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Manchester University

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Manchester University announces 2026 Alumni Honor Award recipients

North Manchester, IN (09/29/2026) — Manchester University will celebrate five alumni at its annual Alumni Honor Awards banquet on Friday, Oct. 16 during Homecoming 2026.

The five recipients are:

Keith Strauss '74 - Alumni Honor Award

Strauss, a medical physicist, was instrumental in the creation of the Image Gently Alliance, which is committed to providing safe, high-quality pediatric imaging and changing practice until imaging doses are optimized at the point of care. Image Gently, the first in a now worldwide network of campaign partners, has become a recognized and respected presence both nationally and internationally.

Howard Petty '76 - Alumni Honor Award

Alongside his decades as a professor, Petty has conducted groundbreaking research in breast cancer recurrence-specifically in women of color. He and a partner have now established a company to create and market software, called Predictoma, that allows doctors and hospitals to mainstream testing and lower the cost. The first clinical application is the use of a hybrid biochemical machine vision test to identify patients who harbor aggressive cells and are at risk of suffering recurrences.

Shawn Kobb '96 - Alumni Honor Award

Kobb has worked in the U.S. State Department for 20 years. Since June 2026, Kobb has been serving in Slovenia as Management Officer for the U.S. Embassy. There he oversees logistics, human resources, and facilities across more than a dozen government agencies, while also managing relationships with host-government officials and private-sector partners. In addition to Hungary and Slovenia, Kobb has served in Ukraine, the Bahamas, Afghanistan, Austria, and Washington, D.C.

Erica Hedges '10 Albertin - Young Alumni Outstanding Achievement Award

Albertin is an Assistant Professor of Exercise Science and Biology and Director of the Human Performance Laboratory at Saint Mary's College, where she elevates academic programs and expands research opportunities. She has also served as an athletic trainer for U.S. Soccer, supporting youth national teams and the U.S. Women's National Team, and has provided medical coverage for major athletic events including the Chicago Marathon.

Dr. Andrea Whitaker '12 '16 PharmD Mekonnen - Young Alumni Outstanding Achievement Award

Mekonnen was the first full-time pharmacist at Neighborhood Health Clinic in Fort Wayne. Now, as the Clinic's senior director of pharmacy, she leads initiatives that directly improve access to medications and chronic disease care for underserved patients across the region. She has overseen the creation of two community pharmacies within Neighborhood Health, which opened in February 2024 and November 2025, both serving the underserved populations of downtown Fort Wayne.

Tickets for the Alumni Honor Awards and Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet can be purchased at www.manchester.edu/alumni/homecoming.

For the media

Manchester University, in North Manchester and Fort Wayne, Ind., offers vibrant and transformative student experiences. With more than 70 areas of undergraduate study and 6 graduate programs, Manchester provides hands-on learning, personalized mentorship, and career-focused experiences. Learn more at www.manchester.edu/about-manchester.

Our mission and values

Manchester University respects the infinite worth of every individual and graduates persons of ability and conviction who draw upon their education and faith to lead principled, productive, and compassionate lives that improve the human condition.

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