Student Spotlight: Ryan Burke Leads Delta Tau Delta to National No. 1

Graduating senior Ryan Burke ’26 completed his siblings’ Moravian legacy by leading his fraternity to top national rankings.

Ryan Burke ’26 didn’t so much follow his siblings to Moravian as pick up where they left off.

Ryan’s sister, Danielle ’21, chose the university for its nursing program and friendly atmosphere, and ended up leading her sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha. Their brother, Michael ’22, G’23, despite initial contrarian leanings, found he enjoyed the university’s proximity to home in Nazareth and the connections he made through his older sister. He became president of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity, leading the Moravian chapter to its first Court of Honor award for ranking in the top 20 among 130 chapters nationally.

Then Ryan came in. Having seen his siblings’ success, he didn’t bother applying to any other schools—he knew he wanted Moravian. It was the same with joining the Delts. He had seen his sister and brother’s passion for Greek life, how it had made their college experience more enjoyable and provided support. 

“It’s like when you grow up with a parent who’s passionate about a certain football team, watching them celebrate and cheer,” Ryan says. “That’s kind of how it worked for me. I saw my brother be so passionate about something, it made me want to be passionate for it as well.”

That shared passion spurred Ryan to two terms as Delta Tau Delta president with the goal of surpassing the small chapter’s previous achievements and led to its first Hugh Shields Award, which is presented by the national DTD organization to the top 10 chapters as ranked by an accreditation process. 

Under Ryan’s leadership, the Moravian chapter did it twice—ranking no. 1 in the country in 2024 and no. 3 in 2025. He was personally recognized as outstanding chapter president in 2025 among 40 nominees nationwide.

The achievements are especially significant for a smaller chapter like Moravian’s. “Size can often present challenges in areas like recruitment capacity, leadership bandwidth, and programming,” says Holly Meadows, the national director of chapter services for Delta Tau Delta. “To perform at that level requires a high degree of intentionality, accountability, and consistency from every member. It reflects a culture where individuals are contributing meaningfully and where leadership is highly engaged and effective.”

Meadows worked with both Ryan and his older brother. She describes Michael as a “dependable and dedicated leader” and has found Ryan’s ability to not only sustain but elevate the chapter to be “especially compelling.” 

“That level of continuity and growth speaks volumes about both his leadership and the culture of the chapter,” Meadows says.

Each in their turn, the Burke siblings experienced campus life and Greek activities before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected Greek life in general. The Delts were struggling with membership even before public health concerns forced a switch to virtual and hybrid formats, according to Meghan Santamaria, Moravian’s director of campus life and a student life advisor. At one point, Ryan says, the fraternity lost half of their house on campus because they didn’t have enough people to fill it.

“If you’re involved on campus, you’re proving you care about what you do and you care about making an impact. In any area on campus, any organization, you’ll see a Delt.”

Ryan Burke ’26

As things returned to normal, Santamaria says, the fraternity built a strong internal bond, then was able to expand outward. Michael encouraged the fraternity to lean into the accreditation process set by the national Delta Tau Delta organization, going beyond the bare minimum. 

Ryan says every member had to be involved in something outside the fraternity, improving the chapter’s visibility. Membership returned to pre-pandemic levels, jumping from around a dozen to more than 30. Recruitment and retention were factors in the chapter’s accreditation rankings, along with categories including academic achievement, member development, alumni engagement, and campus engagement.

“If you’re involved on campus, you’re proving you care about what you do and you care about making an impact,” Ryan says. “In any area on campus, any organization, you’ll see a Delt.”

Ryan says any pressure he felt as chapter president was from expectations he set for himself and the chapter. Going into college, he says he didn’t like talking to people, and even ordering at restaurants could be stressful. But by following his siblings’ examples, he set an example of his own for his fraternity brothers. Ryan met with every Delt on his way to the presidency, became a student alumni representative and an orientation leader, had a role in student government, and worked for the campus IT help desk—all ways in which he stepped outside his reserved nature.

“It’s really special to see all three of us find ourselves through this Greek life, through this involvement we all had” that led to leadership and growth, says Danielle. 

Michael says his mission was “to future-proof the chapter” and takes pride in his younger brother’s success. Similarly, Ryan says he would not have discovered his passion for the fraternity if not for Michael. Ryan praises both his brother and his fellow chapter executives for laying the groundwork and following through on a shared vision.

After graduation, Ryan, a finance major, and Michael became not just siblings and fraternity brothers, but colleagues as well. Ryan has landed a job at RKL, an accounting and business advisory firm in Allentown, where Michael already works.

Through his successes, Ryan has cemented the Burkes as a Moravian family. After Danielle and then Michael enrolled, their dad—they assumed jokingly—promised to get a tattoo if Ryan also went to Moravian. A couple of weeks before Ryan’s graduation, the siblings say, their dad surprised them by showing off his new Moravian star ink with all three of their names.It’s just another piece of the Burke legacy, according to Santamaria. “I think as new members join,” she says, “they’re going to hear more and more about the Burkes.” —Steve Novak