Two UA students who turned a math club into a professional fraternity last semester now want to push it to the national level.

Jason Depeaux, a math senior, said he and Gamma Phi Mu co-founder Jesse Tadlock, a business administration senior, want to provide math and computer science majors with professional and people skills in addition to networking opportunities.

“”I think everyone knows the common stereotype for computer programmers,”” said Depeaux, referring to social skills. “”We are trying to combat that.””

By combining philanthropy, public speaking seminars and other community events, Tadlock said

he hopes members of the math and computer science fraternity will improve their people skills.

Tadlock said the chapter is applying to become a nonprofit organization and will later apply to become a national fraternity.

“”There is so much to gain from a professional fraternity,”” said Tadlock, who is also the vice president of Alpha Kappa Psi, a professional business fraternity on campus.

Aside from the regular benefits professional fraternities offer, Gamma Phi Mu members are working with companies to provide professional networking to their members.

Tadlock, a representative for Microsoft on campus as a Microsoft student partner, said he wants to use this connection to bring Microsoft along with Google, Yahoo and Sun Microsystems to a job fair. This would benefit the students on campus and eventually the chapters around the nation, Tadlock said.

“”That is when the real networking is going to take place,”” Depeaux said. “”It will be good now, but it will be great when we have chapters all over.””

While the fraternity participated in rush week last week and is currently recruiting, the guidelines for Gamma Phi Mu are fairly strict for new recruits, Tadlock said.

Recruits must be pursuing either a computer science or math major or minor. Students must be one semester proficient in a computer language and have taken calculus. In addition, they must have a 3.0 grade point average or be in a 400-level math course.

Because it is a professional fraternity, the dress code is professional, Tadlock said, asking members to wear suits or professional attire.

“”It started as kind of a joke,”” said Tadlock. “”I was telling (Depeaux) about how much I liked being a part of a professional fraternity and he said, ‘Why don’t we start one?'””

After some research, the two found out there wasn’t any sort of professional fraternity geared toward math and computer science students in the country.

“”At least there was no Web site for one. You’d think that a computer science professional fraternity would have a Web site,”” Depeaux said.

The two started a math club first. Then, last semester, they started Gamma Phi Mu and included computer science majors in the professional fraternity.

Tadlock and Depeaux said they hope to build a strong fraternity before each of them graduate; however, they do not intend to abandon the project after graduation.

“”It is really wide open what kind of role we will have after graduation,”” said Depeaux. “”Maybe coming back to talk to the current members and help them out, or it could be going around the country helping schools build this program and networking.””

Gamma Phi Mu will be holding an information night for students to come and learn about the organization tonight at 7 p.m. in Room 942 of the Gould-Simpson building. They welcome all who would like to know more.