Sixteen Brothers of the Alpha Chapter of Phi Delta Chi (PDC), including the Chapter advisor, Dr. Peggy Carver, recently traveled to St. Louis, Missouri to attend PDC’s Leader-Development Seminar (LDS). This biennial event brought together over 360 pharmacists and pharmacy students from across the country for a rigorous series of sessions aimed at developing leadership skills and strengthening the bonds of brotherhood. In addition, PDC held its first Chapter advisor workshop, which focused on the role chapter advisors play in supporting and developing PDC Brothers scholastically, professionally, and as leaders.
This year, the Alpha Chapter placed 2nd overall, out of more than 80 chapters, in the Emory W. Thurston President’s Cup competition – the highest finish in Alpha history. This award, the most prestigious a chapter can receive, is presented to the chapter that has “promoted the profession of pharmacy and Phi Delta Chi to the fullest extent during the preceding year.” The Alpha Chapter placed well in each of the key scoring components for this coveted award: 1st for the Prescott Scholarship Report, 3rd for the John D. Grabenstein Leadership Report, 2nd for the Ralph L. Saroyan Brotherhood Report, and 4th for the chapter publication, the Alpha Tattler.
During each academic year, chapters compose a chapter publication and four reports focusing on the fraternity’s pillars: scholarship, leadership, professionalism, service, and brotherhood. Each member of the fraternity contributes to the reports by being an active participant in events. The Brothers working directly on the reports spends months writing articles, editing, compiling statistics, and creating an attractive design in which to showcase the effect PDC events have on the College, the community, and its Brothers.
Phi Delta Chi was founded at the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy on November 2, 1883 under the encouragement of Dean Albert B. Prescott. Since then, it has grown to be one of the largest pharmacy fraternities in the country; roughly one out of 12 pharmacists is a PDC Brother. With its mission of creating leaders in pharmacy, Phi Delta Chi has helped countless Brothers achieve their personal and professional goals.
The Leader-Development Seminar provided Alpha Brothers with an opportunity to improve as leaders and student pharmacists. Buoyed by their success in the Thurston Cup, they look forward to bringing what they have learned back to the College and striving for 1st place in the upcoming year.