Sigma Phi Epsilon - Rutgers University

Page 2 L ou Awad '05 came to Rutgers with little knowledge of and no interest in Greek life. Yet in the spring of his freshman year, he found himself at a SigEp event where he bumped into Chris Ayoub '05, his best friend from high school. "That night, and in the weeks that followed, I was struck by the brothers' shared purpose, their accomplishments on and off campus, and the story behind the saying 'This fraternity will be different,'" Lou recalled. "I never considered another fraternity." SigEp surrounded Lou with some of the best men at Rutgers, and he strove to emulate their ambition and drive as he learned from their experiences. As an upperclassman, he held multiple leadership positions (including member development, chaplain, and president) with the hope of giving back and advancing New Jersey Beta for the future. "Connecting Rutgers' FSA, the AVC, and the national fraternity helped me understand how to interact with different stakeholders, shaping the kind of leader and person I am today." After graduating, Lou attended the University of Delaware in a joint DPT/Ph.D. program, combining his Doctor of Physical Therapy studies with scientific training in biomechanics. (Along the way, he served for a short time as the local SigEp chapter counselor.) His dissertation, as well as his postdoctoral research at Harvard, focused on the study and treatment of locomotor impairments after neurological injuries such as stroke—including the potential of soft robotic exosuits to help patients walk again. Lou joined Boston University in 2016, where he remains today. Specifically, he works in the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, where he founded the Neuromotor Recovery Laboratory. This lab's team of scientists, clinicians, and engineers works to study technologies and interventions for patients of strokes, Parkinson's disease, and age-related neuromuscular decline. In addition to running the lab, Lou is an associate professor of physical therapy with a second appointment in the department of mechanical engineering. His current work involves many more collaborations within Boston University and at Harvard, and he serves as a scientific advisor to multiple federal and private institutions. Lou is also an associate editor for several medical journals. To this day, Lou's best friends are his New Jersey Beta brothers. "We stay in touch regularly and see one another when we can around the ebb and flow of life. I have also been incredibly fortunate to find SigEps 'in the wild'—some of my favorite colleagues are brothers from other chapters." Lou and his family live in the Greater Boston area. He met his wife, Christina, at Rutgers (and notes her resume was even more impressive), and they have three sons and four daughters. "Fun fact: my kids are extremely impressed with how quickly I can still recite the Greek alphabet." You can connect with Lou at louawad@bu.edu. L E S S O N S I N C O L L A B O R A T I O N President Ziyad Ibrahim '27 Vice President of Programming Ricardo Hernandez '26 Vice President of SigEp Learning Community Andrew Sarraiocco '27 Vice President of Member Development Siddhant Pai '25 Vice President of Finance Arnav Singh '27 Vice President of Recruitment Mark Chernoff '27 Vice President of Communications Anthony Raucci '27 Chaplain Connor Cooke '27 BMS Chairman Dominic Plesniarski '26 CHAPTER OFFICERS "SigEp prepared me to be a leader. Beyond the excellent day-to-day mentorship provided by the dedicated alumni in the AVC (for which I am eternally grateful), I carry with me to this day what I learned at Carlson Leadership Academies, the Ruck Leadership Institute, and at Conclave." Brothers Display the Chapter's Recent Awards from CLA Lou Awad '05 Thankful for the Brotherhood LOU'S FAVORITE UNDERGRADUATE SIGEP MEMORY "That's easy: camping out at the football stadium the night before the 'Pandemonium in Piscataway' when Rutgers football beat No. 3 Louisville. Many in the chapter spent the night waiting in line to make sure we had tickets for what we knew was going to be an amazing game. At the game itself, we were in the temporary bleachers set up behind the endzone. The bleachers broke late in the fourth quarter before we stormed the field."

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