PRESS RELEASE
August 18, 2026
Plainfield, IN — Triangle Fraternity celebrated the outstanding achievements of its chapters, undergraduate members, alumni, and volunteers at the 2026 National Convention last month in Aurora, Colorado. The annual awards recognize the individuals and chapters who exemplify Triangle’s commitment to leadership, academic excellence, professional development, service, and living the values of the Fraternity.
Chapter Awards
The Larry and Judy Garatoni Building Better Men Program Awards recognized chapters demonstrating excellence in developing well-rounded Triangle men. The Iowa State Chapter earned First Place, followed by Rose Tech (Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology) in Second Place. The Rattle Award, which includes a $2,500 award for a young or new chapter or colony, was presented to Texas A&M.
The Top Chapters were recognized based on annual assessment scores and submission of Building Better Men Award materials. This year’s top-performing chapters were Iowa State, Louisville, Rose Tech, Washington, and Washington State.
Additional chapter awards included:
- Chapter of the Year: Iowa State
- Most Improved Chapter/Colony of the Year: Penn State Behrend
- Honorable Mention: Penn State; UC-San Diego
- Outstanding Chapter Operations: Rose Tech
- Honorable Mention: Iowa State; Louisville
- Outstanding Recruitment & Retention: Washington
- Honorable Mention: UC-Irvine; Iowa State; Wisconsin
- Outstanding National Involvement: Washington State
- Honorable Mention: Iowa State
- Outstanding Risk Reduction & Education: South Dakota Mines
- Honorable Mention: Washington State
- Outstanding Campus Involvement: South Dakota Mines
- Honorable Mention: Colorado; Louisville; Washington
- Outstanding Philanthropy & Service: Iowa State
- Honorable Mention: Louisville; Wisconsin
Individual Awards
Triangle also recognized individual members and volunteers whose leadership and contributions have made a meaningful impact on their chapters and the Fraternity.
- Chapter President of the Year: Nolan Zimmerman is22
- Senior of the Year: Cullen ONeil is22
- Brother of the Year: Arnav Aggarwal pur24
- Executive Board Member of the Year: Garrett Walls rose24
- Chapter Advisor of the Year: John Karish pitt70
- Outstanding Engineer, Architect, Scientist: Alex Ross wash24
- Living Your Values Award: Tanner Post is24
- Outstanding Philanthropy & Service: Ethan Wentworth pur25
The Compass of Character Award recognizes individual active members and alumni who have made a significant impact on their chapters and/or Triangle Fraternity. This year’s recipients were:
- Danny Muir wash23
- Jackson Martin wash25
- Clayton Linneman tamu25
Triangle Education Foundation Awards
The Triangle Education Foundation recognized academic excellence through the Kahlert Academic Excellence Awards, honoring chapters with exceptional academic performance.
- First Place — $2,500: Washington — 3.54 GPA
- Second Place — $1,500: Utah — 3.52 GPA
- Third Place — $500: Ohio State — 3.46 GPA
- Most Improved Academic Performance: UC-San Diego — 3.36 GPA, improved from 2.90 GPA
These awards represent the hard work and dedication of Triangle members and chapters across the country. Congratulations to all of this year’s recipients for their accomplishments and for demonstrating the leadership, character, and excellence that strengthen Triangle Fraternity.
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About Triangle Fraternity
Triangle Fraternity was founded in 1907 at the University of Illinois. Today, more than 31,000 men have been initiated into the organization. The purpose of Triangle shall be to maintain a fraternity of engineers, architects, and scientists. It shall carry out its purpose by establishing chapters that develop balanced men who cultivate high moral character, foster lifelong friendships, and live their lives with integrity.