September is Suicide Prevention Month. It's a topic that Dennis Gillan knows too well after losing his two brothers to suicide. Still, Dennis manages to make students see the wonders and joys of life while delivering sobering insights in his talks. As a fraternity man, Dennis talks about why "Dudes Need Dudes."

About the Guest

Dennis Gillan is the executive director of Half a Sorrow Foundation, an international suicide prevention and mental health advocacy speaker, and author. A speaker with Greek University, Dennis’s life has been deeply touched by suicide after the loss of both of his brothers to suicide, eleven years apart. His 2020 TEDx talk “Dying Alone” has gained over 41 million views. Dennis dedicates his time and energy to promoting real conversations, and he combines his losses with real-world solutions and even some laughter.

A lifelong member of and former regional advisor for Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity, Dennis has served the community in several capacities. He served on the board of the South Carolina chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, he volunteered at the Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and he volunteered with NAMI to do crisis intervention training. Dennis also facilitates a monthly survivor of suicide loss meeting, and he is trained in Question—Persuade—Refer (QPR), SafeTalk, ASIST and several other suicide prevention programs. He also worked at South Carolina Department of Mental Health on suicide prevention grants.

Ethocast is a "For Our Edification" limited series and is supported by ⁠Edify Ventures, LLC⁠.

Before you can lead your chapter effectively, there needs to be a sense of personal accountability. That's where personal leadership comes in. This episode takes a dive into the importance of personal growth and development so that chapter members, especially executive teams, can do their jobs effectively. 

You'll get an idea of what personal leadership is, how to develop it, and how to leverage it for chapter success.

Ethocast is a "For Our Edification" limited series and is supported by ⁠Edify Ventures, LLC⁠.

You don't need a title to make an impact on your fraternity or sorority chapter. That can happen through followership--different from following. This episode breaks down how any chapter member can be an effective follower in service to their fraternity or sorority. From this episode, you can learn:

1. The definition of followership.
2. What it means to be an effective follower.
3. Steps chapter members can take today to make a real difference.

Episode Resources:

• Episode Theta with Travis Martin (leadership and vision casting):  https://zencastr.com/z/DFfaN9yF
• Episode Delta with Gregory Parks (chapter culture):  https://zencastr.com/z/_fABcyu2
• For Our Edification's episode on followership:  https://forouredification.podbean.com/e/followership/
• BONUS - I Wanna Work There! episode on cultivating culture:  https://www.enrollify.org/episodes/ep-11-the-need-for-culture-cultivators

Ethocast is a "For Our Edification" limited series and is supported by ⁠Edify Ventures, LLC⁠.

"Leadership is so much more than a title/position or individual concept." Those are words that Dr. Travis Martin shared in a comment about leadership on LinkedIn. On his third tour as a university fraternity and sorority life leader, Travis visited "Ethocast" to talk about how he works with students to sharpen their leadership skills, starting with the practice of vision casting. He also describes the Social Change Model of leadership and why he believes that Greeks can be drivers of social change on campus.

About the Guest

Travis serves as the University of Michigan's associate dean of students and director of fraternity and sorority life. He serves as a divisional leader and member of the Dean of Students Leadership team. Travis is responsible for leading fraternity and sorority life (FSL) staff, affiliated sponsored and voluntary student organizations, student leaders and FSL alumni in the planning, development and implementation of activities and programs that support and advance the foundational values underpinning fraternal organizations. He is also responsible for executing a strategic vision to advance the community and for proactively managing the operational and administrative activities of FSL. In his capacity as associate dean, Travis responds to emergent student needs and issues within the Michigan community and represents the dean in a variety of capacities, including responses to emergent and unpredictable circumstances. The University of Michigan FSL community consists of the Interfraternity Council (IFC), Multicultural Greek Council (MGC), the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), the Panhellenic Association (Panhel), and their respective fraternities/sororities and its student leaders.

Prior to Michigan, Travis served as director of fraternity and sorority life at Northwestern University, senior coordinator of Greek life and the residence hall director at the University of Georgia, graduate resident director at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and an admissions counselor at Mississippi Valley State University where he earned his B.S. in biology.  Travis earned his master’s in higher education leadership from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville in 2008 and his Ph.D. in college student affairs administration from the University of Georgia in 2019.

Ethocast is a "For Our Edification" limited series and is supported by ⁠Edify Ventures, LLC⁠.

Ever wondered what's behind how leaders and members interact in a fraternity or sorority chapter? On this episode of Ethocast, we explore how the leader-follower dynamic. Three takeaways for anyone in Greek life are:

• Leadership Evolved:  How leadership paradigms have changed over time.
• Chapter Leaders and Members:  We break down the important leader-follower relationship in a chapter.
• Personalities at Play:  We explore how different personalities can influence the dynamic between chapter leaders and members.

