Today, Epsilon Epsilon Chapter is the senior Greek letter fraternity on the UVa-Wise campus. Currently under the leadership of Archon Ryon Birtsch (EE420), the active chapter boasts an undergraduate membership of 42 Brothers plus Associate Members. Over its 35-year history, the chapter has initiated into its ranks 478 males including 29 Alumni Initiates. Nine members of the UVa-Wise faculty and sta_ are Pi Kapps. A total of eleven Pi Kapps currently serve on The UVa-Wise Foundation Board, The College Board, and The Alumni Association Board.
Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, through its Alumni Initiate program, is one of the few national fraternities to seek advice and counsel from adult members of the college and community. Each chapter of Pi Kappa Phi nationwide has in place a local alumni Council of Advisors whose sole function is to advise the Chapter with regard to organization and social responsibility. The Current COA includes Travis Kennedy (EE246), Chapter Advisor,David Amos (EE229), Financial Advisor, Josh Vaughan (EE343), Alternate Chapter Advisor, D. Michael Donathan (EE65), Scholarship Advisor, Jack Mullins (EE306), Alumni Advisor, Mike Glovier (EE180), Alumni Advisor, David Belcher (EE237) Alumni Advisor, Wesley Mullins (Kappa Sigma Fraternity, Lambda Beta Chapter – ETSU).
The COA at UVa-Wise is one of the few Pi Kapp chapters nationwide with a female member, namely our long time Advisor Sharon Daniels who has been active with the chapter for its entire 35 year history. Pi Kapps at UVa-Wise have been and continue to be active members of intercollegiate and intramural athletics, SGA, IFC, the Dean’s List, the Darden Society, Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities, campus professional organizations, campus honor societies, campus religious organizations, and campus music and theatre performing organizations.
Through participation in numerous fund-raising activities primarily for The Ability Experience (formerly Push America), the Fraternity national outreach program which provides services to the disabled, events for local children with disabilities, the annual Martin Luther King Day events, town and county fairs, as well as other events, Epsilon Epsilon Chapter has established a strong presence in the surrounding community of Wise and Norton.
Active at the National level as well, each year Actives attend Pi Kapp College in January while both Actives and Alumni attend Supreme Chapter meetings at di_erent locations in the United States. Two Epsilon Epsilon Brothers, Jason Brumley (EE188) and Eric Newtson (EE325) participated in the Journey of Hope, Brother Michael Collins (EE311) was a member of Build America, and Brother Donald Williams (EE409) participated in the 2012 Gear Up Florida, all national fundraising events to support individuals with disabilities. In addition the Active Chapter has received several National awards over the course of its 35-year history.
In August 2004 Brother Donathan was awarded the prestigious Merit Citation given by the Supreme Chapter to a Brother who has exhibited exceptional meritorious service to the Fraternity. In 2010 Brother Kennedy was awarded the Chapter Advisor of the Year award for his many years of outstanding work with the local Chapter. Epsilon Epsilon Alumni are active in numerous professional Þelds including medicine, law, ministry, government, military, education, and business. At the 2014 Supreme Chapter meeting in Atlanta, the Epsilon Epsilon Alumni Chapter was awarded the 2014 Alumni Chapter of the Year Award.
Also in 2014, Brother Keenan France (EE404) was employed by Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity as a Leadership Consultant, another Þrst for Epsilon Epsilon Chapter.
The Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Hawpe-Donathan Alumni Scholarship was established in 2010 to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the chapter. To date more than $40,000.00 has been donated by EE Alumni and friends of the chapter to support the scholarship. The fraternity is indebted to the UVa-Wise O_ce of Development, especially Valerie Lawson and Tami Ely, for their help in establishing and maintaining the scholarship. Scholarship
recipients to date include Brother Mark J. Collins (EE386), Brother David Carty (EE377), Brother Donald L. Williams III (EE409), Brother Nathan Rasnake (EE431), Brother Dakota Hill (EE396), Brother Christian Marquez (EE440).
Also in 2010, the Epsilon Epsilon Alumni Chapter was chartered on March 1, the 30th anniversary date of the chartering of Epsilon Epsilon Chapter. Under the current leadership of Archon L. J. Boothe (EE290), the Alumni Chapter has grown to include some sixty Alumni as participating members. Since its establishment, the EE Alumni Chapter has raised several thousand dollars for The Ability Experience and the Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Hawpe-Donathan Scholarship Fund, as well as supporting national fees for the active chapter. The EE Alumni Chapter is open to all EE Alumni in good standing.
In August, fourteen active and alumni brothers attended the 2014 Supreme Chapter meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, where 700 Pi Kapps from 160 chapters and 17 associate chapters across 43 states (and D.C.) were in attendance. Seven Epsilon Epsilon Alumni Brothers, D. Michael Donathan (EE65), Travis Kennedy (EE246), Neal Lane (EE244), David Belcher (EE237), Michael Glovier (EE180), Chad Horvat (EE310) and James Trullender (EE240) are members of the philanthropic Nu Phi Society of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity. Nu Phi, a fundraising wing of the Pi Kappa Phi Foundation, raises millions of dollars each year to support scholarship and other Fraternity endeavors. Nu Phi Society members are honored at each Supreme Chapter for their contributions to the national Fraternity.
Epsilon Epsilon Brothers are proud of their 35-year history of diversity. Initiates of Epsilon Epsilon Chapter have included men who are physically challenged, gay and bisexual, non-Christian, Native American, African, Iranian, Japanese, Egyptian, Lebanese, Chinese, Korean, Pakistani and Mexican American. Several international students, including those from Luxembourg, Haiti, and England, have been initiated as well.
The Little Sisters of Pi Kappa Phi were an integral part of the chapter until November 1984. The purpose of the organization was to provide undergraduate female students with the means of developing self-discipline, responsibility, and leadership in the college-community and to support the
growth and development of the Chapter. Each year Epsilon Epsilon Active
Brothers honor one UVa-Wise woman as Rose Queen. Usually an undergraduate student, the Rose Queen is chosen based on her contributions to the ideals and welfare of the chapter. The award is presented each year at Rose Ball in April. From time to time, the chapter honors a member of the college sta_ for their special contributions. Past awards have included Valerie Lawson, Jean Good, Jewell Worley, and Sharon Daniels for their long time support of the Fraternity.
From its beginning in 1980, through good times and less than good times, Epsilon Epsilon Chapter has not only survived at
UVa-Wise campus but has established itself as one of the leading smaller chapters of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity nationwide.