Members of Sigma Pi Fraternity at Monmouth University traveled to Indianapolis, IN, to attend the fraternity’s 57th Biennial Convocation from June 6-8. The convention is held every other summer and hosts the official business meetings and awards banquet for Sigma Pi Fraternity. The fraternity’s awards are competitive in nature and the scope of potential awardees includes all 100 of the organization’s undergraduate chapters, all 4,500+ undergraduate members, and several hundred alumni volunteers.
At the convention, Sigma Pi Fraternity at Monmouth University President Jack Madden won the Harold Jacobsen Campus Leadership Award—one of the fraternity’s premier undergraduate awards—which recognizes an undergraduate who provides outstanding leadership to both his chapter and to the larger campus community. This award covers the last two years of activity, during which Madden, a dual major in marketing and management, also won several campus-based awards. In 2023, he won the Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) Sophomore of the Year Award and the Interfraternity Council (IFC) New Member of the Year Award. In addition to his service as the president of Sigma Pi Fraternity at Monmouth University, Madden also served as president of the Ski and Snowboard Club, vice president of IFC, and is currently serving as the IFC administrator.
“I am incredibly grateful and honored to receive this award from Sigma Pi Fraternity, and thankful to all of my brothers who have supported me in achieving this recognition,” Madden said. “Delta-Beta Chapter has a legacy of success both within the fraternity and at Monmouth University and I am excited to lead us into the next era of excellence.”
In addition, Sigma Pi Fraternity at Monmouth University’s John Dooley won the fraternity’s top athletics award at the convention. The Guy “Red” Mackey Outstanding Sportsmanship Award recognizes an undergraduate who has made considerable contributions to the field of athletics. Dooley, a dual major in finance and real estate, is currently serving as president of the the club wrestling team. In this role, he helps recruit new members for the team, schedule practices and team meetings, and organize competitions for the team. This award also covers the last two years of activity, during which Dooley won the 2024 National Collegiate Wrestling Association’s (NCWA) Mid-East Regional Championship and represented Monmouth University at the NCWA National Championships in Louisiana. Also in 2024, he won the Leon Hess Business Council’s Resilience and Resourcefulness Award, the IFC Athlete of the Year Award, and was an Academic All-American for the National Wrestling Coaches Association.
“This award shows that anything is possible for the club wrestling team and that we have a great opportunity to grow in the future,” Dooley said. “I’d like to thank my coaching staff, my drill partner Luke Petaccia, and advisor Joe Palazzolo for supporting our season and run to the national tournament this year.” Dooley, who wrestled in high school, added, “I never thought I’d wrestle again after coming up short in the New Jersey state tournament. The opportunity to wrestle once again and help grow the club wrestling team is one that I am not taking for granted.” For future goals, Dooley said that he’s already planning for future success. “It’s only upward from here. I have my eyes locked on bringing back a national championship. My team and I are ready to work and nothing is going to slow us down.”
The chapter also won two major awards at the convention. Sigma Pi Fraternity at Monmouth University received the Grand Chapter Award, which recognizes chapters that achieve a high level of efficiency in chapter operations. In addition, the chapter won the Grand Council Award, which recognizes the Top 3 chapters in the country. In the overall rankings, Sigma Pi Fraternity at Monmouth University finished as the number two chapter in the country for the fourth year in a row. Locally, the chapter won Monmouth University’s IFC Fraternity of the Year Award in 2023 and 2024.
Several chapter alumni were also recognized at the convention. Vin Matano ’18 won the fraternity’s Young Alumni Professional Award for outstanding achievements in his career. Matano was the featured speaker at the IFC professional development event in November 2023 and recently started his own company focusing on business-to-business influencer marketing. In addition, Anthony Ficacci ’20 won the fraternity’s Young Alumni Volunteer Award. Ficacci serves as the chapter’s new member advisor and, in this role, he visits campus several times each semester to mentor the chapter’s new members on topics including resume writing, professional networking, and living a values-based life.
Joe Palazzolo, Ed.D., lecturer in the Leon Hess Business School (LHBS) and chapter alumnus from the Class of 2003, won the fraternity’s Dr. Robert L. Burns Most Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award. This award covers the last two years of activity, in which Palazzolo also won the 2024 LHBS Service Excellence Award and the 2023 FSL Advisor of the Year Award. This convention also marked the end of eight consecutive years where Palazzolo served on Sigma Pi Fraternity’s board of directors, including a four-year term as the chairman of the board. As Sigma Pi Fraternity at Monmouth University’s faculty advisor, Palazzolo meets with the chapter several times each week including a Friday afternoon luncheon and at the chapter’s formal meeting on Sunday evenings. In addition, he provides academic advice and guidance to chapter members regarding their individual paths to graduation and works to connect them to internship and job opportunities.
“Receiving this award is really a testament to the great work of our undergraduates,” Palazzolo said. “I am inspired by their commitment to consistently raising the bar for the chapter and to leveling up their personal and professional lives.”
In addition to Madden and Palazzolo, undergraduates Brandon Caputo and Giovanni Proscia attended the convention. The delegation was also joined by alumni Paul Salvesen ’08, Giorgi Tvauri ’23, Carlos Navarro ’24, and Frankie Schomp ’24. For more information on the chapter’s accomplishments, please visit sigmapiMU.com.
