By: Jennifer Gunnels | July 25, 2024

The Butler University Alumni Association has announced the 2024 recipients of eight alumni awards, which honor individuals for their commitment to the University and to their communities. Award honorees will be recognized at a special Alumni Recognition Ceremony on October 4 during Butler’s annual Homecoming festivities. 

This year’s recipients are:

  • The Butler Medal:  Frederic B. Lowrie, Jr. ʼ71
  • The Butler Service Medal: Dr. Ena Shelley
  • The Robert Todd Duncan Alumni Achievement Award: Steven L. Roberds ʼ87, PhD
  • Katharine Merrill Graydon Alumni Service Award: Jody (Harmon) Hurtubise ʼ89
  • Hilton Ultimus Brown Alumni Achievement Award: Kelsey C. Coy ʼ13
  • Joseph Irwin Sweeney Alumni Service Award: Bridget A. McGrath ʼ13 MPAS ʼ14
  • Mortar Award: Robert L. Ternik ʼ87 and Laura C. Ternik ʼ87 
  • Foundation Award: Mohsin Waraich ʼ20

The Butler Medal: Frederic B. Lowrie, Jr. ʼ71

Frederic “Ted” B. Lowrie, Jr. grew up in Grosse Ile, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, graduating from Cranbrook School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan in 1967. In 1965, he was chosen to work in a summer program for Detroit students, an experience that he believes shaped a strong need to give back throughout his life. 

At Butler, Ted was a member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity and held several leadership positions, including as president his senior year.  After graduating from Butler in 1971 with a B.S. in Business from what is now the Lacy School of Business, he moved to Boston and began working for a financial services firm while also attending Northeastern University.  He received his MBA from Northeastern in 1973. 

For his entire business career, Ted was based in Boston, working primarily for two financial service firms, the last being Fidelity Investments for 18 years.  As Senior Vice President at Fidelity, Ted worked in Product Development, Marketing, Advertising, Operations, Wealth Management, and National Customer Service. He was also involved in several trade organizations that supported the financial services industry. 

 After retiring, Ted shifted his focus to the nonprofit sector and was on numerous boards, several as President, including for Habitat for Humanity (Lawrence, MA) and for Sturgis Library (Barnstable, MA). For nearly 25 years, he has been on the Executive Committee, and now the Advisory Board, of Family Services of Merrimack Valley. Ted also served for several years on the Board of Visitors of the Lacy School of Business at Butler.  From 1975-2016, Ted served the national fraternity of Phi Delta Theta as a volunteer, including nine years as a trustee of the fraternity foundation. He was a 30-year member of Christ Episcopal Church in Andover, where he was a co-treasurer and a member of the Vestry for several years. 

 In 2019, Ted helped found and develop a nonprofit called Barnstable Neighbor 2 Neighbor that helps older residents in Barnstable, Mass. to age in place in their homes and communities.  He recently stepped down as President after leading the organization for five years but remains on the board. Ted lives in Barnstable (Cape Cod) with his wife, Kathy. They are frequently visited by their blended family of five adult children, their spouses, and nine grandchildren. 

The Butler Medal is the highest honor conferred by the Butler University Alumni Association, recognizing individuals for a lifetime of distinguished service to either Butler or their local community while at the same time achieving a distinguished career in their chosen profession and attaining a regional or national reputation. Since 1959, it has recognized individuals who have helped immeasurably toward perpetuating the University as a great educational and cultural institution and have had, during their lifetime, a profound influence on the course of Butler University.

The Butler Service Medal: Dr. Ena Shelley

Dr. Ena Shelley spent her entire deeply influential career mentoring and preparing future educators through the College of Education (COE) at Butler University, retiring in 2019 as Dean and Professor Emerita. Shelley first arrived at Butler as an Assistant Professor of Education in 1982 after earning her Ph.D. from Indiana State University in Early Childhood Education and Child Psychology. She was named a Professor in 1995 and became Dean of the College in 2005.

During her tenure, she oversaw the infusion of the Reggio Emilia philosophy throughout the COE and Indianapolis area schools through the Indianapolis Reggio Collaborative partnership, and she led the creation of two Indianapolis Public School/Butler Lab Schools. She shifted the model of the COE to one centered around student teaching and site-based instruction, established partnerships with many area schools, and has been involved in state and national legislation and policy around the education of young children. She also oversaw the COE’s move into a new home on South Campus in 2018.

Her leadership, research, and teaching have been honored through numerous local and national awards, including the Hoosier Educator Award from the Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children in 2013, the Edward C. Pomeroy Award for Outstanding Contributions to Teacher Education by the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education in 2016, and a Distinguished Faculty Award and honorary doctorate from Butler University in 2019. 

