Two UT Austin Fraternities Take on Vegan Challenge in Partnership With Animal Advocacy Nonprofit

November 14, 2026

Delta Upsilon and Phi Kappa Sigma join forces with Allied Scholars for Animal Protection to explore plant-based eating, animal welfare, and sustainability.

AUSTIN, TX — [11/12/2026] — Greek life is going vegan at the University of Texas at Austin as two fraternities, Delta Upsilon and Phi Kappa Sigma, have committed to going vegan for an entire week. The simultaneous challenge is organized by Allied Scholars for Animal Protection (ASAP), a national nonprofit working to empower the next generation of animal advocates through education and student leadership.

The initiative brings together two communities that might not traditionally overlap: college fraternities and animal advocacy. By encouraging fraternity members to explore plant-based eating firsthand, ASAP hopes to spark meaningful conversations about the impact of everyday food choices on animals, human health, and the environment.

Leading the initiative is Dr. Faraz Harsini, biomedical scientist and Founder and CEO of Allied Scholars for Animal Protection, who is delivering educational talks to fraternities across the UT Austin campus. His presentations explore the science behind plant-based nutrition, the environmental impact of animal agriculture, and the ethical considerations surrounding animal welfare.

To make the experience engaging, accessible, and delicious, ASAP has partnered with Mission Burger, a local Austin vegan restaurant, to serve fraternity members a variety of plant-based favorites, including burgers, chick'n sandwiches, crunchwraps, cookies, and more during the educational sessions.

The talks concluded with a proposition from Dr. Harsini: If fraternity members agreed to eat vegan for one week, ASAP would cover the cost of stocking their refrigerators with plant-based food.

Both Delta Upsilon and Phi Kappa Sigma accepted.

“Greek life has so much power to shape campus culture,” said Dr. Harsini, who described the members of Phi Kappa Sigma as welcoming and open-minded. In his talk there, he reminded members that their fraternity barred racial and religious discrimination as early as 1860, ahead of any other fraternity, and asked them to lead again by extending that principle to animals. According to Dr. Harsini, the chapter’s president went beyond the one-week challenge and pledged to eat plant-based for a month.

For one week, members of both fraternities will have the opportunity to experience vegan eating with food provided by ASAP, removing some of the financial and practical barriers that can make the dietary aspect of going vegan feel intimidating.

The initiative reflects ASAP's broader approach to animal advocacy: meeting students where they are, encouraging open-minded conversations, and providing practical opportunities to put new knowledge into action.

Beyond encouraging students to reconsider their food choices, ASAP believes the challenge offers fraternity members an opportunity to put their organizations' founding values into practice.

Principles such as justice, integrity, compassion, and leadership are central to Greek life, and ASAP hopes to demonstrate how extending these values to animals and the planet can help students live more consistently with the ideals they already embrace.

Statements from the fraternity members

“I think it’s a good opportunity for guys or girls to take a new look at the world and maybe learn something new and maybe make a decision that’ll change your life”

“That brisket… You might be able to trick me. You might be able to feed me that and I wouldn’t have noticed it’s vegan”

About Allied Scholars for Animal Protection

Allied Scholars for Animal Protection (ASAP) is a national nonprofit organization that trains student leaders in animal advocacy through education, leadership development, and direct outreach. For more information, visit AlliedScholars.org.