UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - A gift from the Sigma Phi Epsilon (SigEp) Fraternity national organization will support fraternity and sorority research through Penn State’s Timothy J. Piazza Center for Fraternity and Sorority Research and Reform. This contribution of $50,000, which was matched by the University, underscores SigEp’s longstanding commitment to furthering research and providing a safe and transformational experience to undergraduate students.
“We believe in the value that fraternities offer, and we hope the research that comes out of the Piazza Center will help organizations and communities shape the type of fraternity experience — safe, supportive, and focused on belonging and personal development — that college students need today,” said Tom Jelke, grand president, Sigma Phi Epsilon.
SigEp has a strong history of promoting research and partnering with higher education to advance the fraternity and sorority experience. The national organization – which removed pledging from its membership experience and adopted a substance-free policy across its housing – is specifically interested in research surrounding what practices make fraternities safer. The SigEp leadership said it is excited to contribute to the Piazza Center fund to support research that seeks to put an end to hazing and other dangerous behaviors, while identifying high-impact practices that lead to the experience today’s student needs to be successful during and after college.
"Most of the undergraduate experience takes place outside the classroom, and that's SigEp's place in higher education. It’s where SigEp can have a life-changing impact on young men,” said Brian Warren, CEO, Sigma Phi Epsilon. “We're committed to knowing as much as we can about student perceptions and behavior, so that we can make informed decisions that lead to meaningful experiences in safe environments and avoid the tragedies that led to this center."
The Piazza Center was formed at Penn State in January 2019 and named in memory of Timothy Piazza, who was a sophomore at Penn State in 2017 when he died after a night of pledging. The multidisciplinary research center produces actionable data to provide campuses, fraternity and sorority headquarters, and practitioners with the evidence they need to enact significant change for the more than 750,000 fraternity and sorority members on more than 770 university and college campuses nationwide. The center’s studies are focused in four key areas: hazing and hazardous drinking prevention; peer accountability, leadership, community engagement and learning; mental and physical health; and diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
“Fraternity and sorority life has immense transformative power that exponentially enhances the student educational experience, and if we come together, we will not only be successful in getting ahead of our persistent problems but can create a more meaningful experience,” said Stevan Veldkamp, executive director, Piazza Center. “Research will point us in directions to create significant positive change. This gift is a call to action for any group, parent, and alumni that genuinely seeks to achieve a lasting change in our fraternities and sororities that enhances student safety, welfare and success.”
Penn State hopes to generate an endowment of $8 million to support the center's research. Toward that end, the University has committed $2 million in initial funding and will match up to $3 million in additional endowment funds committed for this purpose.
Through this opportunity, organizations, alumni, parents, and friends can leverage their gifts to secure matching funds that double the impact of their generosity. To learn more about supporting the center and the goal that students in fraternities and sororities have a safe and enriching college experience, visit the Piazza Center website.
This gift will advance "A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence," a focused campaign that seeks to elevate Penn State’s position as a leading public university in a world defined by rapid change and global connections. With the support of alumni and friends, “A Greater Penn State” seeks to fulfill the three key imperatives of a 21st-century public university: keeping the doors to higher education open to hardworking students regardless of financial well-being; creating transformative experiences that go beyond the classroom; and impacting the world by serving communities and fueling discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship. To learn more about “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” visit greaterpennstate.psu.edu.