Phi Sigma Kappa - Purdue University

2 Phi Sig Express Teamwork Makes the Dream Work Engineer Rich Sisken '83 Shares How Collaboration Is Prosperity Brendan Bisbee Minooka, Ill. Rachit Bisht Santa Clara, Calif. Andrew Bondurant Elkhart, Ind. Matthew Campbell Andover, Mass. Nathan Caylor Fishers, Ind. Joseph Cipriano Armonk, N.Y. Oliver Conboy-Smith Sammamish, Wash. Joseph Diamond-Pott San Diego, Calif. Zachary Fielding Phoenix, Ariz. Jeffrey Henn Carmel, Ind. Kaushik Karthikeyan Naperville, Ill. Akash Lavu Saratoga, Calif. Cameron Lofgren Fort Myers, Fla. Luke Longarzo Los Angeles, Calif. Bevan Luppnow Ledgewood, N.J. Noah McNeany Westfield, Ind. Zachary Miller Sioux Falls, S.D. Logan Murray Carmel, Ind. Federico Ortiz Miami, Fla. Rowan Peijs Eindhoven, Netherlands Samuel Pletcher Indianapolis, Ind. Emilio Rios-Rojas Fishers, Ind. Lucas Rodenberg Abu Dhabi, UAE Evan Rudolph Evanston, Ill. Grant Siegel Pevely, Mo. Cole Stephens Poway, Calif. Cameron Tham Summit, N.J. Daniel Verde Fishers, Ind. Robert Welp Carmel, Ind. FALL 2021 NEW MEMBERS Welcome to Phi Sig! W ithout the knowledge and skills he learned from his brothers at Phi Sigma Kappa, Rich Sisken '83 is certain he wouldn't be where he is right now. When he applied to Purdue University, the dorms were full. He boarded with the chapter house instead and quickly realized it was the place for him. "My brothers helped me transition into college and, ultimately, grow up. They're an upstanding group of guys and lifelong friends." Rich credits a handful of successes in his career to his experiences in the fraternity. "Brotherhood takes working together and getting along, and that was instrumental in preparing me for the world of work as an engineer," Rich shared. Engineering is no simple task. There's more to it than product design; there's organization, tehnical analyses, process design, validation, leadership, and teamwork. Working through engineering obstacles, like design, technical, or diagnositic challenges, is easier done with a team rather than individually. This became clear to Rich when he was an undergraduate. Rich recalled a memory of his brothers and him putting their minds to work, like any engineer would. The TV room in the chapter house wasn't an ideal layout, so they collaborated. They bolted two-by-fours together and covered them with plywood, foam, and carpet for a group of people to watch TV together. "Great teamwork," he noted. Leading and mentoring an engineering team with an assortment of diverse talents and personalities on a six-year product development project was a rewarding endeavor. Similar to the TV room layout with his fraternity brothers, Rich and his engineering team identified an issue, brainstormed a solution, and worked together to struggle through them as a team. In addition to creating and fixing tangible products, Rich is always working to better environments around him. As an undergraduate, he was the house manager; after gradutation, he voluteered as chapter advisor and continued to help keep the chapter together. "There were work days where quite a few alumni showed up. Terry Liffick '64, Dave Franzmann '80, and I put in a handful of time on wiring," he said. Rich's desire to work towards a solution is embedded in everything he does. When he's not working as an engineer, he still enjoys the process of designing and building a product, specifically woodwork. One of his favorite creations was an LED-based mantle clock with a virtual pendulum. "It was a cool challenge, but making things for my grandchildren is the most fun," he said. To learn more about Rich, you can connect with him at rsisken@frontier.com.

• Cover