Whether you're a potential recruit or a seasoned Greek life member, this fill up on a sample of the knowledge and insights shared with fraternity and sorority members on campuses across the country. 

Ethocast is a "For Our Edification" limited series and is supported by ⁠Edify Ventures, LLC⁠.

Once upon a time, Sarah Callazzo wore "smaller jeans and fake a smile." She would never consider herself a leader. With a camera roll filled with "progress pictures," Sarah battled an eating disorder that was invisible to her sorority sisters. She eventually found out that she was not alone and has never been alone. In an honest interview, Sarah talks about the importance of fraternity and sorority members facing whatever is keeping them from moving forward so that they can be the best people that they can be.

About the Guest

Sarah is a marketing professional and a speaker for ⁠Greek University⁠. In her "Unknown Warrior" presentation, Sarah tells the story of having gone from an eating disorder to leader. She empowers students with an honest of account of fighting a losing battle with herself, in denial and exhausted but would never admit it. One day, Sarah decided she didn’t want to be that girl anymore. She was exhausted from trying to be the girl that "does it all." Rather than trying to be a superwoman for everyone else, she wanted to be her own hero. The New Jersey native has been actively working on her own recovery while encouraging others to do the same. A proud sister of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority and a former chapter president, Sarah graduated from the University of Rhode Island and is currently pursuing her Master of Social Work from Farleigh Dickinson University. Follow Sarah and her journey on ⁠Instagram @sar.calla⁠.

Ethocast is a "For Our Edification" limited series and is supported by ⁠Edify Ventures, LLC⁠.

As it turns out, it is a trend--people denouncing Divine 9 fraternities and sororities. As it turns out, however, there are many whose faith walks have been strengthened by their D9 memberships. This episode features some of those reflections and thoughts about how to learn and lead through this trend.

Ethocast is a "For Our Edification" limited series and is supported by Edify Ventures, LLC.

On the previous episode, we approached the subject of chapter culture. This episode continues that conversation with someone who takes deep dives into chapter culture through his research--Dr. Gregory Parks. The episode defines culture, explores social identity, what it means for organizations to have subcultures, how new members impact culture, and what productive leadership looks like in a chapter. 

About the Guest

Gregory Parks is an associate dean of strategic initiatives and a professor of law at Wake Forest University. Among his many research areas are fraternal organizations and the law which includes a deep exploration into the culture of fraternities and sororities on all levels. Gregory has written several books including Brothers and Sisters: Diversity in College Fraternities and Sororities. He is an active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. which includes having been a past candidate for general president of the fraternity. He has served as an expert witness in several hazing cases. He holds a J.D. from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Kentucky.

Ethocast is a "For Our Edification" limited series and is supported by Edify Ventures, LLC.

It's nothing new for people to leave their respective fraternities and sororities, however, there is a trend of public announcements of people denouncing Divine Nine organizations. In this episode, we explore what this trend may be about. More importantly, we examine what this means for members who remain faithful to their NPHC fraternities and sororities.

Ethocast is a "For Our Edification" limited series and is supported by Edify Ventures, LLC.

Michael Ayalon loves Greek life, but he also sees a wealth of issues that need to be tackled. In this episode, the CEO of Greek University and former executive director of Sigma Pi talks about what drew him to Greek life, the issues he addresses, what he is researching, working with campus administrators, and his tips for chapters to get the most out of Greek life.

About the Guest

As a professional public speaker, author, social media figure, host of the "Fraternity Foodie Podcast", and CEO of Greek University, Michael Ayalon is a recognized thought leader in the realms of fraternity and sorority life, business leadership, and higher education. He has headlined keynote presentations on over 200 college campuses in 40 states to help solve problems such as sexual assault, hazing, alcohol and drug abuse, and recruitment for college student organizations. Mike and his team published the From Letters to Leaders book series for Fraternity and Sorority leaders, and he co-authored the book Using AI to Grow Your Fraternity or Sorority. Mike is pursuing his doctorate at Middle Tennessee State University in assessment, learning, and student success (higher education concentration). His dissertation is titled "Early Warning Signs of Hazing in College Fraternities and Sororities". He earned his master's degree in public service management from Cumberland University, and he is a graduate of the School of Management at the University at Buffalo. In 2023, Mike was recognized for outstanding Interfraternity contributions and selected to the Order of Omega at the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors Annual Meeting. In 2022, he received the Ronald H. Jury Interfraternal Friendship Award from Phi Mu Delta National Fraternity.

Ethocast is a "For Our Edification" limited series and is supported by Edify Ventures, LLC.