Florida Alpha brothers and other Florida Gators grow into well-rounded and balanced people. Zach Karpinski '22 and Kyle Howarth '20 with another student working on a research project. Eric Saavedra '21 and other Florida Alpha brothers teamed up with Delta Zeta to collect dog toy donations for the North Central Florida Humane Society this spring. Ryan McKeever '23 and Drew Pancione '22. Committed to Campus and Community Involvement

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