The history of women's education, fashion and culture have changed dramatically since our founding, yet the things that remain reflect the ideals and values that Pi Beta Phi was founded on: integrity, honor and respect, lifelong commitment, personal and intellectual growth, philanthropic service to others, and sincere friendship.

Our Nebraska Beta chapter was installed on January 19, 1895. May Miller Lansing was a transfer student from Hillsdale College, where she was initiated into Pi Phi. May decided to bring the Pi Phi she had grown to love so much to the women around her in Lincoln as well. 

Nebraska Beta's Chapter house is extremely special to each of its members. Its distinct and charming character sets it far apart from the other Greek houses on campus. Although the chapter house has been expanded and renovated along the way, it has been the chapter’s since 1895. The rooms may look different now, but the memories made within the house with the blue shutters will be cherished for generations. 

So much has changed since our chapter was founded, however, the bond of sisterhood still gains strength every year that passes. 

Hi there! Welcome to Pi Beta Phi at the University of Nebraska Lincoln! Whether you are an active member, alumni, potential new member, or parent looking to get more info about our chapter, you have found yourself in the right place. Of course, this website is only a small snapshot of what Pi Beta Phi is, but I hope you are able to gain some insight on what it means to us to be Pi Phi members at UNL. Active members and alumni can attest that the connections you make and the values you strengthen will accompany you throughout your whole life, no matter where you go or what you do. 

My name is Ella Turley and I have the honor and privilege of serving as the Chapter President of the Nebraska Beta Chapter of Pi Beta Phi. I will try to keep this letter relatively concise, but I truly could go on and on about the impact this chapter has made on my collegiate career. The women in Pi Phi mean the world to me and have simultaneously become my biggest role models and greatest support system. We all lead our lives through our chapter’s values: integrity, lifelong commitment, honor and respect, philanthropic service to others, personal and intellectual growth, and sincere friendship. 

Members of Pi Phi uphold themselves to the highest of standards. We know that we are all strong women who will make huge waves in our community! This starts at the very foundation of having integrity with our actions and truly living by our words. Any Pi Phi you meet will undeniably exemplify this trait!

I see lifelong commitment in our chapter’s alumni advisors and the many NE Beta’s that came before our current members. Our chapter was established in 1895 and our network of sisterhood has remained constant since then. We are all incredibly thankful for the women who have paved the way before us and hope to leave a legacy as impactful as theirs. Membership in Pi Phi provides you more than just four years of connections; it provides you with an infinite amount of memories and friendships that will last you a lifetime.

Honor and respect is evident in the ways that Pi Phi’s treat those around them. When walking through our chapter facility, you will hear the ways in which we interact. Everyone is always speaking out of love and treating others with utmost kindness. The respect we have for each other maintains the open and honest atmosphere we have within our chapter. It can be so easy in a large group of people to break off and form smaller groups, but in Pi Phi everyone truly belongs everywhere! We all bring unique characteristics to the table and work best together. I say this all the time, but I truly believe Pi Phi is a special place because of how well we all mesh together without losing any of our individuality. This boils down to the high level of honor and respect we all have.

There is more information regarding our philanthropy on different tabs on this website, but it is so hard not to talk on and on about something I am so proud of! Read > Lead > Achieve is our main focus for fundraising, but Pi Phi’s find ourselves demonstrating philanthropic service in numerous other ways. Each member is encouraged and supported in finding spaces in the Lincoln community that they are passionate about serving. This past semester we clocked over 800 volunteer hours as a chapter! We are also thrilled to announce that we won Community Service Project of the Year from the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life for our work with Everett Elementary School here in Lincoln. We are so passionate about serving our community and can’t wait to see all we can do in the upcoming year!

Our chapter exemplifies personal and intellectual growth in many ways. In regards to intellectual growth, Pi Phi provides an incredible support system for all of our members. We are proud to report that our average chapter GPA this past fall semester was a 3.545 and kept us in our usual placement of top chapter GPAs! Not only are Pi Phis always making strides in the classroom, but we are always working on becoming the best versions of ourselves possible. I have experienced first hand the love and support the women of this chapter provide and can truly say there is nothing like it. I am inspired by the dedication every Pi Phi has to reaching their goals and love nothing more than to see them succeed. 

Sincere friendship is our final value and the one that I hold most near and dear to my heart. On a more personal note, I came into college with relatively low expectations. Growing up in the state of Nebraska, I always dreamed of going somewhere bigger for college, and thought that attending UNL would give me an experience similar to high school. Boy was I wrong! The friendships I have formed within Pi Phi have given me more than I could have ever imagined. Every single woman in this chapter has shaped me in one way or another into the woman I am now. High school Ella would be so proud to see where I am today and I owe much of that to this chapter. Heading into my senior year, I am already feeling a bit nostalgic, but I know that I will never truly have to say goodbye to my fellow Pi Phi’s. I am certain we will always be close and I look forward to all of the memories we have yet to make!

With all that being said, thank you for visiting our website! I hope you can feel how much love our chapter has to offer! 

Pi Phi love and all of mine, 
Ella Turley
ellaturley02@gmail.com