VMI Alpha Psi

The VMI Alpha Psi Chapter was founded in 2007 under the leadership of Dr. Michael Sexton, who had been originally inducted into the Virginia Tech Upsilon Chapter in 1965. The following year, Dr. Robert McMasters became the faculty advisor, who had originally been inducted into the inaugural Naval Academy Delta Psi Chapter in 1978.

The VMI Alpha Psi Chapter has provided student volunteers to serve as guides for tours of the Mechanical Engineering laboratories to prospective students in an effort to recruit top candidates during six annual Open House Weekends at VMI. Many members also serve as tutors through the VMI Mechanical Engineering Department’s “Peer Study Session” program.

ANNUAL SUMMARY REPORTS

2022-2023 Robert McMasters, Advisor

During the past year, the Alpha Psi chapter inducted 12 new members, all but three of whom were juniors.  An induction ceremony was held on March 22, 2023.  Membership certificates and membership cards were issued at that time. 

The criterion for selection into the Pi Tau Sigma chapter at VMI is the student’s major GPA in mechanical engineering courses.  This is distinguished from the chapter of Tau Beta Pi, a general engineering fraternity, also sponsored by VMI separately from the Pi Tau Sigma chapter.  The procedure for the initiation ceremony follows the script from the Rituals of Pi Tau Sigma.

A reception, including refreshments, was held following the spring induction ceremony. All of the current chapter members were invited to the induction ceremony.

A reception including pizza, cake, and soft drinks, is normally planned but was set aside since the ceremony closely followed the lunch hour. All of the current chapter members were invited to the induction ceremony.

The chapter conducted an election to establish new officers for next year.  The new officers are

President: Colby Doyle (doylecm24@mail.vmi.edu)

Vice President: Mark Gaughan (gaughanma24@mail.vmi.edu)

Secretary/Treasurer: Ella Flickinger (flickingerem24@mail.vmi.edu)

All but four of the Chapter members this year were designated as being “distinguished in academic merit,” as determined by the Virginia Military Institute, which allows them to wear gold-star insignia on their uniforms.

All graduating chapter members successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering Examination, administered by the State of Virginia for the official designation of Engineer in Training (EIT).

Chapter members Cameron Boxley, Kaleb Carpenter, and James Masini each completed a mathematics minor in addition to the curriculum for the mechanical engineering major.

Chapter members Kaleb Carpenter, Rory Groat, and Nathan Stewart each completed a concentration in nuclear engineering, in addition to the curriculum for the mechanical engineering major.

Chapter members Kaleb Carpenter, Rory Groat, and Nathan Stewart each completed a physics minor, in addition to the curriculum for the mechanical engineering major.

Chapter member William Caulfield completed an Institute Honors project, earning this designation upon graduation.  He also received the William H. Milton, Jr. Class of 1920 Award, given to the first-standing graduate in mechanical engineering.

Pi Tau Sigma members occasionally conduct tours of the mechanical engineering laboratories.  The tours are for high school students who express interest in mechanical engineering as a potential academic major.  The tour-guides lead the students throughout the laboratories and classrooms of the Engineering Building during open house events which are conducted on six designated weekends throughout the year.  They also participate in Group Study Sessions (GSS) where underclassmen are afforded the guidance of upperclassmen in small groups, so as to improve their performance in freshman and sophomore mechanical engineering courses.  Additionally, Pi Tau Sigma members assist instructors in reviewing homework submissions from underclassmen in order to ease the grading burden on the faculty.