Gamma Upsilon Chapter at the University of Tulsa
Awards and Recognition
2024 Greek Awards Banquet
Each year the University of Tulsa hosts an All-Greek Awards Banquet to recognize the achievements of the Greek Community and award chapters and individuals for outstanding achievement during the previous year.
In 2024, the Gamma Upsilon and its members took home every chapter award:
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Excellence in Scholarship
Excellence in Leadership
Excellence in Community Service
Excellence in Collaboration
Excellence in Health and Safety
Excellence in Inclusion
Excellence in Educational Programming
Excellence in Philanthropy
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Additionally, Gamma Upsilon was named the overall Chapter of the Year at the University of Tulsa. This award was created in 2009 and PIKE has won 8 of the last 14 (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2024)
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Our chapter also garnered 8 of 9 individual awards in 2024:
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Greek Initiate of the Year: Zach Taylor
Outstanding Greek Scholar (Engineering and Computer Science): Ethan McFarland
Outstanding Greek Scholar (Business): Jake Moore
Outstanding Greek Scholar (Health and Natural Science): Steven Stagg
IFC Rising Leader: Luke Casteneda
Outstanding Campus Involvement: Jeremy Schick
Greek Man of the Year: Jackson Habrock
Chapter Advisor of the Year: Bill Vogle
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In addition to the All Greek awards, PIKE has accumulated a number of other on campus awards and recognition over the years including:
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Top 10 Freshmen: Awarded annually to top ten freshman based on their achievements during their first year at TU. (Clay Moyer - 2017, DJ Lienhard - 2018, Steven Stagg - 2022, Ethan McFarland - 2023, Ben Golla - 2023)
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Jess Choteau Outstanding Seniors: Awarded to top ten seniors on basis of academic, philanthropic, and leadership merit. (Matthew Wells - 2017, Jackson Habrock - 2023)
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Homecoming Kings: Voted upon by the TU student body during Homecoming week each year. (DJ Lienhard - 2020, Rory Mitchell - 2021, Ryan Danley - 2022, Antonio Pastrana - 2023)
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The Medicine Wheel: TU's highest philanthropic honor (Won 3 times)
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Overall Intramural Champions: Given to team that has accumulated the most points based off performance in all sports and competition over the year. (Won 11 years in a row)
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International Awards
Robert Adger Smythe Excellence Award
The Robert Adger Smythe Excellence Awards recognize overall chapter superiority and prominence. The chapters that win this award are top on their campus and the “best of the best” among all of Pi Kappa Alpha. This is the highest award that any chapter of the Fraternity can receive. The award is based upon excelling in 16 areas of operation, including: academics, community service, campus involvement, athletics, management, health and safety, new member education, and alumni relations.
The Gamma Upsilon Chapter's recent excellence has not gone unnoticed and has won the coveted Smythe Award 11 times.
2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024
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The Robertson Award
The Robertson Award is given to one exemplary graduating senior PIKE every year along with a $2500 scholarship. The scholarship honors the memory of Brother Jenkins M. Robertson (Clemson, Eta Alpha ’71), who was a beloved advisor of Epsilon Chapter at Virginia Tech. Epsilon Chapter alumni generously funded this endowed scholarship in Brother Robertson’s memory. Today, a volunteer alumni committee selects each year’s recipient based off of academic achievements, chapter leadership, and community engagement among other criteria.
Out of ​​the last 14 recipients, six have been members of our chapter.
Benjamin W. Quick, 2010: During his time at TU, Ben served as President of the Gamma Upsilon Chapter among other positions. Outside of PIKE he was involved with University Ambassadors, Presbyterian Leaders and Scholars, and created an organization with fellow PIKE, Ryan Staebell, called Students Acting on Poverty. He graduated with a degree in Biochemistry with a Pre-Medicine focus. He continued his education at the University of Kansas School of Medicine and graduated his residency at the University of Kansas Medical Center in June of 2018.​ Ben will be staying in the Kansas City area as an Internal Medicine Physician.
Caleb A. Lareau, 2015: While at Tulsa, Caleb served as Treasurer and several other positions within the Gamma Upsilon Chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha, Chief of Staff of our Student Association, and a volunteer focusing on bone marrow transplant recognition through a NOVA fellowship. He also gave a TEDx talk discussing sources of motivation as an athlete and scholar, which coincides with overcoming insecurities. Caleb graduated with dual majors in Mathematics and Biochemistry.​Currently he is pursuing a Ph.D. in Biomedical and Biological Sciences at Harvard Medical School. His research on genome editing via CRISPR/Cas9 has been published in Forbes.
Matthew B. Wells, 2019: While at Tulsa, Matthew served as Internal Vice President, Recruitment Chairman, and several other positions within the Gamma Upsilon Chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha, President of Order of Omega, President and founder of TU Club Golf, an undergraduate research fellow, and a voluteer and active participant at the St. Philip Neri Catholic Newman Center. Matthew was also a Jess Choteau Outstanding Senior in 2018. Matthew has completed his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering and is currently pursuing his second degree in Spanish.
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Matthew S. King, 2020: While at Tulsa, Matthew served as Treasurer, President, and as a great example to all of us at the Gamma Upsilon Chapter. Matt also served as the President of the Order of Omega Greek Honor Society, the President and founder of TU Club Baseball, and as a University Ambassador. Matthew has completed his undergraduate degree in Computer Information Systems with minors in Computer Science and Cyber Security and is now working as a Security Analyst in Tulsa.
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