KEARNEY – The University of Nebraska at Kearney’s Delta Tau Delta fraternity is once again receiving recognition as one of the top chapters in the country.
UNK’s Theta Kappa Chapter received a Court of Honor and Hugh Shields Award for Chapter Excellence during the Region 12 Emerge event last weekend in Lawrence, Kansas. The UNK chapter ranks third among all 130 Delta Tau Delta chapters and colonies nationwide.
The Theta Kappa Chapter also received the Hugh Shields Award for Chapter Excellence in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2023 and 2024, recognizing its ranking among the top 10 chapters in the nation. The UNK fraternity has received the Court of Honor distinction 13 times, indicating its ranking among the top 20 chapters.
Both awards signify excellence in areas such as chapter finances, recruitment, member development, academics, alumni relations, campus involvement and community service.
Chapter members also received two individual awards. Vice President Brodie Mitchell of Cambridge was honored with the Region 12 Outstanding Director of Finance Award for his performance as the chapter’s director of finance and housing over the past year. Additionally, faculty adviser and UNK associate professor of industrial distribution Ben Brachle was recognized with the Outstanding Alumni Service Award.
Along with Mitchell, UNK students Dylan Pfeifer of Central City, Marcus Utecht of Blue Hill, Samuel Kramer and John Placke of St. Paul, Mitchel Beeson of Clarkson, Alex Abels of Kearney and Glen Trapeur of Glendale, Arizona, attended the Region 12 Emerge event, which focuses on leadership training and executive board development. Other Region 12 chapters include the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado State University, University of Kansas, Baker University, University of Missouri, Westminster College, Missouri University of Science and Technology and Lindenwood University.
Originally chartered at UNK in 1993, Delta Tau Delta was among seven fraternities from across the country to receive the North American Interfraternity Conference Chapter Award of Distinction in 2024. The chapter also received the William R. Nester Cup presented to the UNK fraternity with the highest average GPA.
