Messiah honors alumni at awards dinner
Young Alumnus Achievement Award: Nathaniel D.M. Jenkins ’11
This award recognizes one who has attended Messiah University within the past 15 years and has made a significant contribution to church, vocation, community and/or the University.
The recipient, Nathaniel D.M. Jenkins ’11, a health and exercise science major with a minor in athletic training, works for the University of Iowa as the associate professor in the Department of Health and Human Physiology along with the Department of Psychology and Brain Sciences. He mentors students as the director of the Integrative Laboratory of Applied Physiology and Lifestyle of Medicine.
“A significant personal driving factor for me is my family and family history. This includes psychological and physical health and is a primary reason that I study the things that I do in my scientific research program,” said Jenkins. “We were among the first enslaved in the Middle Atlantic region. This has driven my passion for equity and inclusion in the biomedical sciences and in clinical scientific research.”
Distinguished Alumnus Achievement Award: Jeffrey F. Lehman ’74
This award recognizes a lifetime of vocational achievement in a manner that embodies the mission of the University.
The recipient, Jeffrey F. Lehman ’74, has served on the Messiah College Board, Lancaster General Health Board and regional local bank boards.
Lehman, now retired, used his degree in chemistry to work for his family company, Shanks Extracts, Inc. from 1978-2021. “Messiah … provided me with an intimate, specialized education — only four chemistry majors — and friends that have been with me ever since,” he said. “Messiah has held true to its faith-based mission. Even today, as I meet many new people in my retirement era full of retired successful people who love golf, my proud proclamation of my years at Messiah — ‘a small Christian college near Harrisburg, PA,’ in my words — quickly tells of my Christian background and small-town roots.”
Alumni Christian Service Award: Michele E. Struss ’94
This award honors outstanding lifelong service or long-term effort in fulfilling the mandates of the Christian gospel to serve and sacrifice for the needs of humanity.
This year’s recipient, Michele E. Struss, the owner of His PaintBrush, shares her experience as an artist — and Messiah art major — who understands what it is like to worship God despite pain and hardships.
“Your encouragement to individuals with disabilities, their families and those who support them is a treasured gift, one that is grounded in the hope that only Jesus can provide,” President Kim Phipps wrote to Struss in the award notification letter. “Not only do you share your journey through your blog and artwork, but you also regularly speak about your experiences to students at Messiah University, thus giving back to your alma mater in valuable ways.”
Alumni Appreciation Award: Barry G. Goodling ’79
The alumni appreciation award recognizes an individual who has contributed to the University in an extraordinary manner through long-term professional service, significant volunteer service or financial contribution.
The recipient, Barry G. Goodling ’79, retired vice president for advancement at Messiah, oversaw the university’s fundraising; alumni and parent relations; and marketing and communications initiatives.
“I am grateful to have spent most of my career working at Messiah surrounded by incredibly bright, hard-working and compassionate colleagues, a privilege to spend nearly 40 years in this environment,” said Goodling. “I am grateful for Messiah’s commitment to encouraging its students and staff to engage with the local community — i.e., to be beacons of God’s love and grace where they live and work.”
—Staff report