EHZ tables for Breast Cancer Awareness month with Pi Beta Phi

In a heartwarming display of unity, the brothers of Lambda Chi Alpha and the sisters of Pi Beta Phi at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) hosted a tabling event on Thursday, October 12, to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Pink ribbons and candy bags were sold, raising $469 for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. The event received overwhelming support from the RPI community, showcasing the power of collective effort.

Lambda Chi Alpha and Pi Beta Phi extend their gratitude to all who participated, emphasizing the generosity and compassion of RPI students. This successful initiative serves as a reminder of the positive impact students can have when they unite for a noble cause.

The $469 donation demonstrates the spirit of giving and unity within the RPI Greek Life Community, making a difference in the lives of those affected by breast cancer.

EHZ Brother is Selected to Represent Undergrads

This fall, brother Seth Levine has been selected from hundreds of applicants to represent Lambda Chi undergraduate students internationally as a member of the Student Advisory Committee!

The Student Advisory Committee consists of sixteen undergraduate members. It was formed to help the Lambda Chi Alpha's board of directors and professional staff members stay in touch with current undergraduate concerns and challenges, and to allow undergraduates to communicate with and advise Lambda Chi Alpha's highest levels of international authority.

Seth will gain practical experience and knowledge about how a non-profit corporation operates. He will be involved in discussions that include identifying and drafting policies and objectives for the entire organization, reviewing and approving an annual budget of $6 million, and developing initiatives and programs that will enhance the experiences for all our members. Congtulations Seth!

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

Fall 2023 Food Drive

This September, the brothers of the Epsilon Eta chapter once again partnered with the Hope 7 Food pantry in Troy and the sisters of the Theta Tau chapter of Alpha Phi to raise food for families who are in need. Together, we were able to collect 2369 pounds of food for the food bank. This event’s success would not have been possible without the organization and execution from our High Theta Rob Podesta and Alpha Phi’s Katherine Barney. A huge thank you to all of the brothers and sisters who assisted with the tag distribution and food collection!

High Alpha addresses alumni in Spring 2023 "State of the House" Letter

Alumni Brothers,

I’d like to give you all a broad overview of how the active chapter is doing - from recruitment to philanthropy to just a sense of the character of the house. 

In the 2022-2023 school year, Epsilon-Eta recruited 23 new members, bringing our total undergraduate membership to 77 at year’s end. This made us the biggest house on campus with 15 more brothers than runner-up Pi Lambda Phi. We maintain a strong emphasis on recruitment principles and seek to bring in high-quality men, many of whom didn’t originally consider joining Greek Life. With regards to Philanthropy, the chapter rolled out two major new events in the Spring 2023 semester. We hosted “Bowls on Sunset” with Phi Kappa Theta, selling rice and macaroni bowls across campus. The chapter also held a field day on ‘86 Field with Alpha Phi to support the Autism Self Advocacy Network. We also ran our semesterly food drive with Alpha Phi, where we collected 2,469 pounds of food for Hope-Seven. Epsilon-Eta also continues to hold a place of prominence on the IFC with brothers holding the Executive Vice President and VP of Finance positions. Two brothers also won the RAA Emerging Greek Leader Award, continuing a long-standing tradition of Lambda Chi’s winning the award every year since its inception.

In Fall 2022, the chapter replaced the traditional committee system with a more streamlined tri-team. It consists of the involvement team, the biggest team ran by the High Beta charged with planning events- from recruitment to social to alumni events; the High Kappa’s education team centered on member education and pre-initiation experiences, and the House Manager’s house improvement committee. This tri-team system has led to a more refined operation with improved cooperation between officers, and allowed more brothers to become involved. The house improvement committee in particular has noticeably improved the cleanliness and repair of the chapter house, working with the Board of Directors to roll out renovations in just one semester. In general, the atmosphere around the house is fraternal- enthusiastic and friendly but also focused, hard working, and stalwart in upholding our values. We look to continue to upbuild Epsilon Eta’s excellence going forward with our amazing group of brothers.

The undergraduate brothers would like to thank our High Pi Roger Grice and Board of Directors President Geoff Seber for another year of service to the Chapter. One cannot speak highly enough of them and all they do for the chapter. Outside of his tremendous help running the house, Roger continues to serve as President of the Alumni Fraternity & Sorority Council, furthering Lambda Chi’s presence and activity in the alumni community. Geoff is ever-conscientious, working with the actives to improve the chapter house and was instrumental in finding our amazing new chef Eddie after Bonni’s retirement in December 2022. He truly cares and is always available and willing to provide advice for the house or even just listen to someone who needs to talk. These two advisors give a lot to the house and rarely get the recognition they deserve.

I hope this short letter gave you a glimpse into life at the active chapter. For those curious to hear more, I am more than happy to speak with you- feel free to reach out.

- High Alpha Carl Steffens, EH 1506

Spring 2023 Food Drive

This April, the brothers of the Epsilon Eta chapter partnered with the Hope 7 Food pantry in Troy and the sisters of the Theta Tau chapter of Alpha Phi to raise food for families who are in need. Together, we were able to collect 2469 pounds of food for the food bank. This event’s success would not have been possible without the organization and execution from Rob Podesta, our High Theta, and all of the brothers and sisters who assisted with the tag distribution and food collection!

Pumpkin Bash 2022

The chapter hosted its annual Pumpkin Bash this fall during RPI’s Parents Weekend! Turnout was excellent, with 15 participating teams and over 200 pumpkins. Thanks to the great turnout, the chapter raised $870.69 for Feeding America!

Fall 2022 Food Drive

This September, the brothers of the Epsilon Eta chapter partnered with the Hope 7 Food pantry in Troy and the sisters of the Theta Tau chapter of Alpha Phi to raise food for families who are in need. Together, we were able to collect 2469 pounds of food for the food bank. This event’s success would not have been possible without the organization and execution from Sai Avula, our High Theta, and all of the brothers and sisters who assisted with the tag distribution and food collection!