The Sigma Tau Gamma Board of Directors has named Joy Helsel the inaugural recipient of the Distinguished Interfraternal Leadership Award and will be presented this award at the Stan Musial Strategic Leadership Conference in August.

The Distinguished Interfraternal Leadership Award is presented to a campus-based professional who advances the quality of fraternity and sorority involvement. The criteria for the award is:

The meritorious achievement in professional and volunteer support of students benefiting from involvement in college social fraternities and sororities consistent with the purpose of Sigma Tau Gamma, the pursuit of the highest ideals of Manhood, Brotherhood and Citizenship.

As the Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life at the California University of Pennsylvania and the Beta Iota Chapter Greek Advisor, Helsel has a long history of working with collegiate Greek Life members along with the Sigma Tau Gamma Headquarters.

œI am overwhelmed and honored by this award,” said Helsel. “œIt’s hard to put into words how much it means to be recognized by people (and an organization) that have come to mean so much to me, and to be recognized for something that I love to do!

With the return of the Beta Iota Chapter in 2008, Helsel was instrumental in reopening the chapter on the Cal U campus. She served on the chartering task force, which helped establish the chapter and obtain their charter in 2011.

Helsel is a member of Sigma Kappa Sorority and graduated with her bachelors in speech communication and masters in communication from Cal U. After graduation, she has pursued a career in student affairs at her alma mater and has held many prestigious positions on campus.

Helsel is the recipient of the Theta Xi Educational Foundation of Pittsburgh Distinguished Service Award, the Northeast Panhellenic Conference Award of Excellence and the Outstanding Advisor Award. She is also a current member of the Association of Fraternity/ Sorority Advisors (AFA) and the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education where she serves on the Student Affairs Conference Committee. She has presented at many conferences including the AFA Annual Meeting, the Theta Xi Allegheny District Leadership Academy, PASSHE Student Affairs Conference, and the PERSA Conference.