Though her research and advocacy efforts have made a profound impact on early childhood education throughout Indiana and beyond, and her leadership altered the course of the COE curriculum and approach, perhaps her greatest influence has been in the individual lives of countless COE graduates who were inspired and equipped for a career in teaching through her mentorship. Their impact on the lives of children in classrooms around the world is profound and ongoing.

The Butler Service Medal is the second-highest honor conferred by the Butler University Alumni Association. It recognizes former faculty and staff for extraordinary and distinguished service to Butler University while at the same time achieving a distinguished career in their chosen profession and attaining a regional or national reputation. All recipients have had, in the course of their service, a profound influence on the future course of Butler University.

The Robert Todd Duncan Alumni Achievement Award: Steven  L. Roberds ʼ87, Ph.D.

Steven Roberds graduated from Butler University in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy. After completing his Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Vanderbilt University and his Postdoctoral in Physiology and Biophysics from the University of Iowa, Steven held multiple research roles that demonstrate his commitment to finding a cure for tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). Steven now serves as the Chief Scientific Officer at TSC Alliance and is an Adjunct Associate Professor within the Department of Neurology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.  

Steven was appointed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to a term on the National Advisory Council for Neurological Disorders and Stroke between 2016 and 2020, and he serves on the programmatic panel of the Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Research Program administered by the Department of Defense. His 16 years of experience as a global, multidisciplinary research project team leader and senior scientist in the pharmaceutical industry, bringing together diverse individuals with complementary skills and interests, has made a significant and positive impact on the lives of those affected by TSC. 

Steven currently serves as a Programmatic Panel Member for the Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Research Program at the Department of Defense. He is also an Associate Editor for Frontiers in Pharmacology, a journal that publishes research in an effort to prevent and cure human disease. Steven won the Pharmacia Special Recognition Award in 2001, along with the Pfizer Individual Performance Award in 2008 and 2010. 

Steven and his wife Mary ʼ87 were both members of the marching band during their time at Butler and enjoy watching Butler basketball.  

The Robert Todd Duncan Award recognizes a graduate who is established in their career and whose personal and/or professional accomplishment brings honor and distinction to the University and individual attainment and/or contributions for the betterment of society. This award honors the spirit and accomplishments of Robert Duncan, a 1925 graduate, noted opera singer, and educator who in 1945, became the first African American to sing with a major white opera company, the New York City Opera Company. 

Katharine Merrill Graydon Alumni Service Award: Jody (Harmon) Hurtubise ʼ89

Jody (Harmon) Hurtubise earned her Butler degree in Accounting from the Lacy School of Business in 1989.  She has spent her career in finance, including an international assignment in Wales.  She is currently the Director of Finance at Karmanos Cancer Institute.    

Jody has been an active and committed member of the Greater Detroit Butler Community since the inaugural meeting in August 2011.  She has continuously served as Vice Chair or Chair since its inception.  During the past 13 years, the Detroit Community has become a model for other Butler University Communities through the many activities they have organized to unite Butler alumni, students, and their families.

Jody, along with her college roommate and Alpha Phi sister Jan (Crouse) Wilson ʼ87, organized a weekend-long Butler University Alpha Phi reunion on campus in 2022, reuniting sorority sisters from the 1960s to the 1990s, highlighting the changes on campus and reconnecting alumni with the University.      

Her volunteer activities extend beyond the University, including service on the Board of Directors of Courageous Kids, a southeast Michigan non-profit serving children with life threatening illness; she was instrumental in starting a parent teacher council at her children’s middle school, serving in various leadership roles; and also serves as treasurer of her daughter’s athletic team’s Booster club. She lives in Plymouth, Michigan with her husband, Chris, and their teenage children, Jocelyn and Zack.   

The Katharine Merrill Graydon Alumni Service Award recognizes a graduate who has displayed a long-term commitment of outstanding service to the University. The recipients of this award have provided demonstrable service to the University to assist in perpetuating Butler as a great educational and cultural institution. This award honors the memory of Katharine Graydon, who graduated from Butler in 1878 and was a Professor of English Literature at the University from 1907-1930, receiving an honorary doctorate of literature in 1928. Graydon served as the Alumni Secretary and Editor of the Alumnal Quarterly from its first edition in 1922 until her retirement in 1929, when she was named Professor Emerita.

Hilton Ultimus Brown Alumni Achievement Award: Kelsey C. Coy ʼ13 

Kelsey Coy graduated from Butler’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences with a B.S. in Biology. She holds both an MPH and Ph.D. in Epidemiology from Emory University and resides in Atlanta.  

Kelsey is committed to public health and community service. She currently serves as an epidemiologist and statistical programmer, working on projects to monitor COVID-19 vaccination coverage. Kelsey is widely published in a variety of journals and has received the honors of Top Cited Article 2019-2020 and Top Downloaded Article 2018-2019 for the Journal of the International AIDS Society. Between her undergraduate and graduate endeavors, Kelsey was a Peace Corps Volunteer and Public Health Assistant in Eswatini. She has held multiple teaching roles at Emory University and Larkin University to further learning and discussion regarding public health and epidemiology.  

