DASA 2026: IU to honor four alumni whose leadership, service change lives

From advancing the health and education of children to driving economic growth and developing new technologies, Indiana University alumni across the world are shaping their fields and improving communities. IU celebrated that impact by presenting the Distinguished Alumni Service Award to Dr. Holly Lee Hedrick, Phyllis J. Lewis, Michael F. Petrie and Todd R. Wagner at a ceremony on Oct. 15 at IU Bloomington.

The award is IU's highest honor for alumni, recognizing extraordinary achievements and service to their professions, communities and alma mater. The recipients join a group of more than 360 other IU alumni who have received the award.

Dr. Holly L. Hedrick, BS’87, is a pediatric and fetal surgeon in the Division of Pediatric General, Thoracic and Fetal Surgery at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She holds the David W. Wood MD Distinguished Chair in Pediatric Surgical Science and serves as an investigator in the Center for Fetal Research and is a professor of surgery at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

An internationally recognized expert in fetal and neonatal surgery, Dr. Hedrick specializes in treating complex birth defects before and after birth, including congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) and the separation of conjoined twins. She leads Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s multidisciplinary CDH Program, guiding patients from prenatal diagnosis through long-term follow-up while advancing care for infants facing lifelong challenges.

“I love what I do, and I love that it’s based on trying to make things better one patient at a time,” Dr. Hedrick said. “The fact that I get to touch people’s lives and I get to hear their story, it’s a very intimate relationship and it really is hallowed ground.”

An IU graduate with highest distinction, Dr. Hedrick earned her medical degree from Duke University, completed her surgical residency at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, and joined Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in 1998. She remains inspired by seeing the lasting impact her work has on patients and their families.

Phyllis J. Lewis, BSN’59, MSN’80, is a distinguished nurse, educator, public health leader, alumni volunteer, and community servant whose career has advanced the health and education of children, students, families, and communities across Indiana and beyond. A graduate of Union Hospital School of Nursing, she earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing, as well as a family nurse practitioner certificate, from IU and later completed a parish nurse certificate at Marian University.

Over more than 50 years, Lewis served as a nurse practitioner, administrator, educator, researcher, consultant, and mentor. She spent much of her career with the Indiana Department of Education, where she led initiatives in school health, special education, health services, and HIV/AIDS education, leaving a lasting impact on student health statewide.

“I have been eternally grateful for the opportunity to be part of so many people’s lives,” Lewis said. “Every chapter has been a chance to learn, help others, and say yes to new opportunities.”

A Life Member of the Indiana University Alumni Association (IUAA), Lewis has served as president, board member, and emerita board member of the IU School of Nursing Alumni Association, represented the School of Nursing on the IUAA Executive Council, and served on the IUAA Board of Managers. She has also supported generations of students through mentorship, volunteer leadership, and philanthropy.

Michael Petrie, BS’79, MBA’82, is chairman and chief executive officer of Merchants Bancorp and chairman of Merchants Bank. He has served as CEO of Merchants Bancorp since October 2006 and previously served as CEO of Merchants Bank from March 2002 through December 2019. Petrie also served as president of Merchants Capital Corp., a subsidiary he co-founded with Randall Rogers in August 1990, until January 2018.

A graduate of Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business in Indianapolis, Petrie earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in finance. With more than 46 years of experience in the mortgage banking industry, he brings extensive expertise in bank management, strategic planning, and organizational growth.

“My time at IU Indianapolis gave me the confidence to realize I could succeed in business,” Petrie said. “Through that experience, I learned not only how business works, but that I could be a good businessman.”

Petrie continues to serve his alma maters as a member of the national board for the IU Varsity Club and the advisory board for the Indiana University Center for Real Estate Studies. Through his decades of leadership, strategic vision, and commitment to service, Petrie has helped advance the growth of Merchants Bancorp while supporting the IU community and beyond.

Todd Wagner, BS’83, is a media entrepreneur, technology innovator, and philanthropist whose career has reshaped industries ranging from streaming media to entertainment to charitable giving. He co-founded Broadcast.com with Mark Cuban in the late 1990s, serving as CEO through its record-breaking IPO and $5.7 billion acquisition by Yahoo!, helping introduce streaming media to a global audience.

In 2003, Wagner co-founded 2929 Entertainment, where he pioneered the simultaneous release of films in theaters and on digital platforms. He has produced or executive-produced more than 50 film and television projects, including Good Night,and Good Luck, which earned six Academy Award nominations.

Wagner has also transformed philanthropy through innovation, beginning in 2000 with the launch of the Todd Wagner Foundation focusing on at-risk youth. His company Charity Network has helped nonprofits raise hundreds of millions of dollars through digital fundraising, and his nonprofit FoodFight USA is working to improve America’s food system through policy, consumer empowerment, and regenerative agriculture.

“I have always tried to bring an entrepreneurial spirit to charity,” Wagner said. “Writing a check is the easiest thing to do; giving of your time and thinking of a novel way to solve a problem – that’s what I believe an entrepreneur should do when giving back.”

A native of Gary, Indiana, Wagner earned his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and his JD from the University of Virginia.