A modern-day record number of new members attended bid dinner at Pi Kappa Phi on Sept. 7.
Nearly 40 men accepted the challenge of achieving through academics, leadership and service as members of the Fall 2023 pledge class. That number is easily the most in a fall class in the last 50 years.
The plurality of the new members come from the State of Indiana, while Illinois is next followed by Ohio and Missouri. Other states that have one member each include Wisconsin, California, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Texas, New Jersey, Virginia and Hawaii. There is one international member of the class and he is from Australia.
As far as majors go, nine are in business, eight in science and seven in only engineering. There are five guys who are in an interdisciplinary program that started in 2021 of integrated business and engineering that shares its major between two different schools. There are five in technology, four in exploratory studies, two in kinesiology and one in liberal arts.
Three of the new members were president of their high school class and at least one valedictorian and another who was a National Merit Finalist. Of the new members, they were team captains of 30 different high school sports – some of them were captains on multiple teams.
So, the recruitment emphasis on academic achievement and leadership experience are apparent among the four sophomores and 37 freshmen.
Six members of the class are legacies, meaning they have relative who is a Pi Kappa Phi member.
The Fall 2023 Class includes:
- Shri Atluri, freshman in data science, Carmel, Indiana
- Ryan Barrera, freshman in computer science, Chicago, Illinois
- Harrison Bavone, freshman in integrated business and engineering, LaGrange, Illinois
- Tommy Boyles, freshman in kinesiology, Rensselaer, Indiana
- Ben Brown, freshman in integrated business and engineering, Richmond Heights, Missouri
- Quinn Buchinger, first-year engineering, Kaukauna, Wisconsin
- Charlie Cook, freshman in integrated business and engineering, Sydney, Australia
- Caleb Crook, sophomore in accounting, Logansport, Indiana
- Chandrahaas Duggirala, sophomore in cybersecurity, Aurora, Illinois
- Daran Ebadi, freshman in finance, Palo Alto, California
- Charlie Featherson, freshman in business management, Carmel, Indiana
- Will Fazio, first-year engineering, Lake, Ohio
- Ryan Fraga, freshman in finance, Highland, Indiana
- Bobby Frassinelli, freshman in computer science, Holliston, Massachusetts
- Austin Goodrich, freshman in business analytics, Valparaiso, Indiana
- Billy Hand, freshman in industrial engineering technology, Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Ben Heaviland, freshman in finance, Speedway, Indiana
- Blake Holloway, freshman in professional flight, Nashville, Tennessee
- Owen Hooper, freshman actuarial science, Indianapolis, Indiana
- Kestan Kamei, freshman data science, Honolulu, Hawaii
- Jack Kelly, freshman in kinesiology, Jasper, Indiana
- Reece Lampert, freshman in exploratory studies, Jasper, Indiana
- Kam Little, freshman in business management, Lafayette, Indiana
- Ronnie Mayor, freshman industrial engineering technology, Naperville, Illinois
- Adi Naidu, freshman in computer science, Cypress, Texas
- Sean Nichols, first-year engineering, Troy, Ohio
- Francesco Nofrini, first-year engineering, Carmel, Indiana
- Louie Palmer, freshman in industrial engineering technology, Vernon Hills, Illinois
- Scott Richmond, freshman in finance, Skillman, New Jersey
- Zac Romps, first-year engineering, Leesburg, Virginia
- Will Sautter, freshman in communication, West Lafayette, Indiana
- Brock Schultz, freshman in exploratory studies, LaPorte, Indiana
- Colin Spensley, freshman in finance, Westfield, Indiana
- Nate Stevens, first-year engineering, Centerville, Ohio
- Zach Thieme, freshman in finance, Carmel, Indiana
- Nolan Thorpe, sophomore in cybersecurity, Carmel, Indiana
- Lucas Timm, freshman in integrated business and engineering, Jasper, Indiana
- Tristen Wuethrich, freshman in exploratory studies, Rensselaer, Indiana
- Jack Ziemke, freshman in professional flight, Vernon Hills, Illinois