UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Timothy J. Piazza Center for Fraternity and Sorority Research and Reform, a unit of Penn State Student Affairs, announced its scholars for 2022-23. The scholar program was established to develop new research initiatives and expand research for professional practice in an effort to transform fraternities and sororities.
The second cohort of the program doubled to eight scholars selected through a national search. The scholars program comprises current practitioners, post-doctoral scholars and doctoral candidates representing a variety of institutions and research backgrounds. Scholars conduct research focusing on Greek-life organizations, including hazing prevention strategies, student learning, leadership and community engagement.
“The new and returning scholars represent the continued expansion of the Piazza Center’s research dedicated to stronger and safer fraternities and sororities. They are scholar-practitioners whose work will further the Piazza Center’s dedication to making a real difference in students' lives through practical and action-oriented research,” said Stevan Veldkamp, executive director of the Piazza Center.
The 2022-23 Piazza Center's scholars are:
Bilal Badruddin, interim director of alumni relations and chief of staff to the senior vice president for Development and Alumni Relations at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Badruddin is developing a research project to assess and document learning in sororities and fraternities. He has served as the chair (2019-21) of the National Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Pan-Hellenic Association and currently serves as the assistant editor of the Journal for Sorority & Fraternity Life Research and Practice.
Vivienne Felix, associate dean of students and director of the Center for Professional and Career Pathways at Washington and Jefferson College, in Washington, Pennsylvania. Felix is a returning scholar committed to growing fraternity and sorority engagement with voting, democratic principles, and service. Felix is partnering with Matthew Baggetta, associate professor, School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University who studies civil society, civic engagement and volunteering.
Emily Feuer is a returning scholar moving her initial work in recognizing hazing hazards and preventing them before a life-threatening incident occurs into a large-scale survey in partnership with Pietro Sasso, a Piazza Center research fellow. Feuer serves as the chief of staff to the vice president for finance and administration at the University at Albany, State University of New York.
Brian Joyce is also a returning scholar. Last year, Joyce focused on a comprehensive guide to prevention and intervention strategies to battle hazardous hazing and drinking. Joyce assisted in the creation of the hazing prevention book, explanatory model and hazing prevention matrix. He is the director of fraternity and sorority life at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
Rafael Matos serves as the director of membership and is the vice chair of Research and Scholarship for the Coalition on Men and Masculinities for the international headquarters of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. in Washington, D.C. Matos is working on understanding the critical issues facing the National Pan-Hellenic Council (historically African American organizations).
Emily Anne Pride Sutton is coordinating and studying hazing prevention and which practices reduce hazards. Pride is a doctoral student in educational leadership focusing on public health and community engagement within student affairs at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Bailey Thompson, assistant professor of advertising and public relations at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, is focusing on the National Pan-Hellenic Council chapter’s impact on member diversity, equity and inclusion. Thompson’s previous research focused on the role social media's portrayal of fraternity and sorority membership plays in the development of college students' identity formation and maintenance.
Christopher Zacharda is studying adjudication models for student groups and fraternities and sororities on college campuses. Zacharda currently serves as the director of student conduct at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisianna.
In addition to their current projects, the Piazza Center scholars support data collection, present research findings at conferences, facilitate webinars and author thought pieces. Scholars are accepted on a rolling basis.
The Piazza Center is a multidisciplinary research initiative whose mission is to uplift fraternity and sorority life. The center’s research agenda is based on a change model focused on a two-pronged approach to stronger and safer organizations:
- Stronger: Enhancing student learning, leadership and services; improving diversity, equity and inclusion; and increasing health and wellness.
- Safer: Focusing on campus prevention and intervention, including prevention of hazing, substance misuse and dangerous drinking.
The center produces actionable data to give practitioners, campuses and headquarters the evidence needed to enact significant change on their campuses for the over 750,000 Greek-life organization members across more than 770 campuses with fraternity and sorority life.