Summer 2009: Commencement 2009

Giving Greeks a Good Name

Brittain award winner Nicolai Lundy

Greeks and jocks may have a reputation for putting partying ahead of study and service, but Nicolai Lundy 09C turned that stereotype upside down. His quiet leadership and dedication to excellence in athletics, academics, and volunteer service have earned him Emory’s highest student honor, the Marion Luther Brittain Award.

“When I look at the others who’ve won this award, it’s a humbling experience to be a part of that history,” says Lundy. “I’ve simply tried to be of benefit to the groups I’m involved in and to not sit back and take what I have for granted.”

The Brittain Award, which comes with $5,000, is presented each year at Commencement to a graduate who has demonstrated exemplary service to both the University and the greater community without expectation of recognition.

Lundy served as president of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity this past year, and saw Emory’s chapter recognized as one of the three best ATO chapters out of 5,500 in North America, as well as the top chapter in the nation and at Emory. He also led an effort to generate a scholarship fund for ATO members and successfully secured a challenge grant from the Dobbs Foundation for the establishment of a $300,000 endowment to award grants to members with financial need.

Lundy was cofounder and codirector of the Greeks Go Green Sustainability Initiative. By introducing competitions, film screenings, campus speakers, and educational programs involving hundreds from the Greek community, Lundy helped make them one of the key elements in the University’s strategic sustainability initiative on campus.

“Out of everything I did at Emory, I’m most proud of Greeks Go Green. It was fun, it was meaningful, and it got people involved,” Lundy says.

As an athlete, Lundy is a four-year varsity letterman in track and field and was elected cocaptain of the team for the 2008–2009 academic year. An Emory Scholar and Phi Beta Kappa Scholar, Lundy majored in philosophy and plans to work the next two years in the nonprofit sector before pursuing degrees in medicine and/or public health.