During her time at Butler, Kelsey was an undergraduate research assistant for the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. She also authored a thesis exploring community pharmacist perceptions regarding rapid HIV testing. Kelsey is currently the Communications Chair for Atlanta’s Community of the Butler University Alumni Association. 

The Hilton Ultimus Brown Alumni Achievement Award honors a recent graduate whose personal and/or professional accomplishment brings honor and distinction to the University, and individual attainment and/or contributions for the betterment of society. Hilton U. Brown gave a lifetime of service to his career and Butler University, including serving on the Board of Trustees for 71 years. He was an award-winning newspaper journalist and Managing Editor at the Indianapolis News for more than seven decades. 

Joseph Irwin Sweeney Alumni Service Award: Bridget A. McGrath ʼ13 MPAS ʼ14

Bridget McGrath MPAS, PA-C, FHM earned an undergraduate degree from Butler’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (COPHS) in 2013 and a Master’s of Physician Assistant Studies in 2014 through Butler University’s Physician Assistant (PA) Program. She started her career as a Meds/Peds Hospitalist PA at Schneck Medical Center in Seymour, Ind. before transitioning to the University of Chicago in 2017, where she now serves as the Section of Hospital Medicine Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Manager and Interprofessional Education co-lead. 

Bridget has a passion for medical education, specifically to provide preceptorship to private PA programs. She has served as a PA preceptor to more than 50 PA students from multiple local PA programs, including Butler. She also holds affiliate faculty status for Butler’s PA program. In 2020, in concert with Butler PA faculty, she co-developed a novel virtual PA rotation to serve the needs of Butler PA students impacted by COVID-19 visiting student restrictions. This was researched and published as an abstract entitled “Student in my Pocket: Development of a Virtual Internal Medicine Hospital Rotation During the COVID-19 Pandemic” in Academic Medicine. Since graduation, she has served as a member of the Butler Young Alumni Board of Directors and hosted dinners for current students as part of the Dinner with 10 Bulldogs program. She is currently an active member of the Butler University COPHS Dean’s Advisory Council, with a goal to impact the future of education at Butler University.

The Joseph Irwin Sweeney Alumni Service Award recognizes a recent alumnus who has demonstrated a significant commitment of outstanding service to the University. The award’s recipients have provided demonstrable service to the University to assist in perpetuating Butler as a great educational and cultural institution. The award honors the spirit and example of Joseph Sweeney, a young student with a great deal of potential, whose life was tragically cut short.

Mortar Award: Bob Ternik ʼ87 and Laura Ternik ʼ87 

Bob and Laura Ternik both earned their undergraduate degrees from Butler’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (COPHS) in 1987. 

Bob retired from Eli Lilly and Company as Executive Director, Synthetic Molecule Design and Development in 2023 and is now the Principal and Owner of Rolara Medaka Consulting, LLC. During his time at Lilly, Bob was responsible for creating and implementing patient centered design and drug delivery capability across Lilly’s synthetic molecule drug product portfolio. He is an active advocate for, and leader in, advancing global capability in product design, with a focus on addressing unmet patient needs through human-centered design.  

Laura attended Butler after graduating as valedictorian from her high school. She is a pharmacist who supported Bob and their growing family as a staff pharmacist at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics from 1990-1996. 

Bob and Laura are avid Butler basketball fans and enjoy attending games at Hinkle and on the road whenever possible. Bob currently serves on the COPHS Dean’s Advisory Council. The Terniks have generously supported Butler Athletics, COPHS, and student scholarships.

The Mortar Award, created in 1995, honors one person or couple each year who personifies the Butler spirit by demonstrating great vision, leadership, and generosity to Butler University. 

Foundation Award: Mohsin Waraich ʼ20

Mohsin Waraich is a 2020 Butler graduate who earned a degree in Sports Media from the College of Communication (CCOM) in addition to two minors in Religion and Business. In 2022, Mohsin received his Master’s in Sports Administration from Northwestern University. He has had years of experience in the sports industry, including a season spent with the Indianapolis Colts. He currently works for Paragon Marketing Group in Chicago.

During his time on campus, Mohsin was an active member of the Muslim Student Association, where he served as Vice President. His desire to support the Muslim students on campus inspired him and his family to start the Muslim Studies Endowment (MSE). The MSE has brought educational opportunities for all students, resources for Muslim students, research opportunities for professors, and much more.

Outside of work, Mohsin serves as a board member for the Inner-City Muslim Action Network as well as a member of Butler CCOM’s Dean’s Advisory Board.

The Foundation Award, created in 2011, honors one person or couple (age 40 and younger) each year who personifies the Butler spirit by demonstrating leadership and generosity to Butler University.