Undergraduate Awards
Dr. Phillip M. Summers Student of the Year Award
Named in honor of Brother Phillip Summers, Alpha Psi (Indiana), who served as National President from 1992–94 and was named Mr. Pi Kappa Phi in 2003, this award recognizes the overall most outstanding student member of Pi Kappa Phi. The winner is someone who best exemplifies the ideals of Pi Kappa Phi in his chapter, on his campus and in his community.
2026 Recipient
Joe Szeszycki, Upsilon (Illinois-Urbana-Champaign)
Joe Szeszycki, Upsilon (Illinois-Urbana-Champaign), is the 2026 recipient of the Dr. Phillip M. Summers Student of the Year Award.
When the Upsilon Chapter rechartering process began, Szeszycki was the first man to sign a bid. From the very beginning, he was committed to restoring the chapter to the brotherhood it had once been. After becoming a refounding father, he fully invested in the process and in the Upsilon Chapter's future. Never sitting idly by while others planned for the chapter, Szeszycki met regularly with Pi Kappa Phi's leadership consultants to discuss what the chapter should be, how to reach that goal and who they could recruit to build the vision. He planned events, recruited intentionally and built relationships with men he believed could make a lasting difference. Even before he was initiated as a brother, he was a Pi Kappa Phi leader.
After initiation, Szeszycki continued to set the tone for the Upsilon Chapter, serving two terms as archon. From the earliest stages of rebuilding the chapter to leading through its growth and success, he has represented what it means to give your all to Pi Kappa Phi. His leadership, vision and investment in others helped lay the foundation for what the Upsilon Chapter is today.
