Published August 15, 2025
CAPTION: (L- R) – Brennan Tackett, Hutson Hearron, Connor Skubic, Caden Hickman, Braden Moore, Daniel Hochstein, Jake Balsamo, Andrew Neely, and Carter Morris
MONROE, LA – Members of the University of Louisiana Monroe’s Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity recently
returned from the Thomas C. Tillar Leadership Academy held in Memphis, Tenn., where
they won their sixth consecutive Robert A. Smythe Award.
The Smythe is presented to the top Pi Kappa Alpha chapters each year. This win marks
the 30th time in the last 34 years the ULM Pikes have taken home the Smythe. With this win,
the ULM Pikes became only the third chapter in Pike History to reach the 30-win Smythe
plateau.
The Smythe is based upon excelling in 16 areas of chapter operations including academics,
community service, campus involvement, athletics, management, health and safety, new
member education, accountability and alumni relations.
Nine ULM student members joined twelve Pike alumni including Pike’s Delta Region president
Tommy Walpole, Pike’s Arkoma Regional President Paul Wilkening and four of the men
who founded the Pike chapter at ULM for the three-day event.
During the convention, the group was recognized for earning—for the fifteenth consecutive
year—an overall grade point average higher than a 3.0.
Other highlights of the trip included the ULM chapter receiving the Raymond L. Orians
Award for Chapter Excellence, which honors overall chapter performance from the previous
year. This marked the chapter’s 38th consecutive Orians award for the ULM Pikes.
The group was also recognized for excellence in support of the Fraternity’s Leadership
program, 100% support of the International Undergraduate donor club, supporting the
International Work Day with two awards, and more.
Braden Moore and Caden Hickman earned Gold status for attending their fifth Pike University
Leadership event.
The ULM Pi Kappa Alpha Alumni Association won its 14th consecutive William R. Nester
Outstanding Alumni Association award. This was the group’s 26th time to be recognized
as one of the organization’s best alumni associations in North America in the last
31 years. In addition, the chapter’s Alumni Advisory Board was also recognized as
one of Pike’s best. The ULM Pikes have an eight-man advisory board, consisting of
Eta Omicron Alumni who assist the chapter. In addition, at ULM, the Pikes are proud
to call Mrs. Erica Hopko their on-campus advisor.
Pi Kappa Alpha has 200 chapters in North America and is headquartered in Memphis,
Tenn.
The Pi Kappa Alpha chapter at ULM was founded in 1972 and is one of only eleven Pike
Chapters in North America to operate more than one house on a university campus.
