Posted on Thursday, September 24, 2026
Westminster College will recognize five outstanding members of the Westminster community for their professional accomplishments, service to others and continued commitment to their alma mater during the College’s annual Alumni Awards Dinner Friday, Oct. 2, as part of Homecoming Weekend.
This year’s honorees include three recipients of the Alumni Citation Award, the College’s Young Alumni Award recipient and the Rising Titan Award recipient. The awards recognize alumni and students who exemplify the values of leadership, service and achievement that are central to the Westminster experience.
Arthur “Skip” Winter ’73, a history graduate, is a retired grocery retail executive whose 42-year career included leadership roles in store operations, marketing and procurement.
While a student at Westminster, Winter was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity, Phi Alpha Theta history honor society and participated in intramural sports. He also volunteered at the New Castle Youth Development Center.
Following graduation, Winter earned an MBA from Manhattan College in 1984. His commitment to Westminster has continued throughout his life. He served for many years as a Westminster representative at local high school college fairs, hosted several New Jersey Westminster alumni reunions and supported the creation of an Interfaith Gathering Room on campus.
Winter and his wife of 52 years, Judy (Engwer) Winter ’73, served on the 50th Anniversary Reunion Committee in 2023, helping organize the reunion worship service. Together, they also established an endowed scholarship and are currently working to establish a second scholarship in memory of a friend.
Winter’s commitment to community service extends well beyond Westminster. His volunteer involvement has included the Cranford Elmora Soup Kitchen, Cranford Clergy Council Interfaith Hospitality Committee, First Presbyterian Church of Cranford, Presbytery of Northeast New Jersey committees, Union County Interfaith Coordinating Council and the Cranford United Way, where he previously served as president and allocations chair. His service has earned recognition from the Cranford Clergy Council, Union County and the City of Cranford.
Winter and his wife reside in Cranford, N.J. They have two sons and four grandchildren.
Thomas J. O’Shane ’69, a business administration graduate and member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, is a retired banking executive whose career included leadership positions as chairman of Three Shores Corporation, chief operating officer of Sky Financial Group and chairman and CEO of First Western Bancorp.
O’Shane earned a Program for Management Development certificate from Harvard University in 1981. Throughout his career and retirement, he has remained committed to community service. He currently serves as executive vice president and treasurer of A Better Shot Junior Golf Foundation in Englewood, Fla.
O’Shane has also maintained a strong connection to Westminster, serving on both the College’s Board of Trustees and Board of Distinguished Visitors. He considers one of his most meaningful contributions to Westminster to be the fact that all four of his children attended and graduated from the College.
O’Shane resides in Placida, Fla., with his wife, Kathleen.
Dr. Bryan P. Hooks ’01, a biology graduate, has built a career in orthopedic medicine while remaining active in his community and committed to Westminster College.
As a Westminster student, Hooks was a member of Beta Beta Beta biological honor society, Mortar Board and Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. He earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2005, followed by an orthopedic surgery residency at Humility of Mary Health Partners in Warren and Youngstown, Ohio, and an adult reconstruction fellowship with the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
Hooks is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in total joint replacement and has served as chair of the Department of Surgery at UPMC Horizon and UPMC Jameson. His professional recognition includes the UPMC ACES Award, UPMC Horizon and UPMC Jameson Physician Excellence Award, UPMC Horizon Family Practice Residency Specialty Preceptor of the Year and Fellowship Distinction from the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. He has also been recognized by the Ambridge Bridger Hall of Fame.
A veteran of the United States Air Force, Hooks served as an officer and attained the rank of major. He is active in his community as a Hermitage Little League coach, Hickory Elementary basketball coach, Gus Macker Basketball community sponsor and annual Hermitage Career Week guest presenter. He also supports the UPMC Horizon Jameson Scholarship Trust Foundation and serves as team physician for the Youngstown Phantoms hockey team, Thiel College and Reynolds High School.
Hooks has continued his support of Westminster by establishing the Dr. Bryan Hooks and Family Scholastic Achievement Scholarship.
He resides in Hermitage, Pa., with his wife, Angela, and their four children.
William James “Jimmy” Newman ’16, a political science graduate, has built a career in national security and cyber intelligence following his time at Westminster.
As a student, Newman participated in swimming and diving. After graduating from Westminster, he attended the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, where he studied security and intelligence studies. While at Pitt, he led a counterterrorism research group at the Matthew B. Ridgway Center for International Security Studies.
After earning his graduate degree in 2018, Newman joined the U.S. government as an intelligence analyst working in counterterrorism and cyber programs. He currently serves as a senior cyber intelligence analyst with the Google Threat Intelligence Group.
Newman continues to support Westminster’s swimming and diving and political science programs through financial contributions and by speaking with members of the swimming and diving team. He is also active in his church community.
Newman resides in Burke, Va., with his wife, Alyssa, and daughter.
Ava Karpa ’27, an English major from Coraopolis, Pa., has distinguished herself through academic achievement, leadership, athletics and service to the Westminster community.
Karpa is a member of Sigma Kappa sorority, the All-College Honors Program, Lambda Sigma Honor Society and Pi Sigma Pi Honor Society. She is also a member of the Westminster softball team, where she has served as team captain and earned First Team All-Conference honors as a shortstop in 2026. She was named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team in 2025 and 2026.
Her campus leadership has included serving as an Orientation Leader and as a Student Government Association senator from fall 2023 through fall 2025. She is also a student writer for Westminster’s Office of Marketing and Communication. Karpa’s accomplishments have been recognized through the George Winters Scholarship and her academic and athletic honors.
Following graduation, Karpa plans to combine her love of reading and passion for learning with her goal of becoming a high school English teacher. She also volunteers with local softball programs in her hometown.
The Alumni Citation honors graduates who have achieved distinction in their professions or made significant contributions to their communities or Westminster. The Outstanding Young Alumni Award recognizes graduates of the past 10 years who are making meaningful impacts early in their careers. The Rising Titan Award celebrates a current student who demonstrates leadership and promise as a future alumnus.
