Name: Steven Houtschilt
Year: Senior
Major: Chemical Engineering
Hometown: Milford, MI
Fun Fact: I am an advanced open water scuba diver!
Her Campus: Describe your role in Alpha Chi Sigma. What does your organization do?
Steven Houtschilt: I am Master Alchemist (president) of Alpha Chi Sigma, a co-ed professional chemistry fraternity. We are a group of about 60 active brothers who coach local science Olympiad teams, tutor in STEM classes at Michigan and at Clague Middle School, perform science demonstrations for K-12 students to pique interest in science, raise money for our Relay For Life team, build houses through Habitat for Humanity, participate in Professional Greek Week, and, most importantly, hang out at as a family. As president, I help coordinate all these activities and maintain the status of our chapter.
HC: Why did you decide to run for your position?
SH: AXΣ was so instrumental in my transition to college and formation of my identity. It is a wonderful group of friends who care about the same issues I do, and it organizes professional and community outreach events that I’ve loved doing. I wanted to make sure AXΣ is the same way for generations of new members to come. Also, I had some great ideas for new directions for AXΣ professionally and socially, and those ideas along with my energetic and approachable persona made me a good fit as president.
HC: What is your favorite thing about AXΣ?
SH: I’ve never met a group of people who make me feel as comfortable to be my self as my brothers in AXΣ.
HC: What other activities are you involved in on campus?
SH: I am a member and a committee co-lead for a group called MHEAL (Michigan Health Engineered for All Lives). We design solutions to global health issues. Specifically, I am on the Maternal Health Team. We partnered with clinics in rural Nicaragua to design a portable, gynecological examination table, and we are now in the process of designing a different product. I also work in the Nagrath lab at the NCRC, where we design microfluidic devices to isolate and characterize circulating tumor cells in the blood.
HC: What advice would you give to your freshman self?
SH: Go to more student productions (musicals, comedy shows, dance shows, etc.). The few that I’ve gone to have been amazing experiences.
HC: Anything you’d like to add?
SH: Peace and love!