Brother of the Month - September 2023
The brothers would like to extend a wholehearted congratulations to Dale Roe for winning September's Brother of the Month! As a senior living in the chapter house, Dale has been an involved leader and role model for the younger brothers. He was a big contributor in Fall recruitment and particularly excelled at developing closer connections with rushees. Most significantly, as you may have seen, Dale has begun updating our website for the first time in three years. Above all else, Dale always has a positive attitude and goes out of his way to help the chapter. Thank you Dale!
The Brother of the Month award is a new program in development this Fall designed to recognize outstanding individual effort and involvement. The recipient is decided by the High Zeta before the first house meeting of each month. Chapter Officers are not eligible to win. It is part of a larger program, Brother of the Semester, which goes to the brother with the most exemplary service to the chapter. The Brother of the Semester award includes a $250 scholarship provided by Epsilon-Eta’s Educational Foundation.
Brother Axel Batlle and Biomedical Engineering Team Pioneers Breakthrough in Skin Cancer Diagnosis
In a groundbreaking collaboration between SurgiVance Inc., a New York City-based startup, and a team of talented biomedical engineering students at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a revolutionary method for rapidly diagnosing skin cancer at the point of care is on the horizon pending FDA clearance.
Brother Axel Batlle and his team played a pivotal role in developing a critical component of SurgiVance's innovative biospecimen processing platform. Their task was to create a secure and contained sample preparation method, and to accomplish this, they invented a multi-chamber device that promises to transform the landscape of skin cancer diagnosis.
The device involves a sequence of chambers for optimal sample preparation. A tissue sample is inserted into a staining confinement chamber, followed by the release of a stain onto the sample through a valve. Subsequently, a third chamber releases a washing solution, resulting in a properly stained and washed sample ready for analysis under a microscope. What sets this solution apart is not only its efficacy but also its cost-effectiveness and passive nature, relying solely on gravity for reagent exchange, eliminating the need for mechanically active components.
The team’s effort were nothing short of impressive, with the team winning the prestigious "Best Design" award at the capstone research team projects ceremony. Their contribution is not only acknowledged within the academic sphere but has significant real-world implications.
Daniel S. Gareau, M.C.R., Ph.D., founder of SurgiVance, expressed his appreciation for the students' efforts: "The Rensselaer students were immensely helpful to SurgiVance in developing a diagnostic surgical pathology solution. It is, effectively, a histopathology lab in a box. It has the potential to transform skin cancer diagnosis and really improve patient care."
The impact of Axel and his team's work goes beyond the accolades they received; it has the potential to revolutionize the field of skin cancer diagnosis and, ultimately, improve patient outcomes.
From the Brothers at Epsilon Eta, a huge congratulations to Axel and his entire team!
EHZ Chapter Takes Strides for Ovarian Cancer Research
Brothers finish 5k run to raise money for ovarian cancer research and to support their brother.
From Left to Right: Matt Regan, Jules Phillips, Joe Mergen, Evan Owens, Matt Emerson, Clayton Wrinn, Nick Khoo, & Krista Wozniak
Since its founding in 1937, the Epsilon Eta Zeta Chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha has demonstrated a strong commitment to philanthropy and community involvement. Our efforts were continued last month on Sunday September 10th, when 7 of our brothers accepted the challenge of running a 5k to raise money for ovarian cancer research.
The Teal Ribbon Run/Walk is hosted annually by Caring Together Inc., a non-profit organization in New York State’s Capital Region that donates to promising ovarian cancer research projects. This year, the event raised over $70,000, and the funds were donated to local research efforts led by Dr. Cheon at Albany Medical College and to the Foundation for Women’s Cancer.
For brother Evan Owens, this event carries more personal meaning. Evan explains, “This event has become a tradition in my family ever since ovarian cancer took my aunt’s life in 2003. Over the years we have run, walked, volunteered, and today my mom is the president of the board of directors. Since the cause is so important to me, it meant a lot to see brothers sacrifice their Sunday morning to run with me. It takes a special group of people to run a 5k at 9am on a Sunday to support a cause that doesn’t affect them personally, but thankfully that is exactly what we have here”.
Article by Evan Owens EHZ 1514
Brothers visit Myrtle Beach over Spring Break
Leaving slightly past midnight, brothers embarked on the twelve hour journey down to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to relax over Spring Break.
It is always a cool experience connecting with other chapters across the country. Over the week, our brothers spent time with fellow brothers from the Pi Kappa Chapter at Coastal Carolina University, established in 2015. We even visited their chapter house!
Brothers Travel the World for Spring Break
Brothers visited a variety of locations this spring break. Some enjoyed the tropical weather in Mexico, some hiked the beautiful landscape of Vermont, and others explored the culture of Europe and visited our international brother Johannes Kruse.
Lambda Chi Alpha Welcomes its Spring 2018 Associate Member Class
Join us in welcoming our Spring 2018 Associate Member class. Many thanks to our brothers and especially our High Delta, Graham Zola, for bringing in an excellent class of 4 members. These new associates are Ricardo Diaz, Ziwei Liang, George Lumanas, and Ritvik Vaish. There is no doubt that their contributions to the brotherhood and community will truly show the best that LXA has to offer.
Lambda Chi Alpha Welcomes its Fall 2017 Associate Member Class
Join us in welcoming our Fall 2017 Associate Member class. Many thanks to our brothers and especially our High Delta, Charly, for bringing in one of the largest classes in recent memory with 19 new members! This diverse group of young men includes athletes, scholars, student senators, and Eagle Scouts, and there is no doubt that their contributions to the brotherhood and community will truly show the best that LXA has to offer.
Brothers Visit South Beach Miami for Spring Break
Brothers Ameya, Andrew, Brian, Chris, Chris, Curt, Greg, James, Joey, Joseph, Kevin, Malay, Matt, Nick, Rob, Will, and Zach visited South Beach Miami for Spring Break. There they went deep sea fishing, hung out at the beach, visited the clubs, and explored Little Havanah and Calle Ocho. But most importantly they enjoyed the beautiful weather in Miami.
Charly Visits Montreal for Spring Break
Brother Charly Blazy (EHZ 1376) pictured in the center of the left photo, visited Montreal for Spring Break this year. While there Charly visited China town, Old Montreal, and celebrated St. Patrick's day with a few of his High School friends that go to McGill University.
Brothers Visit Bavaro Beach in Punta Cana for Spring Break
Brothers Luke, Brandon, Mark, Matt, John, Anders, Jeff, and Slade spent their Spring Break in Punta Cana. While there they enjoyed their relaxing week off on the white sand beaches, in the warm waters, and hanging by the pool. They were also able to go kayaking, sailing, snorkeling, volleyball, enjoy the local food, and took a trip on a party cruise. Stay tuned for more Spring Break trips!
