DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARDS

Four people have been selected for ISU’s Distinguished Alumni Award. Presented annually since 1957, the Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes alumni who have made significant achievements professionally and within their communities, locally and globally. The honorees will receive their awards November 5 at the inaugural President’s Dinner.

Michael “Mike” Alkire, ’85

Alkire grew up in Akron, Ohio, and was a two-time All-American swimmer before attending Indiana State. He graduated magna cum laude with a degree in computer science. Alkire now serves as President & CEO of Premier Inc., a technology-driven healthcare improvement company uniting an alliance of more than 4,400 hospitals and health systems and approximately 225,000 other providers and organizations.

Since joining Premier, he has taken the company public and created more than $4 billion in value for member health systems across the country. Alkire is a thought leader in the healthcare industry, and led Premier’s efforts to address a nationwide drug shortage, testifying before the U.S. House of Representatives regarding Premier research on shortages and gray market price gouging. More recently, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he led his company to use domestic suppliers and global sourcing to bring 226 million masks and respirators, 106 million gowns, and 750 million exam gloves to U.S. providers in a time of need.

Alkire currently serves on Premier Inc.’s Board of Directors as well as the board of the Alliance for Healthcare Policy, and participates on the Healthcare Leadership Council. He is also host of the InsideOut podcast, sharing compelling stories of innovation across America’s healthcare system. He was named one of the Top 25 chief operating officers in healthcare for 2018 by Modern Healthcare.

Paul Chaney, ’88, and Susan Chaney, ’92

The Chaneys are both first-generation college graduates. Both were active in Greek life at ISU — Paul as a member of Kappa Alpha Psi and Susan as a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha.

Paul Chaney attended ISU because it has an excellent ROTC program. After serving in the military from 1983 to 2009, he retired as a lieutenant colonel with two Bronze Star medals.

After retiring from active duty in the Army, he became district business manager for AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, overseeing a team of nine sales professionals.

Susan Chaney, originally from Indianapolis, attended ISU “because it was a smaller university that offered my major” and “was close to home so I could go back home frequently to visit my family.”

She graduated with a bachelor’s in fashion merchandising. She is owner of Pinky’s Classy Creations LLC, an online retail store specializing in personalized custom gifts for special occasions.

The couple is active in community service. Paul mentors youth through the Guide Right Program, coaches AAU track, and served as a Big Brother for more than five years.

In Alabama, the Chaneys are members of the Union Chapel Missionary Baptist Church and are involved in the American Diabetes Association Walk. The couple resides in Madison, Alabama.

Richard “Rich” Porter, ’77

Porter, from Hammond, Indiana, graduated with a degree in business management while also competing for ISU’s track and field team as a hurdler.

Porter’s 40-year career includes positions at Kimball International, Rockwell International, and Ingersoll International. For the past 15 years, he has been a partner in a private equity group, building a platform of manufacturing companies in Ohio and New Hampshire.

The Porters have a history of giving to ISU. In 2015, Rich played an instrumental role in the donation of $500,000 in software to the College of Technology from Hurco Companies, where he serves on the board of directors. Rich and his wife, Robin, recently donated $250,000 to create the Rich & Robin Porter Cancer Research Center. The donation will support five research fellows.

Porter currently serves on the ISU Foundation Board as Chair. He also serves the James Cancer Hospital Foundation at Ohio State University as well as Hurco Companies Incorporated and The French Oil Company. The Porters reside in Troy, Ohio, and Hilton Head, South Carolina.